Arcot Sivagnanam Srinath

Spirituality in Thirukkural Arcot Sivagnanam Srinath

Thirukkural is a life science scripture. It describes the three essentials of life. Viz dharma, artha and kama. Or righteousness, wealth and bliss. For some reason the fourth purushartha - moksham [salvation] is not described.13 sections discuss about renunciation - but here also the salvation is not directly discussed. One section discusses fate or destiny -- the power of the inescapable happenings. Justice Gokulakrishnan feels that if one follows the ideals of dharma enunciated one can obtain moksham, and therefore it was not written. Some feel he has not written about moksham as he has no personal knowledge about it. Also it is very difficult to explain it to others - as words are not enough to express the personal bliss. In tamil there is a couplet " kandavar vindilar, vindavar kandilar" - meaning " those who have seen have not returned, those who have returned have not seen"The people who have experienced the brahmananda are in a different plane; and cannot return to the worldly plane. They were completely transformed. Those who have returned to this worldly plane have not experienced bliss.