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I²nºÄ G#v¯U Psq® £¯®Cß@Ó
ö©#EnºÄ CÀ»õ uÁºUS. (v¸USÓÒ : 354)
In this Kural, Tiruvalluvar is sharing a very important concept. That
is, in spiritual life, especially in the life of renunciation, sense control is
very important.
The experiences gained through eyes, ears, nose, tongue and
skin are known as sensory perceptions.
The joy gained by touching a particular object - it is a form of
sense pleasure. If we touch something soft like velvette, it produces
certain pleasure. We touch and feel different kinds of objects - soft and
hard.
Even, very soft dresses are chosen by people. We are able to feel
hard, rough surfaces also.
People have a liking towards this sense of touch. Naturally, all
beings like this sense of touch. Touching a human being, mutually brings
pleasure and consolation (BÖuÀ). We see this in our experiences of
life.
Similarly people have liking towards tasty food, nice fragrance,
greenery that brings joy to the eyes, wonderful music etc.,
The more we feed our sense organs, with all these, we feel that
our energy is getting drained out.
Only because of this Tiruvalluvar said,
”øÁJÎ FÖKøŒ |õØÓ® GßøÓ¢vß
ÁøPöu›Áõß Pm@h E»S
in the chapter }zuõº ö£¸ø© , which talks about the glory of
Sannyasis.
A person lives in family life, in a proper manner and gains maturity
of mind. After that, he takes up sannyasa and concludes his life with
fulfilment.
The glory of such sannyasis is explained in that chapter }zuõº ö£¸ø©.
We have not yet learnt that chapter.
We are now in ö©#²nºuÀ AvPõµ® - the chapter that gives the
knowledge about absolute reality.
Five sense organs are there and respective five fields are there. I
have been repeatedly telling this.
We have these five sense organs. To enjoy sense pleasures,
through these sense organs alone, people are taking so much pains.
Thus, this liking for sense pleasures is common for all beings,
living in bodies.
But a human being, is endowed with the power of discrimination.
He can control the quantity of this enjoyment.
In all our sensory perceptions - like seeing, hearing, smelling, eating
and touching - we need to have moderation.
This idea has been accepted globally, irrespective of religion. We
know this from our worldly knowledge and medical science also supports
this.
Our scriptures also advocate this fact - that sense control is very
important.
But, at the same time, while taking up Sannyasa (the life of
renunciation), one has to totally give up all these sense pleasures.
For a sannyasi, not only sense control is enough, he has to have
knowledge of absolute reality. Otherwise, his sense-control will be
useless.
We are not saying that, sense control is not needed. If one does
not gain knowledge about the absolute reality, sense control will not
have any purpose.
In this Kural, Tiruvalluvar highlights the importance of Knowledge.
One can say that, “I have perfect sense control. I do not long for
sense pleasures”.
That is not enough. He has to approach a Guru and listen to the
scriptures, with patience and understand the central theme of the
scriptures. He has to think and clarify his doubts and internalize the
teaching.
Through this, one can get libertated from this cycle of birth and death
(or samsaara). This is the purpose of human life and scriptures help us
in this process.
Only this idea has been conveyed by Tiruvalluvar in this Kural, in
a beautiful manner.
Don’t think that sense control alone is enough. We have to gain
the knowledge about absolute reality.
The purpose of sense control, is to prepare us for gaining
knowledge. After gaining knowledge also, to retain it, we need sense
control.
Bhagavan Sri Krishna has beautifully presented this in stithaprajna
lakshana - where he defines a man of steady wisdom in the Bhagavad
Gita.
For gaining spiritual knowledge and to retain that knowledge, sense
control is very essential.
In this Kural, it is mentioned that, however much a person has
practised sense control, it is useless in the absence of knowledge.
Thus, Tiruvalluvar is stressing on the importance of knowledge, in
this Kural.
We will learn more and share Tirukural in every mind. Let us be
happy and show the way to happiness to everyone.
May the grace of Tiruvalluvar pervade everywhere.
I²nºÄ G#v¯U Psq® £¯®Cß@Ó
ö©#EnºÄ CÀ»õ uÁºUS. (v¸USÓÒ : 354)
My prayerful blessings to all.
Let Valluvam live forever.
Let humanity prosper with love.