After translating 370 couplets from Thirukkural, I ran into a translator’s dilemma, when I encountered the chapter on Ool (ஊழ்). Should I translate this chapter, when I dont believe in it (after a superficial skimming), or shall I skip this chapter and move on to the next one? After a lot of deliberation, I decided to give it a deeper reading before coming to a conclusion. And, I am glad I did that. Instead of posting the kurals one by one of Facebook and Twitter, like I’ve done before, I am giving the entire chapter here on my blog; since, there is a lot of scope of misinterpreting individual kurals, in this chapter, without a holistic perspective.
I am refraining from using the word fate or destiny, since there is a significant difference between ool and fate. [I am writing ool instead of oozh, since I belief zh doesnt serve the purpose for non-Tamils anyway.) Fate, as per OED, is the development of events outside a person’s control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power. Ool or karma, in an Indian context as per Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions, and as rightly put in OED, is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future.
This belief was at the core of Gandhi’s thoughts. “I do not seek redemption from the consequences of my sin. I seek to be redeemed from sin itself, or rather from the very thought of sin. Until I have attained that end, I shall be content to be restless.”
Swami Vivekananda, also, put it eloquently : “Men generally lay all the blame of life on their fellowmen, or failing that, on God, or they conjure up a ghost, and say it is fate. Where is fate and who is fate? We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate. None else has the blame, none has the praise.”
The way Thiruvalluvar has dealt with Ool is very interesting. As in most other kurals, it is more poetic than spiritual. The rationality is probably too rational that it almost sounds irrational for self-professed rationalists like me. While, I definitely still dont subscribe to the idea of previous and future births, I am viewing this as a poet’s liberty to exaggerate, and make his point.
Ool is almost a character in my other favourite Tamil classic, Chilapathikaaram.
So, here is the Chapter 38 from Thirukkural : Ool
Constructive ool causes tireless endeavor leading to prosperity;
destructive ool causes indolence. [371]
Malign ool blunts one’s intelligence;
in its turn, benign ool sharpens it. [372]
Even if knowledge comes through profound books,
one’s innate wisdom remains dominant. [373]
The world is stratified based on two factors:
wealth and wisdom; and, they are not correlated. [374]
While seeking wealth, positive aspects can turn harmful;
and negative aspects beneficial. [375]
Strive hard, we may; but what we don’t deserve doesn’t stay,
and what we deserve, we can’t dispose. [376]
One may amass wealth worth crores, but can consume
only as ordained by the Ordainer (based on ool). [377]
Even those who possess nothing to enjoy will ‘renounce’,
if only one can escape the misery that is to be suffered. [378]
Why bemoan the misery caused by ool,
when one enjoys the good without complaint. [379]
Is there anything mightier than ool? It remains dominant
despite all plans devised to counter it. [380]
It is interesting to note that Valluvar doesn’t say constructive ool causes prosperity; it causes effort. Throughout these 10 kurals, Thiruvalluvar is building up Ool as a very potent character, like in the best works of fiction, and then deals ool a deadly blow (and answers the question he asked in kural 380), when he says later on,
“Even if god has given up, perseverance will yield positive results. ” [619]
“Those who persevere without ever giving up, will defeat even ool”. [620]
The original couplets in Tamil :
அதிகாரம் 38 : ஊழ்
ஆகூழாற் றோன்று மசைவின்மை கைப்பொருள்
போகூழாற் றோன்று மடி. [371]
பேதைப் படுக்கு மிழவூ ழறிவகற்று
மாகலூ ழுற்றக் கடை. [372]
நுண்ணிய நூல்பல கற்பினு மற்றுந்தன்
னுண்மை யறிவே மிகும். [373]
இருவே றுலகத் தியற்கை திருவேறு
தெள்ளிய ராதலும் வேறு. [374]
நல்லவை யெல்லாஅந் தீயவாந் தீயவு
நல்லவாஞ் செல்லவஞ் செயற்கு. [375]
பரியினு மாகாவாம் பாலல்ல வுய்த்துச்
சொரியினும் போகா தம. [376]
வகுத்தான் வகுத்த வகையல்லாற் கோடி
தொகுத்தார்க்குந் துய்த்த லரிது. [377]
துறப்பார்மற் றுப்புர வில்லா ருறற்பால
வூட்டா கழியு மெனின். [378]
நன்றாங்கா னல்லவாக் காண்பவ ரன்றாங்கால்
அல்லற் படுவ தெவன். [379]
ஊழிற் பெருவலி யாவுள மற்றொன்று
சூழினுந் தான்முந் துறும். [380]
Posted by Kannan 
Loud Thoughts 