Ethos of Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural

Dr. N. Muthumohan*

* Guru Nanak Devji Chair, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai-625 021 Tamil Nadu.

The Madurai Kamaraj University hopes to undertake a project to translate the famous Thirukural into Punjabi and Guru Granth Sahib into Tamil language, said Sardar Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Commissioner of Madurai Corporation, while inaugurating a two-day seminar on "Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural" organised by Guru Nanak Devji Chair and Thirukural Chair of Madurai Kamaraj University, last September. Mr. G. S. Bedi observed that Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural are two Scriptures which transcend rituals and orthodoxy. The authors of both the texts did not think of leaving any autobiographical details of themselves in the texts.

Thirukural is authored by Thiruvalluvar, while Guru Granth Sahib is authored by the Sikh Gurus and saints of Islam and Hinduism. Both the holy texts speak on God, but the God proposed by them is common to all. In a sense, both Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural could be called as secular texts, Bedi opined, and added that both of them speak of a castles society. The Thirukural and Guru Granth Sahib commit themselves to social harmony and are particular in providing practical truth. One difference between Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural may be that Thirukural does not contain mystical experiences about God, he added.

In his presidential address, Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University, Prof. M. Salihu said that Thirukural and Guru Granth Sahib were two great Scriptures of the people of Tamilnadu and Punjab and they belonged to two different periods of Indian history. Thirukural was said to be composed in the beginning of the Christian era, while Guru Granth Sahib belonged to the 16th century. However there were some fundamental commonness between the two that they spoke about God and gave primary importance to active earthly living. They accepted family life and pleasures of human living, but these ideals must be achieved by ethical means. Both the scriptures stood for a castles society and support the aspirations of common people. Religious harmony was one of their cherished ideals. Even in the present period of conflicts in terms of castes and religious Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural could become guides for a harmonious living, the VC added. MKU special officer, Dr. Mrs. Anandavalli Mahadevan described her friendship with some learned Sikh women here and abroad and indicated the amount of equality existing between the Sikh men and women.

Altogether there were four sessions on the two days dedicated to the comparative studies of Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural, and fourteen papers were presented in a tight schedule. The papers were on the themes such as the philosophical background, Theology, social and ethical values, concepts of man, truth, social justice, social harmony, etc, in Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural. One more paper studied the language and style of the two texts. Learned scholars of Sikh studies, philosophy, Tamil studies and culturologists immensely contributed with their valuable ideas to the seminar.

We summarize here some of the prominent ideas that were presented by the scholars who submitted their papers :

l Thirukural is a synthesis of some of the basic Tamil cultural traits and of Jaina philosophical influence. Guru Granth Sahib is a system of thought which originated as an alternative to the medieval Indian trends of the Brahmanic Advaitic philosophy and the ritualistic Bhakti.

l Thirukural belongs to the pre-bhakti period of the history of Tamilnadu whereas Guru Granth Sahib is the scripture of the late-bhakti or post-bhakti period of Punjab. Hypothetically traveling through the Bhakti traditions, Thirukural in spirit becomes equivalent to Guru Granth Sahib. Both the texts accept the reality of human life on earth and direct people to encounter it by ethical means. Thirukural is closer to Guru Granth Sahib than many of the Bhakti texts, of Tamilnadu because the Tamil Bhakti texts despite their deep devotionalism and originality, are not strong enough in terms of their ethical and social content.

l Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural occupy a wide dialectical spectrum between the spiritual and temporal ends of human life. The Sikh Gurus register their experience of God without losing their earthly experiences. Otherwise said, the Gurus had an integrated experience of God and life. Life is not made into a mere shadow. It is addressed directly. Very much similar a position is occupied by Thirukural.

l Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural describe God in various ways. However the most important is that God is Transcendent and immanent. He is personal gracious and just. Both the texts reject the concept of avtar and the puranic descriptions of the avtars. Certain human beings who are perfect in ethical terms are deified in the texts. They are respected as the spiritual leaders of the society. While celebrating the Greatness of God, Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural do not support the ritualistic worship of God by the devotees. They advocate God as an Idea that needs to be remembered and followed in practical life.

l The term Sach means Reality as well as Truth in Guru Granth Sahib. In Thirukural Unmai is truth as well as reality. Along with this, both the texts propose certain idealized moments to be added to their concept of reality. The real and ideal are brought closer to be realized.

l The Universalism of Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural is astounding. Both the scriptures transcend religious sects, regions, linguistic barriers, and social groupings. It is very interesting to indicate that their conception of God is beyond religious identities and their ethics is beyond caste dharmas.

l The divine word Oankar unifies the multitude of sounds of music and of reality into one. Thirukural also says that the syllable-sound of Aharam unifies and leads all other sounds of life.

l Fatalism or Nihilism does not find a place in Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural. Both the texts criticize fatalism and appreciate human efforts. Their portrayal of human life is optimistic.

l Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural do not support the institution of asceticism on the ground that it is asocial. They redefine renunciation as inner purity, truthfulness, love and elimination of lameness. These values are to be lived in family and social life. This means that the ideational moments of renunciation must descend into our everyday life and behaviour. Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural redefine renunciation as elimination of egoism. Thus an asocial concept has been transformed into a socialised, humanized and moralized ideal. It is necessary to note that Guru Nanak was an Udasi in the middle of his life, however turned to be a saint-farmer towards the later part of his life. Thiruvalluvar is said to be a weaver and a family man.

l Love, humility and Truth are the three important values that have been celebrated in Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural. Thirukural says that the (deified) ethics would punish the loveless beings as the hot sun rays would burn the boneless insects. Love leads life. Even militant acts of a man are caused by love. Guru Granth Sahib compares the man without love to a flower that grows in a deserted land. It is God’s love for His creation that is named as His Grace. Guru is a reservoir of love. Bhakti too is founded upon love. Love is the source of Sewa. Sahaj as saha + ja means comradeship among all created beings.

l Critique of individualism is one of the prominent themes of Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural. The concepts of liberation and the ultimate goal of human life are identified with the liquidation of individualism, or haumai.

l Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural register the ethical protest to the Hindu caste order. They advocate a simple agricultural life, contain a strong streak of naturalism and a very realistic understanding of social and human problems.

l The theme of humility is worked out in all its finest details of Guru Granth Sahib and Thirukural. Humility of senses, mind, tongue, words and deeds are some of its dimensions. Tolerance and simplicity are its derivatives. The rich and the powerful should practice humility obligatorily. However humility does not mean loss of one’s self-respect or weakness of mind.

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