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Acute Advice To Those Who Would Be King From the Thiruk-Kural: Valiarithal K475
Acute Advice To Those Who Would Be King From the Thiruk-Kural: Valiarithal K475
Acute advice for those* who would be King from the THIRUK-KURAL: Valiarithal - K475
[*like presidents, prime and chief ministers, dictators or even modern-day "emperors" under the guise of revolutionary leaders of oppressed peoples]
Note: In this the 48th Canto, Valluvar is back - from the purely literary point of view, given his ultimate reasons for maintaining the decadal format for each topic - to composing epigrams some of which merely serve to "fill in" and complete (as I have repeatedly reminded the reader) the decade.
Here, the first two distiques are of a general introductory nature; the next two, the key statements contain his pronouncements on the theme of "how to wield power" in politics; the following two re-capture in imagic form the teaching in the previous couple, and the last four - no less literary gems in prosodic exercises - mere repetitious variations of the main premise enunciated in 473 and 474.] T. Wignesan
K475: piilipey saakaadum acchuirum appandam
saala mikuthup peyin
With peacock feather light, you load the wain;
Yet, heaped too high, the axle snaps in twain. (Transl. G.U. Pope)
The axle tree of a bandy, loaded only with peacocks' feathers will break, if it be greatly overloaded. (Transl. Drew & Lazarus)
Load to an inordinate degree even peacock feathers onto a wagon and the axle will snap. (Transl. T. Wignesan)
[ANALYSIS: "piili" = peacock's feathers; "pey" = drop (as rain), pour in, place, assemble; "achchu" = axle; "saakaadu" = a wagon; "iru" = break/"irum" = will break; "pandam" = material, goods; "saala" = to be full, abundantly; "mikuththup peyin" = should it be overloaded.
The likelihood of a metallic axle (unless the author specifically wishes to denote a wagon of some non-metallic material) giving way under the weight of peacock feathers conjures up such a far-fetched image that, it is evident, Thiru-Valluvar was trying to draw attention to the over-weaning sense of self-conceit in a certain type of individual leader (the subject of treatment in this chapter) who would like the peacock strut around, feathers splayed out in full array, proud of the the spectacle he was promoting, rather than hint at the vehicle coming to a standstill. Here, the dazzling beauty of dark-blue and green "eyes" (like king cobras swaying for the kill, their hoods spreadout) of the fanned-out feathers, all in an effort to win the favours of the peahen, accompanied by the nuptial dance's uppity movements, contrasts with the lifelessness and cold hardness of the carriage - the latter serving to eke out the metaphor as a warning to the king who does not perceive the ruin at the door of his reign should he devote himself to the "frivolities" of ego-inflation rather than hark to the duties of the monarch which are to protect, preserve and pander to the needs of the peoples under his charge, at large.
Participating in sword dances with Saudi dervishes might or can involuntarily slay the nonchalant dancer or his co-revelers! Studded gold-chains notwithstanding nor charms and amulets of scented Arabian Nights!]
© T. Wignesan - Paris, 2017
Copyright © T Wignesan | Year Posted 2017
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