If you Love Yourself…

உ சிவமயம்
ஸ்ரீ வல்லநாட்டுக் கருப்பர் துணை

Sep. 3^rd. 2017, Sunday                                                     ஹேவிளம்பி, ஆவணி மாதம் 18 ஆம் தேதி

Manickam Shanmugam (Selvam)

Atlanta, GA

Those who learn from others learn easily!

மற்றவர்களிடம் இருந்து கற்பவர்கள் எளிதாகக் கற்றுக் கொள்கிறார்

If you Love Yourself…/தன்னைத்தான் காதலன் ஆயின்...

It has been a week since Nithya started school at Emory. It is only I, Amma and Titan. We have started going to the YMCA together on Sundays and continue to walk every evening with Titan either to the top of our road (intersection of Childers) -> .2M * 2 or till CVS Pharmacy -> .4M *2. I also go the YMCA every other day in the AM (6:30am) – 30 minutes of treadmill at 6 mph, weights and an ok-warm-shower at the Y.

Another significant change is that I have started going to the AT&T Foundry in Midtown (near GT) M-Th. 9:30/10 to 3:30pm. This gives me an opportunity to interact w/the folks at the Foundry on a regular basis that would trigger new innovative ideas… so that I can stay truthful to my title of “Innovation Coach”. Titan stays in the crate.

Nithya is coming back home for the 1^st time since she started college a Emory … 4 miles away :-).

Yesterday was London Periappa (my eldest brother) and Periamma’s  36^th Marriage Anniversary.

I read a very good kuRaL/ குறள் today:

தன்னைத்தான் காதலன் ஆயின் எனைத்தொன்றும்
துன்னற்க தீவினைப் பால்
(அதிகாரம்:தீவினையச்சம் குறள் எண்:209) 

It is from the chapter on ‘Fear to Do Evil’. தீவினை is Bad Deeds. அச்சம் is Fear. தீவினை + அச்சம்  = தீவினையச்சம் . English Translation:

If you love yourself

Refrain from ill to others.

Obviously, the English version (as it is literally translated) does not do justice to nuances and implicit meanings of the words that vaLLuvar/வள்ளுவர் has used.

தன்னை + தான் – தன்னைத்தான் - Oneself/yourself.

காதலன் ஆயின் – If you love. காதலன் means lover, but, here it is used in the self-respect, self-motivation, self-confidence, self-esteem, morale, etc.

எனைத்தொன்றும் – Not even a single. எனைத்து + ஒன்றும். எனைத்து – In anything, aspect, situation. ஒன்றும் – single. The word and concept of “One” has deep philosophical and religious significance in all religions and ways of life:

-        Omnipresent

-        Omniscient

-        ஒன்றே குலம் ஒருவனே தேவன் – There is only one race and only one God!

துன்னற்க – The root of this word is துன்னு-தல்: To be fitted, joined, attached, to approach, approximate, adhere to.  துன்னற்க means don’t attach/associate/adhere to. அல் + க = அற்க, so துன் + அல் + க = துன்னற்க. Similar to செய்யற்க – செய் = do, செய்யற்க = don’t do.

தீவினைப் பால் – towards evil

So, if you put all the above together:

-        Dis-associate yourself from evil towards others.

-        … if you love and respect yourself.

-        If one associates with doing evil to others, the ill effects of it will reflect on them. In fact vaLLuvar/ வள்ளுவர் says:

பிறர்க்கின்னா முற்பகல் செய்யின் தமக்குஇன்னா
பிற்பகல் தாமே வரும்.

அதிகாரம்: இன்னாசெய்யாமை 
Not doing Evil - Innaaseyyaamai
குறள் இயல்: துறவறவியல் 
Ascetic Virtue - Thuravaraviyal
குறள் பால்: அறத்துப்பால்

குறள்:319

The hurt you cause in the forenoon self-propelled

Will over-take you in the afternoon.

It is also important to note that this is from the chapter on ‘Fear to Doing Evil’. He enjoins us to ‘fear’ evil. Fear tactic is an age-old coercing means to get people to agree to or do something; most of the times, it has a negative context in a negative scenario, but, here vaLLuvar/வள்ளுவர் uses “fear” to induce good behavior!

Please share with me your thoughts!

என்றும் வேண்டும் இனிய அன்பு!/Longing for Pure Love!

-Selvam