Kaniyan Pungundranar

2021-08-22T18:51:08Z

27.5.156.86:

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox philosopher
| region = Mahibalanpatti, [[Sivaganga district]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| name = Kaniyan Pungundranar
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| other_names =
| birth_date = Uncertain; probably between 6th century BCE and 1st century CE
| birth_place = [[Mahibalanpatti]], [[Sivaganga district]], Tamil Nadu, [[India]]
| main_interests = [[Ethics]], [[ahimsa]], [[justice]], [[virtue]], [[politics]], [[education]], [[family]], [[friendship]], [[love]]
| notable_works = [[Purananuru]] <br/> [[Naṟṟiṇai]]
| notable_ideas = [[Secular ethics|Common ethics]] and [[Secular morality|morality]]
| influences = [[Sangam literature|Early Sangam literature]]
| influenced = Virtually all subsequent [[Indian philosophy|Indian]], especially [[South India]]n, [[Indian philosophy|philosophy]]
}}
'''Kaniyan Poongunranar''', also '''Poongundranar''' or '''Pungundranar''' ({{indic|lang=ta|indic=கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார்|trans=Kaṉiyan Pūngunṟanār}}), was an influential [[Tamil people|Tamil]] philosopher from the [[Sangam age]] between 6th century BCE and 1st century CE.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/why-pm-modi-quoted-ancient-tamil-poet-kaniyan-pungundranar-at-un-meet-2108445|title=Why PM Modi Quoted Ancient Tamil Poet Kaniyan Pungundranar At UN Meet}}</ref> His name Kaniyan implies that he was an Kaala Kanithar ([[astronomer]]) (''kaala kanitham'' in Tamil literally means mathematics of date, time and place). Kaniyan was born and brought up in Mahibalanpatti, a village panchayat in Tamil Nadu's [[Sivaganga district]]. He composed two poems in [[Puṟanāṉūṟu]] and [[Natrinai]]. His famous Tamil quote "Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir" is at present depicted in the [[United Nations Organisation]].<ref>His poems never praised any kings as that was a practice on those times.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/united-nations-day-celebrated/article3066317.ece|title=United Nations Day celebrated|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-06-27|language=en}}</ref> [[G. G. Ponnambalam]] concluded his 1966 address to the 21st session of the [[United Nations General Assembly]] by invoking this quote.<ref>United Nations General Assembly, Twenty First Session, Official Records, 1446th Plenary Meeting, 18 October 1966, New York. http://undocs.org/en/A/PV.1446</ref> [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam|A. P. J Abdul Kalam]] was the first one to quote this famous quote in European Union [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXW5oi0_epg Historical Speech by Abdul Kalam in European Union] and the another one is [[Narendra Modi]] who quoted it in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pr9ZFajui4 74th Session of the UN General Assembly]. The first musical form of Yaadhum Oore poem by composer [[Rajan Somasundaram]] was chosen as the theme song of 10th [[World Tamil Conference]] from the album [[Sandham: Symphony Meets Classical Tamil]] and was featured in Amazon's Top#10 International Music albums.<ref>https://www.dinamalar.com/news_detail.asp?id=2290362</ref>

==Purananuru==

<poem>
யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்
தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா
நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன
சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே, வாழ்தல்
இனிதென மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே முனிவின்
இன்னா தென்றலும் இலமே, மின்னொடு
வானம் தண்துளி தலைஇ யானாது
கல் பொருது மிரங்கு மல்லல் பேரியாற்று
நீர்வழிப் படூஉம் புணைபோல் ஆருயிர்
முறை வழிப் படூஉம் என்பது திறவோர்
காட்சியில் தெளிந்தனம் ஆகலின், மாட்சியின்
பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே,
சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே. (புறம்: 192)
</poem>

<poem>
To us all towns are our own, everyone is our kin,
Life's good comes not from others' gifts, nor ill,
Pains and pain's relief are from within,
Death's no new thing, nor do our bosoms thrill
When joyous life seems like a luscious draught.
When grieved, we patient suffer; for, we deem
This much-praised life of ours a fragile raft
Borne down the waters of some mountain stream
That o'er huge boulders roaring seeks the plain
Tho' storms with lightning's flash from darkened skies.
Descend, the raft goes on as fates ordain.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise!
We marvel not at the greatness of the great;
Still less despise we men of low estate.
</poem>
Kaniyan Poongundran, ''Purananuru'' - 192<br />
(Adapted from translation by [[George Uglow Pope|G.U.Pope]], 1906)

==Cosmopolitanism==
Poongundranar rejected division of mankind into various categories and emphasised the universality of all humans.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pillai|first=Jaya|title=Educational system of the ancient Tamils|year=1972|publisher=South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Pub. Society|location=Tirunelveli}}</ref> The Tamil bards and intellectuals of the time of Poongundranar and those preceding his age considered that all humans, whatever their rank or station in life, were alike.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ma̲raimalaiyạtikạl|title=Ancient and modern Tamil poets|year=1971|publisher=South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Pub. Society|location=Tirunelveli}}</ref>

==Natural law==
Poongundranar states that the wooden log is carried by the water in its direction and similarly postulates that everything in life will also follow [[karma]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Civacaṅkari|title=Knit India Through Literature: The South|publisher=Eastwest Books|location=1998|pages=288}}</ref> This he calls 'Way of Order'({{indic|lang=ta|indic=முறை வழி|trans=muṟai vazhi}}).

===Principles of the Way of Order===
Throughout his poem, Poongundranar lays down the principles of his version of [[natural law]]. The first part of the poem deals with the basic principles of the 'Way of Order'({{indic|lang=ta|indic=முறை வழி|trans=muṟai vazhi}}) which is his term for [[natural law]].

*Every human of every town is of the same value because they are கேளிர் (related). Hence, all people should be bound by one, same moral and legal code.
*நன்று ([[good and evil|good]]) and தீது ([[evil]]) do not come from others. Hence, humans are liable for both the pleasure and suffering they feel.
*Death is a natural part of the cycle of life, it is not new. Hence, this life must be made use of to its full potential.

===Allegory of the raft===
Poongundranar further goes onto explain these principles with an example of a raft.

*He compares birth to lightning, suggesting it can happen spontaneously anywhere.
*He gives an example of a raft which is allegorical to human life going downstream a steep hill, having a perilous journey through boulders and faces its climax just as in திறவோர் காட்சியில் (lit. Wisemen's vision means fate) which is death.
*He concludes that since everyone's life is like the raft's journey, it is irrational to magnify the பெரியோ[ர்] (accomplished people) and even worse to diminish சிறியோ[ர்](less accomplished people), because everyone goes through similar tribulations whatever their social estate might be.

==Influence==
Kaniyan Poongundranar's ''Yathum oore'' poem has been declared as the theme song of the 10th [[World Tamil Conference]] scheduled in Chicago. American composer [[Rajan Somasundaram]] has given the first music form for the 2000-year-old poetry. It has been sung by Academy nominated singer [[Bombay Jayashri]] and [[Karthik (singer)]] among other international artists.<ref>https://www.dinamalar.com/news_detail.asp?id=2290362</ref>

Poongundranar was extremely influential in the revivalist [[Self-respect movement]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Bharathi|first=S. Lakshmirathan|title=History and growth of rationalist movement in Thamizh Naadu}}</ref> The first sentence of his poem has been adopted as the motto of the [[World Tamil Conference|World Thamizh Confederation]] to represent [[Tamil people]].{{fact|date=August 2020}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Tamils|India|Literature|Poetry}}
* [[Sangam literature]]
* [[List of Sangam poets]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Tamil language}}

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[[Category:Tamil philosophy]]
[[Category:Ancient Indian philosophers]]
[[Category:Tamil poets]]
[[Category:People from Sivaganga district]]
[[Category:Scholars from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Sangam poets]]

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Kaniyan Pungundranar