Gratitude is one of the most important virtues to possess among several other good qualities. There are so many subtle things that we often take for granted and forget to acknowledge. We often think we are self-reliant, self-sustained and feel self-confident when everything seems to go good in our life. We tend to ignore so many things, so many people who have worked behind the scenes for us to make things happen in our lives. From our parents, siblings, neighbours, teachers/mentors, well-wishers whom we are in constant touch to the farmers who work in the fields, the weavers who weave clothes, the labourers who builds the house, the maid who cleans the house, the workers who work in the factories to produce goods that make our lives easier, the list is endless. We may pay the price to “procure” their services but it is very insignificant when compared to the labour of love and interest they show in producing these “goods” for us.
That’s why the importance of gratitude has been stressed since time immemorial.
Today I am going to present a couple of stanzas to stress this fact from Moodhurai (மூதுரை) penned by the grand old poetess Avvaiyaar (Tamil: ஔவையார்; literally means ‘Respectable Woman’)
and
a couple of couplets from saint poet Thiruvalluvar from his classic Thirukural (திருக்குறள்): which is considered as “உலக பொது மறை” or “The universal scripture” since it covers all the essential aspects of “அறம் பொருள் இன்பம்” or “Virtue, Wealth and Love” necessary to lead a complete life.
Thirukural has been translated into as many as 40 languages by 2014 and is a prime candidate to be nominated as the national book of India, for which a declaration was passed at the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2006 along with Bhagavad Gita.
First let’s consider two stanzas from Moodhurai. These are the first two stanzas from the poem:
“நன்றி ஒருவர்க்குச் செய்தக்கால் அந்நன்றி
‘என்று தருங்கொல்?’ எனவேண்டாம் – நின்று
தளரா வளர்தெங்கு தாளுண்ட நீரைத்
தலையாலே தான்தருத லால்.”
Which translates to:
“It is really not necessary to expect gratitude for the help rendered to the needy, since it will be automatically expressed in a future period by them when we least expect it, just like a coconut palm that draws water into its roots during its period of growth and automatically delivers it in the form of sweet nourishing coconut water above its trunk in future.”
The second stanza stresses the effects of help rendered to opposite categories of people, good and bad.
“நல்லார் ஒருவர்க்குச் செய்த உபகாரம்
கல்மேல் எழுத்துப்போல் காணுமே – அல்லாத
ஈரமிலா நெஞ்சத்தார்க் கீந்த உபகாரம்
நீர் மேல் எழுத்துக்கு நேர்”
Which translates to:
“Help rendered to virtuous people in times of need will be remembered by them forever, just like words etched into a stone or a sculpture that is embossed on a stone, that does not fade away in time, but help done to unethical/dishonest people is just like writing something on the surface of the water, it just vanishes as soon as it is written.”
Now, let’s consider a couple of couplets or Kurals from the classic: Thirukural:
Chapter 11/133: Gratitude – Kural /Verse: 108/1330
“நன்றி மறப்பது நன்றன்று நன்றல்லது
அன்றே மறப்பது நன்று.”
Which translates to:
“Help rendered should not be forgotten at any cost, but harm done should be forgiven and forgotten at the very moment.”
Chapter 11/133: Gratitude – Kural /Verse: 110/1330
“ எந்நன்றி கொன்றார்க்கும் உய்வுண்டாம் உய்வில்லை
செய்ந்நன்றி கொன்ற மகற்கு”
Which translates to:
“There is atonement for every vice/sin, but there is no atonement for ingratitude.”
The above statement just nails the concept of gratitude into our head and heart!
I find it also quite important to mention the concept of gratitude ingrained to us by great writers/poets of modern times.
A typical example, i can quote is from a classic Tamil movie, “படிக்காத மேதை” (“Padikkadha medhai” – 1960) which translates to “unlearned intellectual*, , enacted by another legendary actor of yore, Doctor “Chevalier” Sivaji Ganesan in a song, penned by Kaviyarasu (King of Poets) Kannadasan ( Servient to Lord Shri Krishna) , mentioned by me in one of my earlier posts.
The song goes like this:
“ஒரே ஒரு ஊரிலே ஒரே ஒரு ராஜா
ஒரே ஒரு ராஜாவுக்கு ஒரே ஒரு ராணி
ஒரே ஒரு ராணி பெற்றாள் ஒன்பது பிள்ளை
அந்த ஒன்பதிலே ஒன்று கூட உருபடியில்லை
படிச்சிருந்தும் தந்தை தாயை மதிக்க மறந்தான்
ஒருவன் படுக்கையிலே முள்ளைவச்சி பார்த்து மகிழ்ந்தான்
பிடிச்ச முயல் அத்தனைக்கும் மூன்று காலென்றான்
ஒருவன் பெண்டாட்டியின் கால்களுக்கு காவலிருந்தான்…….
பிள்ளை பெற்ற ராஜா ஒரு நாயை வளர்த்தார்
அதை பிள்ளைக்குமேல் கண்களைப்போல் காத்து வளர்த்தார்
உண்மை அன்பு சேவை என்ற மூன்றும் கொடுத்தார்
அதன் உள்ளத்திலே வீடு கட்டி தானும் இருந்தார்
…
சொந்தம் என்று வந்ததெல்லாம் சொந்தமும் இல்லை
ஒரு துணையில்லாமல் வந்ததெல்லாம் பாரமும் இல்லை
நன்றியுள்ள உயிர்கலெல்லாம் பிள்ளைதானடா
தம்பி நன்றிக்கெட்ட மகனை விட நாய்கள் மேலடா!”
Which translates to something like this:
“There was a single kingdom and there was a single king…
There was only a single queen to this single king…
That single queen bore nine sons…
But there was not even a single worthy son among the nine sons…
One forgot to respect his parents, even when learned,
Another made them lie in a bed of thorns and rejoiced,
Another caught a rabbit and insisted it has only three legs, and
Another lied under the feet of his wife and lived like her watchdog (disrespecting his own parents)…
After bringing up his nine sons, the king brought up a dog (meaning, a faithful orphan in this context)
He brought him up and protected him like his eyes , and even better than his own nine sons,
Teaching him truthfulness, love and service,
And built a house for him in his heart, and also dwelled in it…
Conclusion:
Whatever that comes as relations/relationships are not actual relationships,
Whatever that comes without hindrances are not actual burden,
All beings that shows gratitude are like our own sons,
Little Brother, remember, grateful dogs are much better than ingratitude sons!!!”
Spirituality is the only way to solace 