Thiruvalluvar’s
Thirukural is Tamils pride and everybody’s guide in life. Secularism, essence
of our constitutional principles springs from each and every couplet of this
great treatise of wisdom written 2000 years ago. And Sir C.P.Ramasamy Iyer
places a befitting tribute to its grandeur on record. In his preface to the
French Translation of Thirukural Sir C.P.Ramasamy Iyer says “ It has been
rightly remarked that the Kural addresses itself to all classes and
communities, and indeed to the whole human race and charges itself with the
promulgation of virtue and of right conduct in the guise of familiar and
friendly advice. In a series of pithy maxims, it lays down rules of universal
acceptability dealing with most of our domestic and social problems and
situations. In the well known words of the philosopher, Spinoza, it is written
sub specie eternitate though characterized by tenderness and comprehensive
human sympathy, human life and love in all their forms as well as the regular
of existence in the social and economic fields are alike dealt with on the
basis of practical spirituality”.
Thirukural,
the secular book on morals had been translated in many languages and is next to
that of Bible in the number of such translations. The French version of
Thirukural rendered by a great littérateur Mr.Gnanou Diagou had fascinated many
scholars. It is a matter of pride to all Pondicherrians that Mr.Gnanou Diagou
is one of the illustrious sons of this soil having earnt a name and fame in the
19th century.Thirukural had been translated into the following
languages. 1) Burmese Mr. Myo Thant, Thirukkural 2) Chinese
Mr.Chi Eng Hsi, Thirukkural (1967) 3). Czech Mr. Kamil V Zvelebil,
Thirukural (1952-1954 4) Dutch Mr. D.Kat, Thirukural (Netherlands, 1964)
5) Fiji, Mr.S.L Berwick, Na. Thirukkurala, 1964) 6) Finnish Mr.
Aalto, Pentit, Kural - The Ancient Tamil Classic (1972) 7) German
Albrecht, Fenz and K. Lalithambal: Thirukural von Thiruvalluvar aus dem Tamil,
Madurai (1977), Mr.A.F Cammera, Thirukural Leipzig (1803) Mr Karl. Graul, Der
Kural des Thiruvalluvar, (London 1854), Mr. Karl Graul, Der Tamu lische gnomes
dichtar Thiruvalluvar, (Leipzig, 1865) Mr.Frederick Rickert Thirukural,
selections, (Berlin, 1847) Mr. William and Norgate, Der Kural des
Thiruvalluvar, (2nd ed, London, 1866) 8) French Ariel, M, Kural de
Thiruvalluvar (traduits du tamoul), Paris, 1848, Barrigue de, Fontaineu, G, Le
livre de l'amour de Thiruvalluva, Paris, 1889, Danielou, Alain, Thiruvallouvar
Kural, Pondicherry, 1942, Jacolliot, Louis, Kural de Thiruvalluvar,
(selections) Paris, 1767 Lamairesse, M, thirukural in French, Pondicherry, 1867)
9) Latin Graul, Charles, Kural of Thiruvalluvar, Tranquebar, 1866
Veeramamunivar, Thirukural (Books I and II), London, 1930 10) Malay
Ismail, Hussein: Thirukural sastera kalasik Tamil yang, Kuala Lumpur,
1967,Ramily Bin Thakir Thirukural (in verses), Kuala Lumpur, 1964 11) Polish Umadevi, Wandy Dynowskiev, Thiruvalluvar
Kural, Madras, 1958 12) Russian
J.J Glazov and Krishnamurthi, A, Thirukural, a book on virtue, politics
and love, Moscow, 1963 Glazov,
Thirukural in couplets with illustrations, Moscow, 1974 13)Swedish
Frykholm Ingya, Thirukural, Uddavalla, 1971. The list is incomplete.
The
complete list of languages in which Thirukural got translated is yet to be
compiled. The irony is we live in an age of information technology where at our
fingertips we should keep these facts. Many authors will boast that next to
Bible the only other book that was translated in many languages is Thirukural.
Yet none bothers to compile the data of all such translations undertaken and
books published in various languages. Let scholars and institutions start
compiling such lists, uploading in the Net to enable all Tamil lovers easy
access. Particularly Pondicherry with all its connections with France and with
prestigious institutes like French Institute functioning here it will be
appropriate that better coordination exists between Pondicherry University,
Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture which hopes to become a deemed
University soon and other Tamil scholars well versed in both the languages.
A
great bilingual scholar Desigam Pillai in his book Tamizhagamum
Frenchukararum dutifully records the services of scholars who promoted
cultural exchanges with zeal. The Jesuits priests who came here to propagate
their religion learnt Tamil and for the purpose of their kinsmen to understand
the nuances of Tamil they wrote many books in French. The services of
Mr.Boucher (1655-1732), Mr.De la Lane (1669-1746), Mr.Bouze (1673-1735),
Mr.Gargam (1690-1742), Mr.Calmette (1693-1740), Mr.Coeurdoux (1699-1774) in
writing books to help French acquire proficiency in Tamil, is thus listed by
Desigam Pillai. Mr.Desigam Pillai, a lawyer and Tamil scholar also mentions the
names of those who learnt Tamil. Mr.Perrin (1754-1820), Mr.Maguy (1758-1822),
Mr.Dubois (1770-1848), Mr.Dupuis (1806-1874), Mr.Mousset (1808-1888),
Mr.Legouste (1880-1863), Mr.Lap (1834-1893). These lists may be tiring to
normal readers. But it is a list to be remembered to understand the cultural
fraternity that developed between the French and Tamil-speaking peoples.
Many
scholars who collected the Tamil manuscripts and palm leaf texts during their
stay in Pondicherry had given them to the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris. Even
now in many homes including this writer there remains palm leaf texts ravaged
by time. It is high time that academic institutions in the soil of Pondicherry
and the Governments here that speak of heritage engage in a quest to collect
all such texts, digitalize them and microfilm such rare collections hidden in
Museums of both countries and private homes. Messrs.Mousset and Dupuis wrote
the Dictionnaire Français Tamoul (French Tamil Dictionary) running into
1270 pages and a Dictionnaire Tamoul Français-2 Vols. (Tamil French
Dictionary) running into 1660 pages. Mr.Jules Gordin who came from France to
contest an election here for the house of elders and who became a French
Senator took steps to start Tamil section in the Paris University. The dream
came true in 1879. From 1890 in the Ecole des Langues Orientales Tamil classes
became a reality. Mr. Vinson Julien wrote a grammar called Manuel De La
Language Tamoule Grammaire, Texts, Vocabulaire ,and Mr.P.Lap, A Brege De
La Grammaire Française Tomoule.Mr.M.J.Baulez wrote on colloquial Tamil Méthode
De Tamoul Vulgaire
These
are the pioneers and many authors who succeeded them had laid down firmly the
path of inter cultural exchange and language fraternity. To a layman it appears
that in the post independence era, these exchanges have mellowed down, and an
impetus is needed to reactivate the vigour with which Tamil was welcomed with
open arms by French. The entire French literature must be translated into Tamil
and vice versa. The unfinished agenda must be undertaken with renewed interest.
Before the old generation that had mastery over both languages bids adieu to
earthly existence, these unfinished tasks must be taken up with urgency, while
for younger generations the need to nourish this cultural legacy left between
the most lovable languages on earth, becomes a quest with thirst for
knowledge.
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