Tamil Literature does not only have in abundance, great songs with indepth meaning but also songs about way of life. Songs that would guide people through the various trials and tribulations of life. Most people get vexed, depressed, disoriented due to the problems and the sorrows they face. Of course, those are parts and parcels of human life, but succumbing to these is not the point of living the life. Tamil literature has umpteen number of songs that guide people on how to deal with the sorrows and troubles they face. How to come out of it and how to attain a peaceful and sucessful life. Many of us have faced and are facing difficulties in our life each tuned for our own dimension. But how we have handled them makes what we are. So what is the solution to all our sorrows and how to handle and live our life. Lets look at a song goes like this

“Aaaveena Mazhai Pozhiya Illam Veezha
Agathadiyaal Mei Nova Adimai Saaga
Maaveeram Pogudhu Endru Vidhai Kondoda
Vazhiyilae Kadankaaran Mariththukkolla
Saavolai Kondoruvan Yedhirae Thondra
Thallavonna Virundhuvara Sarpam Theenda
Kovendhar Uzhudhunda Kadamai Ketka
Gurukkal Vandhu Datchinagal Kodu Yendrarae”

The song illustrates a sequence of events that happen to a man in those days. Lets the see the meaning. “The man had a cow which gave birth to a calf; At that time rains poured like anything making things worse. And even worse his house got destroyed by the rain. At that time, his wife got sick; His servant died. And later the wetness in the land had was drying up, so ran with the seeds to sow for cultivation; On the way, a creditor – person who gave him a loan – caught hold of him. At that time, a messenger brought him a death message. Following that, there came unavoidable guests. And he was bitten by a snake. Then the officials from the king came asking for the tax money. Finally, among all these situations, the Gurukkal – priest of the temple – came asking for donations.”


Aaa – Cow, King, God (in this context, Cow)
Eena – produce offspring
Mazhai – Rain; Pozhiya – Pouring
Illam – home, house; Veezha – Fall, destroy
Agathadiyaal – Wife (Agam: Home, Adiyaal: female companion) Mei – Body;
Nova – Pain, suffer
Adimai – Servant; Saaga – dies
Maa – Land; Eeram – Wetness
Pogudhu – Going; Endru – like
Vidhai – seeds; Kondoda – Kondu (take, have) + Oda (run)
Vazhi – Way, Path;
Kadankaaran – Person who gave the loan; Mariththu Kolla – block, stop
Saavu – Death; Olai – Message; Kondoruvan – Kondu + Oruvan (a man)
Yedhirae – Against; Thondra – Appear;
Thallavona – Unavoidable; Virundhu – Guests; Vara – come;
Sarpam – Snake; Theenda – Bite, do harm;
Kovendhar – King;
Uzhudhunda – Uzhudhu (Cultivate) + Unda (derive benefit, Eat);
Kadamai – Duty, Tax; Ketka – Ask;
Gurukkal – Priest of the temple; Vandhu – come;
Datchinaigal – donations; Kodu – give;
Yendrarae – a person saying something, in this context asking donations .

Now when you read the meaning of the poem, most of you would have had a gentle smile. It does not mean a sadist expression of laughing at the man in trouble. But all that you can do if you were in that situation would be to smile. That, is the solution to handle and tackle the troubles and sorrows in life. Take things in life with a smile, no matter how difficult it is and don’t get dejected or depressed. This is what Thiruvalluvar says in his Kural.

“Idukkan Varungaal Naguga Adhanai
Aduthoorvadhu Agudhu Oppadhill”
– Thiruvalluvar Thirukkural

meaning, “Laugh your trouble/sorrow away. There is no other way to conquer woes.”

Idukkan – Sorrow, trouble
Varungaal – Varum (Come) + Kaal (Suppose)
Naguga – Smile, Laugh
Adhanai – a pronoun referring a thing, here, trouble
Aduthoorvadhu – Aduthu (Next, Other) + Thoorvadhu (conquer)
Agudhu – Like, similar
Oppadhil + Oppadhu (Comparing, Matching) + Ill – (Not existing)

So why to worry, when you can laugh your sorrows away. Great people have realised this truth and gave it to us, which we should pass it on to the generations to come. Take life as it happens, what is destined to happen will happen. Prepare for the worst; expect the best; take what comes.


More to come, until then…