G.U.Pope’s Thirukural version is De-spiritualized : Tamil Nadu Governor R.N.Ravi

Tamil Nadu Governor inaugurated the Thirukkural conference - Thirukkural to the Humanity is for World Peace and Harmony, at Anna University on Friday 7th Oct.

Chennai: He received Thirukural Book as the first gift after taking oath as Governor of TN. Stating that he had been reading it since then, Governor said that every word in kural is full of deep meaningful insights. He said Valluvar, who expressed his views in one-and-a-half lines, was an intellectually profound person. In 1886 when G.U.Pope came to India, he fell in love with Thirukkural and translated it.

He then said, "Agara Mudhala Ezhuthellam Aadhi Bhagavan Mugatre Yulagu" in translation G.U.Pope used the 'Primal Deity' which is incorrect.

He converted the spiritual content into non-spiritual ideas. It was a mistake on the part of the colonial rulers,"

Google itself can give you the right term 'Primal Deities' are the ancient deities who are believed to have created the Gods. My doubt is how could G.U. Has the Pope had committed this error? _ questioned R.S.Ravi.

"The word 'Adi Bhagavan' is a general word in India which is used in various languages. The word 'Adi Bhagavan' was an Interpolation into Kural later. This itself is debatable," says Arunan, a writer and professor. In his speech he only targeted the fact that G.U. Pope and his translation of 'Adi Bhagavan' as 'Primal Deity' was incorrect. The governor's argument is 'unfair'.

But, as the Governor says, It was not G.U.Pope who translated Thirukural initially, he was the fourth person to translate it. There were three people prior to him. Thirukural first was translated by Francis Whyte Ellis who was not confined to translations alone. He also initiated the effort of stamping the image of Thiruvallur in coins.

Bharathi's friend, deep mastery and devotion in the Kambaramayana
V.V.S.S. Iyer, who was well-versed in the religion, translated the Kural in 1916 in which he mentioned 'A is the starting-point of the world of sound; even so is the Ancient one Supreme the Starting- point of all' that exists' .

So V.V.S. Iyer Did not mention the Supreme God? Isn't he a Tamilian? Isn't he a spiritual sage? Is the governor trying to say that Iyer also had an ulterior motive?

And adding to this we have a duty to remind R.S.Ravi about one more important fact since he is a former IPS officer. 'S.M. Diaz' who was senior from The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy had translated thirukural in English where he mentioned 'The alphabet begins with A; So does the universe, with God'. He is also not a foreigner. He was born in Thuthukudi district, so why did he use 'Supreme God' !

Many of them almost used the similar word for 'Primal Deity' which was utilized by the Pope.

Without knowing or avoiding all this information , the government says, 'Only the Pope has done harm to Thirukkural'.

Let's also see what Gandhi said after reading G.U. Pope's translation.

I want to be born as a Tamilian in my life," Gandhi in his 'Indian Opinion' dated 14-3-1908. He also mentioned that People of Chennai should be grateful for the Englishmen like G.U.Pope.

"Governor Ravi, while speaking, said, 'Dravidian in the national anthem'

The word consists of four landscapes: Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada. But in the current scenario, Dravidian refers only to Tamil. Political parties have narrowed down our vision.

Let us answer this in government style, when you try to find the answer in Google for "which is the first Draidian language" the result is Tamil, said professor Arunan.

Furthermore, he said, "Generally those who participate in Debates with me, especially right-wingers speak of 'Dravidianism' they refer to Tamil Nadu but not Andha or Karnataka. Is the governor trying to say that the RSS idea itself is wrong?

The governor has only one motive which is to target the DMK, he should understand that the DMK have not set any narrative, but the DMK have put forward what Researchers like Caldwell said.

There is an argument saying that all the South Indian languages are born from Tamil. However, there is a strong debate discussed by new scholars that they had not evolved from Tamil but from Proto- Dravdian languages.

'Dravida Utkala Vanga' in the national anthem refers to the southern state and its terrain. That's what the DMK is saying. Nobody has claimed that Dravidian is Tamil.

Governor said, G.U.Pope's translation is not correct but he was the one who took Thirukural worldwide. The translation of Thirukural happened in Sanskrit in the year 1922 as per Wikipedia but why did the BJP not take Thirukural and spread its essence and ideas throughout India, what stopped them?

Now they are trying to steal Thiruvallur, the icon of DMK to promote their party for which the Governor is indirectly working for, said Arunan.