Guru.Granth.Sahib.Am.. - Gurmat Veechar

GURU GRANTH SAHIB AND THE TAMIL PRABANDHAS 247
Thirukural, the ethical text. One observes a contrast in this replacing.
Accusing Thirukural ofJaina and Buddhist influences, the Saivite and
Vaishnavite devotional poetry upheld the so called native religiosity.
Although Thirukural withstood this historical onslaught ofdevotional
tradition, the devotional thought as such failed to inherit the ethical
foundations ofThirukural. This is a vulnerable point in the devotional
heritage ofthe Tamils. But the devotionalism ofGuru Granth Sahib has
overcome this problem by an appropriate synthesis of ethics and
devotionalism.
The ethical orientation ofthe devotionalism ofGuru Granth Sahib
continues to flourish with its experiences with the Siddha poetry too. As
we know, the Siddhas cultivated an enlightened egoism and they were
overconfident ofthis. And this attitude took them miles away from the
life and problems ofthe common people. But Guru Nanak was always
with the people. His demand was to quench the thirst ofthe people.
Any philosophical or religious problem for Guru Nanak must be
formulated so as to address the issues ofthe people. There was a lot of
love in the heart ofthe great Guru :
The path oftrue Yoga is found in dwelling in God
while yet living in the midst ofthe world's temptations
(Guru Granth Sahib, 730)
Guru Granth Sahib places the ideal ofliquidation ofhaumain. both
earthly and enlightened, and reaching the inward purity, love and
truthfulness (sahaja).
Guru Granth Sahib and Saivite Thirumurais
The third set of scriptures we study is the 12 sacred works of
Saivism, both philosophical and devotional, that comprise the chronological
period from 5th century to 16th century ofthe Tamil history. The earlier
texts are of devotional songs that are compiled in Devaram and
Thiruvasagam, and the later texts are ofphilosophical nature that is
found in works like Sivajnana Botham and Sivajnana Siddhiar.
The significance ofthe Saivite scriptures for our present purpose
is that they contain a strong realistic note in terms ofrecognizing the
importance oftemporallife and human endeavours in the spiritual quest
ofhumans. While the devotional poetry ofSaivite Bhakti explores the
spontaneity oftemporal aspects oflife, the later philosophical works