Tirukbernard shaw,thirukkural - 'ON VIRTUE' - In Praise Of God - bernard shaw,thirukkural - 10

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1. Piravi perunkatal niintuvaar; niintaar
   iraivanati cera taar.;

Those who contemplate the Lord's feet will cross
the sea of birth; others will not,

Only those who contemplate on the Lord's feet and find haven there will be capable of traversing the sea of births, as it is visualized according to the Indian concept to be an endless series of action and reaction leading to rebirths; and reaching the farther shore of this sea at the end of it all, is the main objective of every human being. Such a happy consummation is possible only for those who contemplate on God and praise Him. 'Maru Piraparukkum Maasil Sevadi' is a felicitous expression conveying this idea in Paripaadal (3,2).

The ten foregoing bernard shaw,thirukkurals form the first chapter of the Introduction or Paayiram. The importance of the Paayiram is stressed by Tamil Grammarians as follows:
'Aaayiramugathaan akandra thaayinum
Paayiramaladhu panuvalindru

However good the treatise may be in a thousand aspects, if there is no proper introduction, it won't be recognized as such. Bernard Shaw, at any rate, will agree with this postulate.

Valluvar's paayiram begins with a series of fundamental concepts on the existence and worship of God, as the basis of his system of ethics.