Chapter One - Verse ten

The actual verse in the Tamil language

Piravip perungkadal neenthuvar neenthar
Eraivan adisera thaar

In this final verse the final destination of the soul is explained. Here it is very clearly stated that the final destination is God.

Piravip
This means “the birth”

Perung kadal
A two word syllabus, “perung” means “large or un-limitless”. Kadal means “ocean”. This phrase was discussed in verse eight where word of similar meanings “ocean” and “life” was mentioned.

Neenthuvar
Once again here the word used in verse eight with the similar meaning “swimming” was used.

Here the first sentence, means “swimming across the un-limitless ocean of birth”. This whole phrase has a different meaning from the rest in that here is mean “crossing over the cycle of rebirth”.

In the second sentence it is further expounded as follows:-

Neenthar
Here in means “those who do not swim across”

Eraivan
This is “God”

Adisera thaar
Here both the words are taken together as the last word “thaar” does not stand by itself for it is a suffix to denote the masculine / neutral gender. The word “adi” means feet and “sera” not joining.

It this second sentence, the phrase, “those who do not swim across” needs to be translated as “those who cannot cross over the cycle of rebirth”

Thus the second sentence translates as “those who cannot cross over the cycle of rebirth, will not join the Lord’s feet”.

Thus the whole sentence translates as “One who swims across the un-limitless ocean of birth, will join the Lord’s feet; those who do not, will not”

This concludes the final verse of Thirukkural, where the final destination after all the cycles of rebirth, the soul ones links with God.

Significance to the Siddhanta theology

In this final verse, one very clear concept of Siddahnat is reveled, that is the “Soul can only link with God and it cannot become God”. The distinction of Souls and God are two separate entities, the corner stone of the Siddhanta theology is clearly expressed her.

For the soul to link with God, it has to break the cycle of reincarnation. This becomes the sole purpose of the soul and the elements of matter, life and knowledge help the soul to achieve this.

These are not hindrances; and that is why it is explained as “swimming cross.” The soul needs to understand, accept and make full use of the gifts given to the soul to cross the cycle of rebirth.

Thirukkural, in all the verses both provides a clue of God’s qualities and also what the souls need to do or achieve to cancel this exercise of taking numerous births.

Here also, Thirukkural informs that the souls must swim across, on their own effort. This is in line with the qualities of God as expressed by the author of this book.

The ideas and concepts presented in Thirukkural must have been the original theological thoughts and believes of the Tamil people of that era.