Chapter Two – Introduction

Chapter two is named “Vaan Sirappu”. Vaan means sky, but here it is referred to rain falling from the sky. Sirappu means significance or eminence. Thus the title is “Significance of Rain” or “Eminence of Rain”. We have preferred to use the later, as it has a closer meaning to Sirappu.

This is one of the single and rare chapters that do not deal directly with the qualities of mankind, but rather how rain affects or influences the livelihood on mankind on this earth.

The well known exponent of Thirukural (Para’mael Alagar), placed this chapter as part of pa’ayram or introduction, of the book as it does not follow the regular style of the other Thirukkural chapters.

This was “a sharp observation” and it is most probably the introduction for the section of “Aram” or Virtue. Without rain, Thirukkural informs that virtue is not possible to be emulated among mankind.

We shall now see each and every verse of how Thirukkural sees the greatness of rain.