What is Double-V?
Double-V stands for Valluvar, the Divine poet of Tamils and Vivekananda, the Divine orator of India.
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Valluvar: The first-V |
Vivekananda: The second-V |
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Thiruvalluvar is the author of Thirukkural, a great Tamil classic of the 2nd century AD. It is one of the oldest ethical works of ancient India and is popularly called the Veda of Tamils. Though many religious scholars, including Christians, have claimed the Kural as a work of their faith, it was never recognized as a religious scripture because of its catholicity. Its universal appeal prompted Dr. G.U. Pope, one of the earliest translators of the classic into English, to call him the "Bard of Universal Man". Thirukkural undoubtedly transcends the barriers of religion, race, language and time! According to Valluvar, birth stands for mere accident and worth implies in real achievement: |
Vivekananda, a Hindu
monk who lived during 1863-1902, was a great exponent of Vedanta. He taught
that salvation does not come from belief or faith, nor by reading scriptures
or praying in temples and churches, but by Realization. He defined an atheist
as one who does not believe in himself! Vivekananda's writings, lectures,
essays and letters have been compiled and published in 9 volumes as "Complete
Works of Swami Vivekananda" (by Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta).
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"By birth all men are equal. Differences
in their action render their worth unequal" |
"Without Vedanta every religion is superstition.
With it everything becomes religion"
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Double-V
You may wonder what the millennium old teachings
of Valluvar has got to do with the century old teachings of Vivekananda!
I admire the poetic brevity and ethical message of Thiruvalluvar and also
appreciate the teachings and reasoning of Swami Vivekananda. Said Confucius:
"Exploring the old and deducing the new makes a teacher" (Analects 2:11)
I explore the old Thirukkural for its moral teachings and deduce the recent spiritual teachings of Vivekananda to make me a teacher. Valluvar and Vivekananda are the great sages of my motherland. They are like "sign posts" for me, but this doesn't mean that I disregard the teachings of others. As Vivekananda himself says:
"Take all the old messages, supplement
them with your own realization,
and
become a Prophet unto others" (CW
4:134).
Valluvar and Vivekananda, separated by more than 15 centuries, have
now become neighbors at their memorials in South India. About 366 metres
from the shores of Kanyakumari in South India, are two
island rocks in the Indian Ocean, 67 metres apart [1].
On the bigger island is located the Memorial for Swami Vivekananda, established in the year 1970. On the smaller
island rock, stands the
95
feet tall statue of Thiruvalluvar, erected in the year 2000 by the
Government of Tamil Nadu.
Valluvar and
Vivekananda now stand just 67 metres away from each other at the confluence
of three seas (Indian ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea) at Kanyakumari
in Tamil Nadu. Remarkable memorials for the two remarkable personalities!
References:
[1] Padmanaban, S. 2000.
Thiruvalluvar, a universal poet. Kanyakumari Historical and Cultural
Research Centre, Nagercoil.