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The amount of precision and brevity that is incorporated in to this one book, the way the author
develops a meta-language out of the very language he is trying to define and deal with, without
sacrificing clarity or giving space for ambiguity, always blows my mind!

Another profound example is found in Tirukkuṟaḷ. Though the entire work or any random couplet
from it can be quoted, I would like to once again take a personal favourite of mine.

When discussing the duties of a person, who runs a family – an ‘il-vāḻvāṉ’ (grahastan) –
Tiruvalluvar prescribes that one’s income should be divided in such a way to accommodate five
groups: Ancestors, God, Guests, Relatives, and Self (including his own immediate family).

Transliteration:
ெத ல தா ெத'வ. வ$3(ெதா க teṉpulattār teyvam viruntu okkal tāṉ eṉṟāṅku
தாென றா! aimpulattāṟu ōmpal talai (kuraḷ 43)

ஐ. ல தா ஓ.ப தைல. ( ற? 43)

According to Arta-shāstrā (and other such economic or moral treaties) one’s income should be
divided in to six equal parts, to be spent, for ancestors, god, guests, relatives, self, and tax (for the
king).

This obviously is in accordance with what Tiruvalluvar prescribes, except for the fact that
Tiruvalluvar seemed to have missed King’s Tax.

One of the ten famous commentators of the book, Parimēlaḻakar, points this out and explains that it
is the duty of the king to ensure the proper collection of tax and not the duty of the householder
himself – hence Tiruvalluvar did not mentions it here, where he is prescribing the duties of the
householder only! (Duties of a king are discussed elaborately in the second section of the book –
Porutpāl).

7. Conclusion

When we write fiction, we write to express ourselves. However, when we write non-fiction, we do so
in order to educate others – to teach others what we have learned. Hence it becomes very important
to understand the aspects of good technical writing in order to write and communicate effectively –
learning to do so through our ancient texts and traditions will have the value and advantage of being
indigenous and thus boosts our confidence while swelling our chest with pride. To learn that our
ancestors have composed some of the best texts in the world is always a good motivator; it drives us
to surpass them in quality as well as quantity. I sincerely hope that I have given you an inspiring
glimpse in the scientific temper and rigour of our ancestors and have motivated to pursue it.

Vijayanarasimhan, K.ijayanarasimhan, K.
V
Vijayanarasimhan, K.Vijayanarasimhan, K.
A
Assistant Professor (SS) of PhysicsAssistant Professor (SS) of Physics
Assistant Professor (SS) of Physicsssistant Professor (SS) of Physics
Department of Humanities and Sciences.epartment of Humanities and Sciences.
D
Department of Humanities and Sciences.Department of Humanities and Sciences.

T
THE ART OF HUMAN CONNECTHE ART OF HUMAN CONNECT
THE ART OF HUMAN CONNECTTHE ART OF HUMAN CONNECT

Society is irreplaceable for man. It is indispensable as matter of nature, necessary for the wellbeing of
individuals. A man like “Robinson Crusoe,” who is left in isolation scarcely develops his personality. In
the novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe (1719), the protagonist sets out for a voyage and ends up
with a tumultuous ship-wreck in a storm. On his arrival to an unknown island, he overcomes his
desolation by devising his amenities and survives in the un-inhabited island for years. He is completely
devoid of human connection, and finally manages his return by a passer-by vessel to his homeland.
Defoe while exhibiting the individual’s capacity for survival picturesquely indicates the necessity of

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