Kaniyan Poongunranar was an influential Indian - Tamil philosopher from the Sangam age. Sangam period is the period in the history of ancient southern India (known as Tamilagam) spanning from c. 3rd century BCE to c. 4th century CE. He composed two poems in old sangam literature called "Purananuru" and "Narrinai" respectively.
The following is the translation of the poem from "Purananuru"
To us all towns are one, all men our kin,
Life's good comes not from others' gifts, nor ill,
Man's pains and pain's relief are from within,
Death's no new thing, nor do our blossoms thrill
When joyous life seems like a luscious draught.
When grieved, we patient suffer; for, we deem
This much-praised life of ours a fragile raft
Borne down the waters of some mountain stream
That o'er huge boulders roaring seeks the plain
Tho' storms with lightning's flash from darkened skies.
Descend, the raft goes on as fates ordain.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !
We marvel not at the greatness of the great;
Still less despise we men of low estate. Kaniyan Poongundran, Purananuru - 192
Life's good comes not from others' gifts, nor ill,
Man's pains and pain's relief are from within,
Death's no new thing, nor do our blossoms thrill
When joyous life seems like a luscious draught.
When grieved, we patient suffer; for, we deem
This much-praised life of ours a fragile raft
Borne down the waters of some mountain stream
That o'er huge boulders roaring seeks the plain
Tho' storms with lightning's flash from darkened skies.
Descend, the raft goes on as fates ordain.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !
We marvel not at the greatness of the great;
Still less despise we men of low estate. Kaniyan Poongundran, Purananuru - 192
He rejected division of mankind into various categories and emphasised the universality of all men. The Tamil bards and intellectualists of the time of Kaniyan Pungunranar and those preceding his age considered that all men, whatever their rank or station in life, were alike.
The first part of the poem deals with the basic principles of the 'Way of Order' which is his term for natural law.
- Every human of every town is of the same value because they are related. Hence, all people should be bound by one, same moral and legal code.
- Good and Evil come from inside humans. Hence, humans are liable for both the pleasure and suffering they feel.
- Death is a natural part of the cycle of life, it is not new. Hence, this life must be made use of to its full potential.
- Yet, life should neither be full of pleasure, nor full of suffering. Hence, life should be full of plenitude.
He further goes onto explain these principles with an example of a raft.
- He compares birth to lightning, suggesting it can happen spontaneously anywhere.
- He gives an example of a raft which is allegorical to human life going downstream a steep hill, having a perilous journey through boulders and faces its climax, which is death.
- He concludes that since everyone's life is like the raft's journey, it is irrational to magnify the accomplished people and even worse to diminish the less accomplished people, because everyone goes through similar tribulations whatever their social estate might be.
Source: Wikipedia