Wise Philosopher - Poets defining Wisdom

Thiruvalluvar, the celebrated Tamil poet & philosopher, lived around the beginning of the Christian Era. He composed his "Kural" which comprises 1330 couplets divided into three sections, namely Virtue, Wealth & Love, corresponding roughly to the first three "Purusharthas" (Hindu goals of human life.) A typical couplet on uxoriousness reads: 

"The unmanly doings of an uxorious man are a public scandal."

Sarvagna, the Kannada poet of the 16th century, composed about 2000 "tripadis" or three lined poems on almost all subjects. Even though a nomad, he also has celebrated worldly life, as in the following tripadi:

"If one has a cosy home, enough money,

 And an understanding wife.

 Who needs the pleasures of heaven?"

Bhartrihari, the philosopher-poet of the 5th Century, composed the "Shataka Trayam", comprising 100 verses each of "Niti Shatakam", (Virtue), "Shringara Shatakam" (Love) & "Vairagya Shatakam." (Renunciation). That he was not entirely successful in the last, is evinced in this verse:

"The face is covered with wrinkles, 

  the head has gone all grey,

  the limbs are slack and feeble,

  only cravings youthful stay."

Shaikh Saadi, the 12th Century Persian Sufi mystic, composed "Gulistan" (Rose Garden), divided into 7 chapters comprising 178 stories & the eighth chapter containing 112 maxims. He wrote the following story:

A King asked his minister to distribute money among the dervishes (ascetics). The minister came back with the money, saying, "Those who are dervishes will not accept the money & those who accept the money are not dervishes!"

Two Famous Persian Sufi Texts

The first is "The Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam." Omar Khayyam (1048-1131) was a polymath known as an astronmer, mathematician, philosopher & poet. But he is famous for his "Rubiyat" which meaning "Quartrains" (,four lined poems) contains 101 of them in the most accessible English translation by Edward Fitzgerald published in 1859. Though outwardly advocating a hedonist lifestyle, these are believed to carry a hidden meaning preaching Sufi philosphy. This may be because main stream Islam frowned upon many Sufi ideas. It is interesting to note that Paramahamsa Yogananda has published his own interpretation of the Rubiyat.

The second is "Gulistan" (Rose Garden) by Shaikh Saadi (1210-91). This is a collection of stories, verses & maxims. This is composed of eight chapters.

1. Character of Kings. (42 stories)
2. Moral Qualities of Dervishes (47 stories)
3. Excellence of Contentment (28 stories)
4. Advantages of Silence (14 stories)
5. Love & Youth (20 stories)
6. Feebleness & Old Age (8 stories)
7. Effect of Education (19 stories)
8. Duties of Society (112 maxims)

As can be seen from the chapter headings, it encapsulates the wisdom of that country at that time.

Two Great Flower Painters

Flowers are arguably the most beautiful creations in nature. Two painters, one European & one English have dedicated their entire life in painting them, bringing out their ephemeral charm.

Pierre Joseph Redoute (1759-1840) was from the Austrian Nederlands. He was the official court artist of Marie Antoinette. (The one who suggested that poor people eat cake & was guillotined!). He lived for 80 years & worked closely with botanists. He produced over 2000 works of 1800 species of flowers & was reckoned the greatest flower painter of all time, earning the nickname of "The Raphael of Flowers." He always painted fresh flowers & not those in a herbarium.

Barbara Nicholson, an English painter in the mid twentieth century, started her career as a medical illustrator, but later switched over to painting flowers. Her work was always preceded by field studies & she invariably painted from fresh materials. Her pictures were botanically accurate & artistically beautiful. Her work is published in "The Illustrated Book of Garden Flowers" & "The Illustrated Book of Wild Flowers" among other publications.