In Sanskrit, a subhashita is a genre of poetic messages in the form of advice, fact, truth, or lesson. In some cases it may be a riddle. They are generally short verses, in two or four lines, with appropriate meter. The ancient gurus and scholars of Bharath have created thousands of subhashitas on various subjects and topics.
Here, I tend to connect such a subhashita form in Tamil, called Thirukkural, which is a two-liner on three major virtues of life. Truth is always unique, and a language is just a carrier of that knowledge and wisdom — it can never be a barrier.
For example, let us consider a subhashita (https://mcjoshi21.blogspot.com/2017/02/todays-subhashita_27.html):
याद् दोषाः पुरुषेणेह हातव्या भूतिमिच्छता निद्रा तन्द्रा भयं क्रोधः आलस्यं दीर्घसूत्रता
One who wishes to prosper in this world should rid oneself of the following six faults: too much sleep, lethargy, fear, anger, laziness, and procrastination.
In Thirukkural, one can find a similar couplet in verse 647, in the chapter “Power of Speech”:
சொலல்வல்லன் சோர்விலன் அஞ்சான் அவனை
இகல்வெல்லல் யார்க்கும் அரிது.
Mighty in word, of unforgetful mind, of fearless speech — ‘Tis hard for any hostile power to overreach such a man.
Both verses speak to the common virtues needed to prosper on one’s chosen way of life. A subtle but important point is that neither verse authorizes a shortcut to so-called “success.” One carries the message of removing the obstacles that block an individual’s path; the other conveys the same truth through the qualities that protect and advance him.
The commonality lies in laziness and procrastination, which may manifest as fear or excess sleep — physical or mental. This subtle message is accessible to anyone walking the path of knowledge in everyday life, not merely those pursuing higher wisdom. The two verses are similar in style and in the message they carry.
Yet in neither Sanskrit nor Tamil does language become a barrier to realising the truth that lies beneath the words. Knowledge may be sought in any language, as long as it is a carrier of a righteous message.