Tamils - a Trans State Nation..

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
- Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C

On Music

Message to Music Society of Ceylon Festival
Sri Manikaa Vinayagar Temple, Bambalapitiya, Colombo
14 September 1974

I must confess that it is with some reluctance that I accede to the request of the enthusiastic Secretary of the Music Society of Ceylon to send a message on this occasion. My reluctance stems from a feeling that messages of this nature are very often, and perhaps rightly, regarded as expression of platitudes conveying very little meaning and serving very little purpose. Be that as it may, I do feel that I should utilise this opportunity to state that over the past several yeas the Music Society of Ceylon has truly rendered considerable service to the development and encouragement of carnatic music in this Island. It is important that such efforts should be encouraged in order that an abiding interest in our music and in our culture is created amongst our people. In the ultimate analysis a man's happiness is found not in the material goods that he owns and possesses but in the sum total of his awareness and consciousness An understanding and appreciation of music as a means of communication not limited by mere words, is a step towards a more complete awareness of ourselves and the world in which we live. It has been truly said that music is divine.