Preface and Grace !

Preface and Grace. What connection is there between these two? Preface introduces a book that follows. Grace introduces you to the God who follows. That is, before you are about to get realisation of God, Grace of God ccomes prior to that and prepares you for the great moment.

Preface comes to your level and takes you to the level of the book. In the same way Grace comes to your level and takes you to God's level.

This point is used as a simile by the author of Maran Alankaram, Thirukkurukur Perumal Kavirayar. Maran Alankaram is an old Tamil book about structural beauties and embellishments of a composition, mostly in verse. We can say it is an old form of structural literary theory in Tamil. In that book the author wants to impress on the minds of readers the necessity of a preface in any work. Any work big or small should be having a preface to facilitate the understanding of those who study the work. There in that work he says

'Just like literary features of any poem
And like truthfulness in the words of those who are well-read and clear in their understanding
Just like Grace which suits the God Narayana
So is apt and a must, a preface for any real book.'

பாவிற்கு அணிபோல்
பனுவல் தெளிவுணர்ந்தோர் நாவிற்கு வாய்மை போல்
நாரணம் ஆம் - தேவிற்கு
வாய்ந்த அருள்போல வாய்ந்ததே நூலகத்தாய்
ஏய்ந்த பொருட் பாயிரம்.’
(பாயிரம் - preface)

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