Face Reading Thirukkural (part 2)

In reference to face reading, Thiruvalluvar emphasizes the remaining kural in chapter 71 to our eyes which forms the other important organ on our face. Eye contact falls along the five categories of non-verbal communication besides gesticulations, paralanguage, and posture and overall facial expression. In kural 705, Valluvar first question the importance of eyes that necessitates the task of

face reading as below:

Kurippir Kurippunaraa Vaayin Uruppinul Enna Payaththavo Kan?

Among senses what is the speciality of eye, if thought by thought
one cannot descry?

Our eyes need the skill of reading one's mind by the expressions on the face. Eyes are not only for seeing at the surface level but should be able to probe deeper. The eyes enable to communicate everything to the world. If we are not able to understand the meaning from the eyes of other(s), then our eyes may not be consider as a useful organ.

In kural 93, Valluvar states that

Mukaththaan Amarndhuinidhu Nokki Akaththaanaam Inso Linadhe Aram

With brighty beaming smile, kindly light love of loving eye, And heart sincere to utter pleasant word is charity

A spoken word is merely a word, but a word expressed upon the sincerity of the eyes will allow the words spoken to reach the minds of a person we spoken to. This is why the eye contact is crucial. Similar to kural 93, again kural 1100 from the section of love, Thiruvalluvar again emphasizes further on the same point as below:

Kannotu Kaninai Nokkokkin Vaaichchorkal Enna Payanum Ila
When eye to answering eye reveals, the words of the mouths are of no use whatever

It can be interpreted that eye contact is a non-verbal ability to communicate, and it often equals to the ability to verbally express a thought. Interestingly, this non-verbal communication skill often speaks louder than the words.

Whereas in kural 708, Thiruvalluvar confirms that eyes can help an individual or a face reader to identify the nature of relationship with another person.

Pakaimaiyum Kenmaiyum Kannuraikkum Kannin Vakaimai Unarvaarp Perin

Look at the eyes of a person. They would convincingly reflect both
friendliness and hostility lying in their minds.

Eye contact can relay ones inner most intimate thoughts and desires. For instance, a longing stare or the ability to smile with the eyes like a super model can often deliver the subtle message of interest. On the flip side, anger, disgust, and dissatisfaction can also be easily delivered through ones eye contact.

The last kural in chapter 71 states concludes

Nunniyam Enpaar Alakkungol Kaanungaal Kannalladhu Illai Pira

Observe those who are said to subtly with their mind's eye – their singular
measuring rod is their eyes.

This interprets there is nothing more revealing than the eyes for assessing the subtleties lying in the minds of others.

Beside chapter 71, kural relating to eye contact are mentioned in chapter 58 and chapter 110. Table-1 below summarises all those relevant kural from chapter 58 but refers other kural referring similar ideas:

Kural	573
Transliteration	Panennaam Paatarku Iyaipindrel Kanennaam Kannottam Illaadha Kan
English Translation	Of what avail is a song if it be inconsistent with harmony? what is the use of eyes which possess no kindliness
Kural	574
Transliteration	Ulapol Mukaththevan Seyyum Alavinaal Kannottam Illaadha Kan
English Translation	Beyond appearing to be in the face, what good do they do those eyes in which are no well-regulated kindnesses?
Kural	575
Transliteration	Kannirku Anikalam Kannottam Aqdhindrel Punnendru Unarap Patum
English Translation	Kind looks are the ornaments of the eyes; without these they will be considered (by the wise) to be merely two sores
Kural	576
Transliteration	Manno Tiyaindha Maraththanaiyar Kanno Tiyaindhukan Notaa Thavar
English Translation	They resemble the trees of the earth, who although they have eyes, never look kindly (on others)
Kural	577
Transliteration	Kannottam Illavar Kannilar KannutaiyaarKannottam Inmaiyum Il
English Translation	Men without kind looks are men without eyes; those who (really) have eyes are also not devoid of kind looks

All the kural highlighted in Table-1 refers to eyes from the aspect of kindliness which can be expressed through the way we look at others.

Finally kural from chapter 110 is summarises into Table-2 as below which express the eye contact that may happen between lovers:

Kural	1091
Transliteration	Irunokku Ivalunkan Ulladhu OrunokkuNoinokkon Rannoi Marundhu
English Translation	There are two looks in the dyed eyes of this (fair one); one causes pain, and the other is the cure thereof
Kural	1092
Transliteration	Kankalavu Kollum Sirunokkam Kaamaththil Sempaakam Andru Peridhu
English Translation	A single stolen glance of her eyes is more than half the pleasure (of sexual embrace)
Kural	1094
Transliteration	Yaannokkum Kaalai Nilannokkum Nokkaakkaal Thaannokki Mella Nakum
English Translation	When I look, she looks down; when I do not, she looks and smiles gently
Kural	1095
Transliteration	Kurikkontu Nokkaamai Allaal Orukan Sirakkaniththaal Pola Nakum
English Translation	She not only avoids a direct look at me, but looks as it were with a half-closed eye and smiles
Kural	1097
Transliteration	Seraaach Chirusollum Setraarpol Nokkum Uraaarpondru Utraar Kurippu
English Translation	Little words that are harsh and looks that are hateful are (but) the expressions of lovers who wish to act like strangers
Kural	1098
Transliteration	Asaiyiyarku Untaantor Eeryaan Nokkap Pasaiyinal Paiya Nakum
English Translation	When I look, the pitying maid looks in return and smiles gently; and that is a comforting sign for me
Kural	1099
Transliteration	Edhilaar Polap Podhunokku Nokkudhal Kaadhalaar Kanne Ula
English Translation	Both the lovers are capable of looking at each other in an ordinary way, as if they were perfect strangers

Although Thiruvalluvar praises the skill of face reading 2000 years back but it not seems to play much important role in Tamil culture today. Unlike the Chinese traditional medicine practitioners, the Tamil who are famous with Siddha medicine practice does not practice face reading very seriously. Face reading which plays important role in Behavioural Studies especially in communication skill need to be given the importance as non-verbal expressions act as an interactive medium in the communication. Mastering this technique will save our time and to tactfully dealing with many people in our daily life.
References:

1. Emotions : http://www.face-and-emotion.com/dataface/emotion/emotion_intro.jsp
   
2. Face Reading : http://www.chiofearth.com/article4.htm
   
3. Gokulnath's Blog : http://www.gokulnath.com/thirukural/
   
4. Insight through Body Language and Nonverbal references in Tirukkural : http://www.languageinindia.com/feb2010/subramaninonverbal.pdf
   
5. Non-Verbal Communication: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiognomy
   
6. Phsignomy : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiognomy
   
7. Thirukkural Repacked and Made Easy : http://thirukkuralmadeeasy.blogspot.com/
   
8. Waever's Wisdom : http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/weaver/content.htm
   

Face Reading in Thirukkural (part 1)

Human beings possess THREE bodies. First, there is the physical body, which we can see and is tangible. It is solid and has a shape, a colour and a texture. The second and third bodies are the mental and the spiritual which are intangible and merge with the physical body.

Our true nature begins to take on a physical form on our face which like referred in Tamil proverb as Agathin Azhagu Mugathil Theriyum- The beauty of the soul is in known in the face. Meaning: Face is the index of the mind.

Thiruvalluvar in kural 706 states the same as "Atuththadhu Kaattum Palingupol Nenjam Katuththadhu Kaattum Mukam" which means - As a mirror shows what is in front, so the face reveals the full mind. Meaning Mirror always reflects what is before it. Similarly, the human face is the mirror of what is inside one's mind. By seeing one's face, we would be able to interpret what is happening within.

Face is where our emotions (fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, anticipation, joy, acceptance and neutral emotion) and our state of health are first revealed. Valluvar emphasises face reading through kural 708 where he written Mukamnokki Nirka Amaiyum Akamnokki Utra Thunarvaarp Perin which means Learn to study the face of people. It is a great skill to understanding what lies underneath. This oppose to Shakespeare's idea in his play Macbeth: "There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face". For the face is truly an opened book.

For thousands of years, the philosophers like Thiruvalluvar, Aristotle ,Gui-Gu Tze and others has wondered if our facial features could determine our fate or personality.

Thiruvalluvar in his Thirukkural devoted chapter 71 for this purpose where kural 701 states:

Kooraamai Nokkake Kuripparivaan Egngnaandrum Maaraaneer Vaiyak Ahni

Who knows the sign, and reads unuttered thought, the gem is he,
Of earth round traversed by the changeless sea

This can be interpreted as among the greatest ability in this world is face reading.This ability calls for identifying the visitor's inner intentions by a mere look at his face without the need to talk to him.

In kural 702 he further praises the person with face reading ability with certitude having divine power:

Aiyap Pataaadhu Akaththadhu Unarvaanaith Theyvaththo Oppak Kolal

Take upon that man as God who reads the thought of another man with certitude.

The man who possesses the power to unmistakably discern what lies within another's mind can be considered to possess the divine powers.

Thiruvalluvar recommends one (could be CEO or a minister) to have an associate or advisor who has the ability to face read at any cost; as in kural 703 below:

Kurippir Kurippunar Vaarai Uruppinul Yaadhu Kotuththum Kolal

Behold the men that can judge a man's intentions from his looks; take them into council at whatever cost.

In kural 704, he justifies the above statement by comparing the worth of a face reader with those without the skill.

Kuriththadhu Kooraamaik Kolvaaro Tenai Uruppo Ranaiyaraal Veru

Those who understand one's thoughts without being informed (thereof) and those who do not, may (indeed) resemble one another bodily; but they form class apart.

Also means, the ability of those who can scan another's mind is far superior to the others we may have around us.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article that face reveals ones emotion and state of health which Thiruvalluvar highlighted in kural 708 and explained above. In Kural 707 he concludes:

Mukaththin Mudhukkuraindhadhu Undho Uvappinum Kaayinum Thaanmun Thurum

Human face is the index of both happiness and agony in the mind of the owner.

Tiruvalluvar through kural 824 however warns a hypocrite face would not be able to justifiably understand by face reading.

Mukaththin Iniya Nakaaa Akaththinnaa Vanjarai Anjap Patum

A person having capacity of reading the facial expressions of an individual has no need to converse since the face exhibits the personal feelings and intensity of psyche to the world.

Exercise caution when dealing with deceitful person who may carry smile at their face but guile at their heart.

All the above kural agrees with the first scientific study of non-verbal communication done by Charles Darwin's in his book "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)" i.e. more than thousand years after Valluvar composed kural 706. Darwin argued that all mammals show emotion reliably in their faces. In 2004 findings by Gerdd I. and Henry H also confirms that most of the human communication is by non-verbal means where 93% of our feelings are expressed in a non-verbal way and our words only convey 7% of what we are saying.

In ancient Greece, Aristotle wrote extensively on physiognomy - the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face. He categorizes his findings into six chapters that included physical characteristics of face, body and voice. The Classical scholars, such as Homer and Hippocrates, wrote of face reading as an ancient method of practical philosophy.

In the Middle Ages physiognomy was combined with astrology and became part of the divination arts. By the 18th & 19th century it was used in Europe as a separate study of criminology where facial features were used to identify potential criminals. In the 20th century it was lost to folklore and superstition. But, face reading has re-emerged in the 21st century as a guide in psychoanalysis or, as a tool for a competitive edge in the executive boardrooms of corporate America. It is no longer a parlour game. The continuous interest in face reading has given credence to an art that the Chinese have always known has been an important guide in human understanding.

In China, the father of face reading is often credited to the philosopher Gui-Gu Tze, who lived during the Warring State Period (481-221 BC). His book Xiang Bian Wei Mang is still in print to this very day and is studied by serious students of physiognomy.

Continues in part 2.