"Trisha illana Divya"

In case you are not Tamil or are Tamil and do not recognise the title (in which case you are around three-fourths of a sore loser) - there's more to this than just the title.


If there should exist a statement, short as you would please, embodying in itself the very spirit of sportsmanship, posing as the epitome of perseverance, delivering in full, yet in all subtlety, as true as the truest of words, yet not losing, in its quest to educate, its sharp sense of humour, its message of hope and consolation to the failed, defeated and downtrodden of this sad and dreary globe, then there can not, for all that I know, be a more suited example of one such than this particular timeless piece of mirth delivered by perhaps one of the most famous and renowned, not to mention comic, philosopher in the history of Tamil: "Trisha illana Divya".

Trisha illana Divya: (Tamil); "If not Trisha, then Divya."

In the realistic manner of Epictetus, the speaker instructs us to not fret too long about what is out of hand and what goals have failed to be achieved, but to move on to other aspirations, perhaps humbler and less glamorous, and to nonetheless lay on its pursuit the very same passion and dedication that arose in one in toiling towards the former. All this in three words delivered in the same breath as many other lines that have today become wayward remarks of lore (atleast my lore), a notable couple of which are a number of his renditions of a particular classic by Gene Kelly from one of his critically acclaimed hollywood musicals and his remarkable portrayal of a village don here, containing the much appreciated Tamil version of Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Hasta la vista, baby" from Terminator 2: Judgement Day.


Sadly, though not a bit unexpectedly, there do not appear to be too many who appreciate the depth of philosophical clarity displayed in this and various other seemingly offhand remarks encountered in various circumstances, often as their delivery and the situation in which they appear seem to exclude the possibility of them having any serious knowledge to get across. But of course, this particular case is perhaps but an exhibition on my part of those skills possessed by seemingly few other than your English teacher which allow one to accredit to the long-gone poet's simple piece of poetry interpretations and hidden nuances that he himself never in his wildest dreams meant for it to possess.


Notwithstanding, it seems to be true that most issues in many of our lives are a result, direct or indirect, of either some form of miscommunication or dissonance. Either we read too much into a statement, or too less, both of which are as disastrous as the other given the opportunity.


Getting back to the old not-so-serious-and-philosophical spirit, as the knight in shining armour of the laughter-ridden and the saving grace of the dreadfully bored would advise you to, the next time you come to face a "vada poche" situation, feel like moaning out "avana nee", or end up in the gutter muttering "ammae ammae", pick yourselves up with all your might, and, feet firmly planted on the ground, eyes looking up to the heavens above, remind yourself that hope is eternal, and tell yourself with all the confidence you find yourself capable of mustering, "Trisha illana Divya".


And just move on.