What is wrong is wrong

It does not matter who makes a mistake a wrong is wrong.

Here is a scene from the Tamil epic ‘Thiruvilayadal’. I have seen this movie many times and it probably affects my thinking to a great extent as I will say what I have to say regardless of who the other party is. 

Synopsis:

Nakkeeran, the head of Tamil Poet's council clashes with Lord Shiva (God Head) in this amazing scene from the blockbuster Tamil classic film,Thiruvilayadal. A P Nagarajan is not one to be outdone by an angry Shiva (Sivaji) who arrives at the durbar of the Pandian King to defend the ditty he ghostwrites for Dharumi and comes up with this classic one-liner in Thiruvilayadal.

Netrikan Thirapinum Kutram Kutrame – (Even if your third eye is open a mistake is still a mistake.)

Here is the dialogue copied from the sub-titles:

Siva: “Who pointed out the error in the poem brought by this poet?”

King: “Address with respect, to get response from this assembly.”

Siva: Is there anyone here who is superior to the king?

King: This is an assembly of ‘Tamil poets’ and not of a king. Hence we have equal respect for everyone present.

Siva: Is that the reason for finding a fault in the poem brought by Dharmi?

Poet Nakkeeran: it was I who declared it as a defective poem, unfit for the reward

Siva: Who is this old guy? (Pointing to Nakkeerar)

King: Nakkeerar, the chief poet of the Tamil Assembly.

Siva: Was it the arrogance of being the senior most poet that made you find fault in the poem?

         What fault did you find?

Poet: Who wrote this poem?

Siva: I wrote it.

Poet: Why did you send it through someone else?

Siva: Talk about the present and not the past.

Poet: Poets should not lie. First you must understand that.

Siva: I know about comprehensible, incomprehensible; known, unknown; delivered, undelivered; I know all and don’t need your advice on that. I know everything.

Poet: If you know everything, won’t there be a flaw in the poem you wrote? AND I can’t point out that error?

Siva: (Laughs) The poet has found fault in my poem! (Sarcastic) Let me see how you explain.

King: Poets, maintain your composure. An argument is healthy but not a conflict.

Siva: Discords and conflicts are hereditary to scholars. No one can change that, wait and watch. Nakkerar  did you find fault in the usage of words or the gist?

Poet: There is no fault in the usage of words, even if it exists, it can be pardoned. The fault lies in the gist.

Siva: What is the fault?

Poet: Can you repeat the poem?

Siva: …. Is there a flower that surpasses the fragrance of this woman’s hair? This is my poem. (Truncated)

Poet: The meaning of your poem?

Siva: The hero in his stupor smelling the fragrance from the hair of the heroine, is posing this as a query to the bee. This is the gist of my poem.

Poet: What does it purport?

Siva: “Bee, you are exploring the pollen grains of flowers, have you observed a flower with a fragrance that surpasses this woman’s hair fragrance?”

Poet: What is your concluding message to our king?

Siva (Laughs) Have you not understood? My judgment is that ‘woman’s hair has natural fragrance’

Poet: That can never be. Usage of perfumes and continuously sporting flowers is what causes the fragrance in the hair. I can never accept that woman’s hair has natural fragrance from birth. Even the purest of all women will have only artificial and not natural fragrance in her hair.

Siva: What about celestial ladies?

Poet: Even for the entire women folks in all the fourteen realms of the world.

Siva: How about Goddess Bharathi who resides in your tongue and helps you to pen your poems?

Poet: Not only her, this holds good for all the deities I worship.

Siva: Really?With certainty?  Can you swear on your Tamil.

Poet: Sure, certainly and I swear on my Tamil.

Siva: Nakkerar, carefully look at me. Is the poem I wrote wrong? (He opens his third eye and exposes it to the poet that he is Lord Siva himself.)

Poet: (Puts his palms in prayer) Scholar, even though you reveal who you are and I can see your third eye, and even if your whole torso turns as ‘eyes’ and burn me , an error is an error.

Siva: You ordinary mortal, dare find fault with my poem?