Modi quotes poet Thiruvalluvar at DefExpo, says Tamil Nadu land of ‘glorious maritime legacy’

At the 2018 Defence Expo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thiruvidanthai in Tamil Nadu is historic. ‘This is the land from where India looked east and acted east 1000s of years ago’.

india Updated: Apr 12, 2018 15:00 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during the inauguration of 10th edition of India’s Mega Defence Exhibition — DefExpo 2018, at Thiruvidanthai, on the outskirts of Chennai, on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during the inauguration of 10th edition of India’s Mega Defence Exhibition — DefExpo 2018, at Thiruvidanthai, on the outskirts of Chennai, on Thursday. (PTI Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar as a legend and quoted his couplet which said greater learning brings more wisdom.

Amid applause, the PM during his address at the defence expo in Thiruvidanthai in Tamil Nadu, quoted Thiruvalluvar’s couplet in Tamil extemporaneously, describing him as a celebrated poet-philosopher.

“Thottanaith thoorum manarkeni maandharku, kattranaithu thoorum arivu,” he said and explained the essence of the couplet.

“In sand and soil the deep you delve you reach the spring below. The more you learn the freer streams of wisdom flow,” he said.

Beginning his address with good morning in Tamil saying “Kaalai Vanakkam,” Modi said this was the first time he was participating at a defence expo.

He said, “I am both delighted and overwhelmed to see such a gathering here in the great state of Tamil Nadu.”

He said the place where the defence expo was being held (Thiruvidanthai in Kanchipuram district) is historic. He lauded Tamil Nadu as the land of our “glorious maritime legacy,” in reference to the great Cholas and added “this is the land from where India looked east and acted east 1000s of years ago.”