Incomparable Fame

There is this thing about fame. Everyone wants it but even the famous know not if it is lasting. Especially true these days when a viral video or message can yield fame that lasts only as long as it is not displaced by the next one. Ephemeral is a word that would be in over-use these days, when it comes to fame of this sort, if only people believed that words more than two syllables long really exist and can be used.

Now Tiru has his bit to say about it, as usual. The chap seems to have an aversion to leaving any subject alone.

Ondraa Ulagatthu uyarndha pugazhallaal pondraadhu nirpadhu ondril - Tirukkural

Other than fame, which is incomparable, nothing else is imperishable - Loose Translation.

This particular Kural allows itself to be interpreted as 'Only fame is incomparable AND imperishable'. That, though, seems to me like an incomplete understanding of what Tiru wants to say. I mean, Tiru has time and again proved himself to be a nuanced guy. So, how likely is it that he would mean this, leaving people to assume that ALL fame is incomparable and imperishable? Like, a viral meme of today is overtaken by a viral meme of tomorrow, so what is incomparable about it?

The other, more nuanced, interpretation, would be that the fame which comes out of the person being incomparable is lasting fame. Which means that a person who seeks to be the best in what he does or how he comports himself AND succeeds in it; is famous for it - whether it be as the greatest archer, administrator, man of charity, whatever - has achieved lasting fame, fame that may be considered imperishable. 

You know, you CAN slice and dice it too - like greatest author can be genre-wise; can be the greatest of his time and so on. The point is that he who excels AND is famous for what he excelled in has achieved lasting fame.

All else, as some poet or the other is likely to have said, is dross!