Thirukkural – 338
Like a bird flying away discarding its eggshell
Is the relationship between body and soul.
குடம்பை தனித்து ஒழியப் புள் பறந்தற்றே –
உடம்பொடு உயிரிடை நட்பு
This Kural is under the chapter நிலையாமை – Impermanence. Valluvar equates a soul like a bird that discards its shell and flies away. This physical body is nothing but a shell.
For those who can read Tamil – The word குடம்பை can mean either ‘nest’ or ‘shell’. Devaneya Paavaanar explains here why he treats it as shell while some commentators treat it as nest. https://t.co/jgxSH2dS9s
குடம்பை – egg shell
புள் – bird
Old Tamil Poetry 