Thirukkural-On Virtue-Impermanence Of The World-Kural 332

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Great wealth is gradually accumulated like the audience trickling into witness a show; But its disappearance will be instantaneous, also as it happens after a show.

The wealth of a rich man is gathered slowly as the audience gathers in a theatre, but it would disappear very quickly just as this audience can melt immediately after a show. The full force of this extremely apt comparison can be realized only by those, who have witnessed, in the old-time rural set-up, the village common slowly changing from a bare ground into a seething mass of humanity, waiting for a folk-dramatic performance, and again becoming the same old bare ground, within minutes of the end of the show. Purananuru has also referred to the filling up and emptying of the show-arena to bring out the impermanence of the world.

Koadiyar neermaipoala muraimurai
Aaadunar kaziyum ivulaham

(Puranaanooru 29 : 23-4)

The comparison apart, it is significant to note that in Valluvar"s day, two millennium ago, there were theatres and dramas, as well as vast masses of the ordinary people of Tamilagam interested in such arts and pastime.