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Name: Ved Bhatia; Email ID: vpbhatia39@yahoo.com Comment(About Author):Ved Bhatia,MBA(HRM), post-retirement from a Group ‘A’ post from GOI, has been doing research in ‘Ethical Values in Indian scriptures’ under guidance of Dr. Ravi Prakash Arya(www.vedascience.com). Many of his articles( like Vedic Ethics & Values, A Glimpse of Vedic Ethical Values from Manusamriti, Human Values from Bhagvadgita, Ethical Values from Vidura Niti, a Panoramic View of Ethical values from Chanakya’s Niti Sastra) have been published in the International Vedic Science Journal.
Some more( like 26 Spiritual values for a Spiritual Seeker from BG, A Glimpse of Ethical Values from Ishopanisada) are due for publication. Saint Thiruvalluvar’s Thirukkural contains gems of ethical Values, including ethics in business, which are still relevant in modern times. CHAPTER 8: ETHICAL VALUES FROM THIRUKKURAL INTRODUCTION Like the great Vedic literature, the Rarnayana and the Mahabharata, Thirukkural by Thiruvaluvar is also an epic. The word Thirukkural is a combination of two Tamil words “ thiru” and “kural“.
The word ‘ Thiru‘ means beautiful or auspicious. The word “ kural‘ means short poem consisting of two lines, a couplet. Thirukkural consists of 1,330 couplets ( kural) and divided into three parts. The first part deals with the ethical code of conduct (virtues: aroma) and the second part deals with political governance, wealth and other topics of social and material interest( pond).
The third part deals with romance and love (inbam). Thirukkural expounds various aspects of life also known as rarniimarai (Tamil Veda); poyyarnozhi (speech that does not become false) and dheiva two! (divine text). THIRUKKURAL/Tiruvalluvar Thirukkural written by Thiruvalluvar is one of the most notable literary and ethical treatises in the Indian languages.
There is a general consensus among the historians and literary authorities that Thirukkural was written around 2000 years ago. Thirukkural is one of the few literary works that have survived over the past two thousand years and is regarded as relevant even today. Thirukkural aims at guiding human beings to lead a moral, ethical and useful life in this world.
Its focus, unlike religious works, is “life on earth” and “life-affirmation”. According to him, “One who lives an ideal life in this world will be ranked amongst the Gods in heaven”. In an ever-changing world, Thirukkural deals with certain basic, but permanent, aspects of life such as morality, ethics, politics, and romance. Thirukkural has been translated in more than 30 languages, and is the most translated book on ethics in the world next only to the Bible and the Koran. The most important features of Thirukkural are: 1) it is secular in nature, 2) it is universal and applicable to people living everywhere, 3) it is everlasting and its messages transcend time. This secular, universal and immortal nature of Thirukkural combined with its conciseness and literary charm has been the pride of Tamil people for the past many centuries.
Well known philosophers like Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and Machiavelli have generally dealt with selected aspects of human values and experience. But, Thiruvalluvar covers the whole spectrum of human experiences in a very comprehensive manner. In the words of Prof. Kamil Zvelebil, a renowned Tamil scholar from the Czech Republic, “Thirukkural is a contribution of the Tamil creative genius to the world’s cultural treasure and should be familiar to the whole world and admired and beloved by all in the same way as the poems of Homer, the dramas of Shakespeare, the pictures of Rembrandt, the cathedrals of France and the sculptures of Greece.” The great sage Tiruvalluvar has presented his thoughts in verses of extreme beauty and delicacy. The combination of ideas, language and metre is unique.
The verses presented in this article are all translations from the original Tamil. Every translator, without exception, has admitted that it is not possible to capture the elegance of Tiruvalluvar’s beautiful style and rhythm in a translation.
It can, at best, be a pale reflection of the original work. His teachings have had a warm place in the hearts of the Tamil people for many generations, and have become part of their culture and life. They might not have always followed the saint, but they have loved, cherished and revered him.
The following are few of the tributes in honour of Thirukkural from the world scholars of yester-years (Krishnamurti, 2009): “I wanted to learn Tamil, only to enable me to study Valluvar’s Thirukkural through his mother tongue itself Only a few of us know the name of Thinivalluvar, The North Indians do not know the name of the great saint. There is no one who has given such treasure of wisdom like him.- “It is a text-book of indispensable authority on moral life. The maxims of Valluvar have touched my soul.” – Mahatitma Gandhi, the Father of Modern India. “In its essence, Thirukkural is a treatise par excellence on the art of living. Tiruvalluvar diagnoses the intricacies of human nature with such penetrating insight, perfect mastery and consummate skill absorbing the most subtle concepts of love and modern psychology, that one is left wondering at his sweep and depth. His prescriptions, leavened by godliness, ethics, morality and humanness are sagacious and practical to the core, They cut across castes, creeds, climes and ages and have freshness which makes one fuel as if they are meant for the present times.” — Dr K.M.
Munshi (1887—l971), Indian Educationist and Freedom Fighter, Founder of Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan. “Thinivalluvar’s poem is thus by no means a long one though in value it far outweighs the whole of the remaining Tamil literature, and is one of the select number of great work which have entered into the very soul of a whole people, and which can never die”. “Complete in itself, the sole work of its author has come down the esteem of ages absolutely uninjured, hardly a single various reading of any importance being found.” — Rev. Pope, Christian Missionary and Educationist, first to translate complete Thirukkural into English, 1886. “World and Life Negation are found in the thought of Jesus in so far as he did not assume that the Kingdom of God would be realized in this natural world.
He expected that this natural world would very speedily come to an end and be superseded by a super-natural world in which all that is imperfect and evil would be overcome by the power of God”. On the contrary, Valluvar believed that in this very natural world, the liberated man can find his heaven and said that perfect bliss could be attained by an individual in this natural world itself and it is unnecessary to wait indefinitely for the transformation of the world in order to transform oneself. Thus he took life and world affirmation to a loftier plane than Christ did.” — Dr Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Laureate. Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharati, in his translation ) introduction) of Thirukkural says: “The Tirukkural is the guiding light to humanity.
It leads one to live in moral purity, in eternal wisdom, in spiritual knowledge, and in perfect prosperity, wealth and health. It is a faithful friend to the family man, to the mother, to children, to teachers, artists, scholars, rulers and politicians.” UTTARANCE OF PLEASANT WORDS Pleasant words are words with all pervading love that burn; Words from his guileless mouth who can the very truth discern.(Verse 91). Sweet words are those which imbued with love and free from deceit flow from the mouth of the virtuous A pleasant word with beaming smile’s preferred, Even to gifts with liberal heart conferred.(Verse 92). Sweet speech, with a cheerful countenance is better than a gift made with a joyous mind. With brightly beaming smile, and kindly light of loving eye, And heart sincere, to utter pleasant words is charity.(Verse 93) Sweet speech, flowing from the heart (uttered) with a cheerful countenance and a sweet look, is true virtue.
The men of pleasant speech that gladness breathe around, Through indigence shall never sorrow’s prey be found.(Verse 94). Sorrow-increasing poverty shall not come upon those who use towards all, pleasure-increasing sweetness of speech. Humility with pleasant speech to man on earth, Is choice adornment; all besides is nothing worth. Humility and sweetness of speech are the ornaments of man; all others are not (ornaments). Who seeks out good, words from his lips of sweetness flow; In him the power of vice declines, and virtues grow.(Verse 96).
If a man, while seeking to speak usefully, speaks also sweetly, his sins will diminish and his virtue increase. The words of sterling sense, to rule of right that strict adhere, To virtuous action prompting, blessings yield in every sphere.Verse 97). That speech which, while imparting benefits ceases not to please, will yield righteousness (for this world) and merit (for the next world).
Sweet kindly words, from meanness free, delight of heart, In world to come and in this world impart.(Verse 98). Sweet speech, free from harm to others, will g ive pleasure both in this world and in the next. Who sees the pleasure kindly speech affords, Why makes he use of harsh, repellant words?(Verse 99). Why does he use harsh words, who sees the pleasure which sweet speech yields?.
When pleasant words are easy, bitter words to use, Is, leaving sweet ripe fruit, the sour unripe to choose. (Verse 100),. To say disagreeable things when agreeable are at hand is like eating unripe fruit when there is ripe. AHIMSA and other VIRTUES Ahimsa “ All virtue’s aim is not to kill, For killing leads to every kind of ill”. (321) “You may lose your life but still, Another being you should not kill”.
(327) Ahimsa or non-injury of any form is the highest virtue. Sri Swami Shivananda says: “Do not injure any being or creature in thought, word or deed”. Valluvar also exhorts man to refrain from killing in any form.
EAT NO MEAT. How can a man adopt the way of compassion, gorging on the flesh of other beings in order to fatten his own flesh?. Meat eating is inconsistent with tenderness to life or compassion. Nature cannot work a contrary whatever be the casuistry (clever but false reasoning) about it. If we must eat meat, let us not talk of compassion. The butcher with the knife in his hand cannot turn his heart to compassion.
It is just the same with one who has trained his mind to find pleasure in the eating of the body of another creature made tasty with condiments. Eating the meat that is obtained by killing is gross stupidity. It is the direct opposite of the doctrine of compassion to kill the doctrine of non-killing by eating meat and thereby encouraging others to kill.Note: To make other people break the law against killing life cannot be consistent with compassion.
There is no sense, therefore, in those who would not themselves kill but eating the meat that is necessarily obtained by killing. This is obviously a protest against the eating of meat practised by persons professing to be adherents of the law of non-killing, and an answer to those who argue that dietary rules should not be mixed up with compassion of virtues of the mind.
If men will decide not to kill for the sake of eating no one will make a trade or profession of slaughtering living creatures. What is meat but a cruel and ugly ulcer or wound in the body of another creature?
How can one who realises this make it an article of food?. ore meritorious than a thousand burnt offerings is to give up the practice of killing a living creature and eating its carcass. All the creatures of the world offer worship to the man who refrains from killing and abstains from meat.
Share you food with the hungry and help life in all forms. Refrain from causing death to any form of life. All the codes enjoin this. Life is dear, but even to save your life, do not do that which would deprive another creature of its own dear life.
Transitory World UNREAL NATURE of THIS WORLD Sages have repeatedly spoken of the unreal nature of this world. Can you name anything that will remain exactly the same after a million years? That is why we are told not to place our faith in the objects of this world. They can never give us true happiness. Valluvar says: “Only the base and ignorant Hold transient as permanent”. (331) “A day seems real but it is a knife That daily saws a portion from your life”.
(384) “The soul from body any day, Like bird from egg-shell, flies away”.(338) Reincarnation T iruvalluvar deals with the subject of reincarnation. Reincarnation is one of the cardinal tenets of the Hindu religion. “Death is sinking into slumbers deep Birth again is waking out of sleep”. (339).
Like the crowd that gathers to see a play comes dazzling wealth. It disappears like the gathering, which melts away when the play is over. We imagine the day is something by itself. But to those who can see the truth, the day is in reality nothing but the relentless movement of the saw that unremittingly saws through life. Do that which is good without delay, for you must do it before the tongue fails and the last hiccup seizes you.
Wondrous indeed is this world where one who was here yesterday may not be found today. We cannot be certain of living the next minute.
But we are not content with even a million plans. The soul’s connection with the body is just like that of the bird’s connection with the eggshell. The bird leaves it joyfully to fly in the air. The soul is indeed a homeless wanderer.
It stays for a brief time in the body, as the homeless wretch who takes shelter under some roof, only to leave it at the earliest call. RENUNCIATION “The goal of life is the attainment of the state of permanent happiness. For this, renunciation is necessary. Renunciation means giving up all wealth, pleasures of the senses, and the fruits of all actions.
It does not mean running away to a cave or to an Ashram. The senses must be subdued and the ego crushed. Birth carries with it the seeds of suffering. Happiness comes only when we realise God and overcome both birth and death.” DESIRE “It is desire that is the source of all pain and suffering. If one can gain mastery over desire, one experiences true freedom and enjoys lasting peace and bliss.
Desires can never be satisfied by fulfilling them. Trying to satisfy them by fulfilling them will be like adding fuel to the fire to extinguish the flame. Desires make the mind restless with all kinds of thoughts whirling about”. Y our forbearance will prove your greater worth and disillusion opponent’s pride.
Forbearance is not a negative thing. It is an effective blow delivered to the wrong doer’s pride. It is not a platitude.
The incisive rationalist approach is a common characteristic of Tiru-Valluvar. Does not the earth support the man that is engaged in digging it? It is proper that we too bear with those who wrong us. If one wrongs you, put up with it. But it is better still to forget it if you can.
It is not a very great achievement if one inflicts revenge for a wrong done. It is a golden achievement and will remain in the public memory as such, if a strong man shows forbearance in the face of wrongs done to him. Retaliation gives but a day’s joy. Forbearance brings glory for all time. Arrogance leads a man to do wrong to you. But your pride should be to defeat him by your forbearance.
The man who shows forbearance in the face of insult has truly practised the discipline of the Sannyasinthough he is a householder. Ascetics go without food and do penance, but forbearance in the face of the foolish attacks of ignorant men is a greater penance than such fasting. There is no greater wealth than the possession of a mind that is free from envy. It is he that cares not for his own spiritual or material well being that allows his mind to entertain envious thoughtsinstead of feeling happy when he sees the well being of others. Envy makes a man lose happiness without having a single enemy in the outer world. His own envy is enough to do all the mischief. The goddess of good luck is impatient with men who cannot bear the sight of other people’s good fortune.
She immediately entrusts such men to the charge of her elder sister(Misfortune) You may be blessed with every good trait and all good fortune. But the one serious blemish of envyis enough to cast you into hell-fire.Envy makes hell for the man who nourishes that feeling in his present life as well hereafter.
None has grown richer by envying. No one has lost anything by not envying. If a man’s mind turns to thoughts of abandoning rectitude andtaking by illegitimate means what belongs to others, it will automatically lead him from error to error and bring disgrace on him and his family. Those who desire to be happy in the real sense do not turn to what is not legitimate, which at the most can give but transient pleasure.
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Those who have acquired true vision by keeping their senses under control never think of other’s possessions to make up for their want. Of no avail is keenness of intellect, of no avail is wide knowledge, if greedseizes a man and leads him to folly.Note: Greed is a malady, which affects even men of keen intellect and wide learning. Hence this warning. If indeed you live a householder’s life in order ultimately to learn to look upon all beings with the eye of universal love and charity, how ruinous to that plan to let greedythoughts enter your mind!.
Do not covet others’ possessions. When you come to possess the things, which you laboured illegitimately to obtain, you will find no true enjoyment therein, such as you had desired. True enjoyment is possible only if the acquisition is lawful. Greed is folly. It results only in misery equivalent to death.
On the other hand, it should be your pride not to be tempted to look with covetous eyes on other people’s possessions. Cultivate this indifference. It will give you a sense of triumph. SPEAK NOT ILL OF OTHERS.
You may sometimes speak the harshest things to a man’s face, but do not indulge in the folly of attacking any one behind his back. If men would see their own faults as they see the faults of others, verily evil would come to an end in this world.
He who indulges in purposeless talk causing disgust to his company earns universal contempt. Indulging in indecent talk in mixed company does great mischief than even wrongs done to friends.: ‘Trepidation at the thought of wrongdoing’. The very thought of wrongdoing frightens good men, although bad men see nothing terrible in wrongdoing.
From evil springs fresh evil, like fire which regenerates itself. Men should shrink from sin as from a terror even worse than fire. The highest and most precious of all arts consists in not returning evil for evil.
Even by inadvertence do not think of any act that would hurt another. If you plan evil for any one, Dharma will decree your own ruin. The evil pursues the evildoer as a man finds his shadow pursuing him wherever his feet may take him. Those who commit evil cannot escape nemesis. Do you love yourself? Then do not do to any one what falls in the class of wrongdoing, however small it may be.Note: The inexorable law will bring injury to one who behaves wrongly towards others.
–. Wealth is not to be earned for the purpose of self-indulgence or for satisfaction of greed. Wealth should be treated as the citizen’s instrument for helpfulness combined with a sense of duty. What good did the creatures of the earth do to the clouds that pour the rain? So indeed should you serve society, seeking no return. Good men put forth industry and produce wealth, not for themselves but for the use of society.
There is no pleasure in this or in the other world equal to the joy of being helpful to those around you. Do not lose the opportunity for this rare pleasure. Man is born as a social being. He alone truly lives who functions as a social co-operator. He who does not recognize this duty is to be counted as one dead. When prosperity comes to a man who has understanding and knows his duty to his fellowmen, it is like the village water tank that is filled by the rain. When the village water tank gets filled by rain it is an occasion for joy for the whole community.
The tank keeps the water from running to waste or being dried up, and serves to quench the people’s thirst throughout the year. So should the government feel when a good man prospers. When wealth comes to a large hearted man, it is like the village tree coming to be in fruit. If wealth comes to one who is blessed with a large heart it becomes the unfailing drug plant for society’s troubles. The village water tank stores the water from running to waste; so the wise citizen acquires and looks after his acquisitions in order to serve all. The village tree bears ripe fruit; so the liberal minded citizen freely gives of his wealth to help all around. The medicinal tree is the precious alchemist of nature.
Its leaves, bark, fruit and root take out of the earth those essences, which relieve ailments of all kinds. So does the wealth of the great citizens serve to relieve suffering of all kinds.
His knowledge and experience make up the alchemy that is needed to put the wealth to effective use for the benefit of the community. Poverty does not stop the social co-operation of those who have a clear understanding of the duties of life. They continue their social service undeterred by adversity.Note: It is not necessary to be rich to be helpful.
There are ways in which in any position one can help. The essence of social service is in the mind. Under each changed circumstance, a new duty arises and the due fulfillment of it is what should be attended to. When, therefore, a man loses his material resources, he does not need to think that his capacity for social co-operation has ended. The worst misery that poverty brings to the large hearted man is the pain of not having resources enough to serve others in the manner he had been accustomed to. If social co-operation appears to ruin you, it is indeed worthwhile to be ruined. You may sell yourself into slavery if that would enable you to serve the people around you.Note: There is no price too high to pay for being of service to society.
That alone is a gift, which is given to the needy. Gifts to others are in the nature of business transactions wherein what is given is expected to be duly returned. To depend on and receive charity, even when poverty permits it, invariably hurts. On the other hand, to give to the poor is good, even if there were no future world wherein merit is duly rewarded.Note: The very act of giving gives joy to the giver and receiving a favour causes pain to the receiver.
This is inherent in human nature, apart from any consequences as promised in scriptures. This is a characteristic instance of the Tiru-Valluvar approach. He always reserves for emphasis some aspect, which is not bound up with religious beliefs. You may find it unpleasant to be approached for charity. But that is only until you see the radiant face of the man whose distress you have relieved.
The ascetic’s strength of mind enabled him to bear hunger and out of it arises his power also. But the act of relieving another’s hunger is greater than suffering hunger oneself. Fortunate is he who saves men from the devastating curse of hunger, for he has thereby deposited his possessions in a well-guarded vault.
Have not these men ever experienced the delight of giving? Else, why are they so hard-hearted and refuse to give and at the end of it all disappear from earth, leaving behind what they withheld from the needy?.
Wretched is he whose poverty forces him to beg for alms. But more wretched indeed is he whose narrow heart makes him close the door against the hungry so that he may eat by himself.
Burden Of Grief Fields Of Salvation Rar File 2016
Death is most painful. But even that becomes pleasant to the good man when he finds himself unable to help the wretched.
Poverty is wealth if it is brought about for causes that raise a man in the esteem of the world. Death under certain circumstances is life everlasting. Such poverty, which is not poverty, and such death, which is not death but life, comes only to those who understand true values. When men have not lived so as to earn the esteem of good men, why do they not see and grieve over their own fault but blame the world that refuses to esteem them?. ASCETICS and MONASTIC LIFE. Chapters 25 to 38 of the Kural from which the following selections have been taken, deal with matters of special significance to the order of ascetics and monastic life.Much of what is said in these chapters is applicable even to men leading family lives. Tiru-Valluvar, like the Bhagavad Gita, definitely takes the view that detachment in conduct is the essence of the principle of renunciation and that monastic life is not necessary for a man’s salvation if he knows how to do his duties in ordinary life with detachment and equanimity.
Diverse are the teachings of the religions of the world, but in all will be found that compassion is that which gives men spiritual deliverance. Hold on to it. Soul-endangering sin flees from him who looks upon all beings with affection. Even as happiness in this world depends on material possessions, compassion is that on which your happiness in the world beyond wholly depends. Those who have lost their possessions may flourish once again.
But there is no hope for those who have failed in the duty of compassion. Can one who has no compassion in his heart practise Dharma through other virtues? It is no more possible than that one who has no understanding can teach the true meaning of things. Note: Men can see easily that clarity of understanding is essential for acquiring knowledge, but they do not see what is equally true, viz., that compassion is essential for goodness. When a man is inclined to be cruel to those over whom he has power, let him think of himself trembling before the cruelty of stronger men. Penance really consists in the fortitude with which the pain that falls to one’s lot is borne and in the avoidance of causing pain to sentient beings. This is the substance of penance, nothing else.
Blessed is he who is qualified for penance. To those who undertake penance in the form of self-inflicted pain without being truly qualified, penance is mere profitless travail. Those who have not renounced the worldly life must have kept out of the order of ascetics only to be able to look after those who undergo penance.
The gold in the furnace shines the more it is in the fire. So do they who suffer in order to chasten their spirit; they shine the more resplendently for the pain that they willingly bear. He who has acquired mastery over his self is the object of universal worship. Remember that you have within you five witnesses watching your secret and shameful crime.
Not God the All-immanent, but even the physical elements laugh in scorn, says the poet. f one has falsehood in his heart and secretly breaks the law of celibacy the five elements that watch from inside his body laugh at the futile fraud. Of what avail are the trappings of purity or sainthood when within him his conscience knows its inescapable guilt?. The feeble minded wearing the brave trappings of strength is like a miserable cow putting on the skin of a tiger to save itself from being impounded while feeding stealthily on the corn in a stranger’s field. If a man hides himself in the externals of a saint and under that cover commits sin, he descends to the life of the mean bird catcher who hides in the bush to trap innocent birds.
Making public pretensions to purity of life, if you secretly act contrary to the law, soon you will be landed in numberless troubles and you will lament in exceeding measure. There are some in this world who, like the kunri seed, are beautifully red all over, but have in their hearts a black spot like that seed.
Note: kunri is a very hard and light and beautiful red seed used as the smallest unit in weighing gold. It has a black spot on its ‘nose’. There are many that pass for holy men who keep foulness in their hearts and go through the external ablutions of saints in order to hide their sins.
Is not the cruel arrow smooth and straight, while the curved lyre makes sweet music? Our judgment must depend not on appearance but on conduct.
Avoid what the world condemns. If you succeed in this, there is no need for the shaven head or the growing of long beards.
Truthfulness is attained if one’s speech is such that it harms no being in the world. If one could speak an untruth, which brought good without the least blemish of evil, it might be classed with truth. Of all things confirmed in our experience, the rule of truthfulness stands out most firmly established. There is nothing more precious than truth. If you are truthful in thought and word you are superior to one who undergoes penances and gives gifts. Truthfulness earns the esteem of the world besides bringing in its train the merit of every other virtue without the physical privations of penance. Water makes external cleanliness.
Truthfulness is the detergent of the heart. Lamps do not give the light that holy men desire. It is the light of truth that illuminates their path. He truly is without anger who does not give vent to anger when the wrongdoer is under his power. Where his anger cannot hurt, that is when he cannot effectively retaliate, what matters is whether he guards against anger or not. Everyone knows that it is bad for oneself to lose temper in dealing with superiors.
But where anger is directed against persons in one’s power it is the worst of all offences. From anger is born all evil. Let us forget the cause for provocation given by anyone.
Can there be any greater enemy to mankind than anger, which kills laughter and joy (which indeed are the greatest of blessings on earth)?. Let him who would save himself guard against anger. The anger that is not held back is disastrous to oneself.
He who thinks anger is a profitable or worthy thing and yields to it is bound to suffer the evil thereof, even like the fool that hits the ground with his hand. Great may the wrong done to you; like many tongued fire it may burn, but it is worthwhile yet to struggle and rein back one’s anger, if at all possible. There is nothing lost by not entertaining anger.
On the contrary it will be seen that what is sought to be attained comes quicker if the mind is kept free from it. The best punishment for those who do evil to you is to shame them by returning good for evil. Is there anything in much learning if it does not make a man feel the pain of others as keenly as the pain in his own body and avoid causing it?. When a man has experienced pain and knows what it is, how can he bring himself wantonly to cause pain to others?. The pain that a man causes to another in the forenoon returns to him that very afternoon. Like the crowd that gathers to see a play comes dazzling wealth.
It disappears like the gathering, which melts away when the play is over. We imagine the day is something by itself.
But to those who can see the truth, the day is in reality nothing but the relentless movement of the saw that unremittingly saws through life. Do that which is good without delay, for you must do it before the tongue fails and the last hiccup seizes you. Wondrous indeed is this world where one who was here yesterday may not be found today. We cannot be certain of living the next minute. But we are not content with even a million plans. The soul’s connection with the body is just like that of the bird’s connection with the eggshell. The bird leaves it joyfully to fly in the air.
The soul is indeed a homeless wanderer. It stays for a brief time in the body, as the homeless wretch who takes shelter under some roof, only to leave it at the earliest call.
As one by one you detach yourself from the things of the world you are saved from pain in respect of it. The absence of something to that extent makes it easier to give it up wholly, i.e., even the thought of it. Possession tends to hold the mind in delusion and therefore is a hindrance to true knowledge. If one’s heart is set on ending the round of births, there is no purpose in keeping any attachments alive. Even the body is a burden to be got rid of soon. Pain of all kinds holds him in its relentless grip who fondly holds on to the things of the world.
Those who renounce wholly, i.e., who give up even the thought of things to be desired, have saved themselves. The rest are deluded and are still in the net.
Deliverance comes only with the abandonment of attachments. Else the fleeting world must be one’s home again and again. Let attachment to the Lord be your one attachment. That attachment will help you to free yourself from other attachments. ON NOBLE BIRTH “Plants reveal the soil from which they grow, And men of noble birth, their speech will show”. (959) Tiruvalluvar was one of the greatest social philosophers of the ancient world.
His writings show that he was interested not only in the behaviour and conduct and bearing of a person, but also in the harmonious development of society. His advice is valuable to ascetics as well as to householders. He roundly condemns accumulation of material wealth, but praises it if such wealth is acquired by honest means and used for the common good of society. In the same breath he encourages the growth of intellectual and spiritual development. He wants people to acquire learning and, having learnt, practise it. Yet, spirituality is superior to all else. As early as in the second verse of the Tirukkural, he says: “Of what avail is learned scholarship, If the Lord’s divine feet they do not worship?” (2) ON HONOUR Shun acts that will cast doubts on your honour. Success and failure can be used to advantage; success should make one more respectful and failure strengthen one’s dignity. ON GREATNESS Greatness is a quality of mind, not of birth.
All are equal at birth. Our actions make us different from one another. “Living beings are all alike at birth, The difference comes from acts of special worth”. (972) “High born, whose souls are mean, are never great; The low, of lofty mind, are not of low estate”.
(973) ON PERFECTION While the road to perfection is a long, slippery and very difficult one, the mastery of a few virtues will take one there by leaps and bounds. Do not kill any being or creature. Even loftier than this is not to injure anyone in thought, word and deed. Ahimsa is one of the highest of virtues. Give up the detestable faultfinding habit. Always return good for evil.
“Not killing is the essence of penance; Not finding fault is virtue’s excellence. (984) “The strength of the noble ones is humility; With that, the wise disarm all enmity”.
(985) ON COURTESY It is wrong to belittle others. Even highly intelligent people lose respect from everyone if they are not courteous. “Though sharp as file, their intellect is good, Who are void of courtesy are blocks of wood”.
(997) ON WASTED WEALTH What is the use of money if it is not used for the common good? Imagine a fruit tree in a busy market place. If it bears tasty fruit, it brings joy to people, but if it bears poisonous fruit, it is of no use; its presence is a source of great pain.
A wealthy miser is like such a tree. He has everything, but is in greater need than others, for he is not really happy and peaceful.
“Who neither spend their wealth nor give, Amidst their millions, in want they live”. (1006) ON MODESTY If you desire to attain perfection, you must not be afraid to have a genuine feeling of shame whenever you commit any mistakes. Those who have no feelings of guilt are usually unaware of their faults. Some people consider it a weakness to blush. On the contrary, blushing is not at all a weakness, but a virtue. It reveals a sense of shame and is a sign of modesty and humility.
‘Food, clothing and the rest are common to the race, But modesty is mankind’s special grace”. (1012) “Those who have no shame at heart, their stance Is like wooden dolls; when pulled by string, dance”. (1020) PART III.
ON LOVE I n the third book ‘On Love’, the saint Thiruvalluvar portrays a mood rather than a conduct. This section is of use only to householders. It is a very deep and subtle portion of the Tirukkural. ( This chapter on “Possession of Love” ( அன்புடைமை ) contains some of the extraordinary words of wisdom found in Thirukkural. Valluvarsays “ The throb of life is love” ( அன்பின் வழியது உயிர்நிலை ) (Kural 80) and it is only to get an opportunity to express this union with love that the soul has taken the union with body (Kural 73).
And the external ‘body’ is of no use to one who lacks the internal ‘love’ (Kural 78). What a profound words of wisdom from the bard of the universal man! And the relationship between soul and love continues in couplet 78, when the author says that life of a loveless soul is a sapless tree in a barren desert failing shoot. Without a soul, the body may be called a dead body, but without love it is nothing but a skin bag of bones. There is no equivalent English word for “anbu” ( அன்பு ). The word “affection” could be a better option as the word “Love” has other connotations as well.
And again, Tamil has another apt word for “affection” which is “ பாசம் “. In English, “Love” could not only mean brotherly, motherly, friendly one, but can also mean ‘carnal love’. But the word “ anbu” ( அன்பு ) means affectionate love which has no carnal or sensual connotation. None of the 10 couplets in this chapter give an indication on characters involved here. They are all about love as a indispensable attribute for a living being. The words அன்பு, அருள், கண்ணோட்டம் (Love, Grace and Compassion) are one way or the other interlinked.
The author says that Grace is the offspring of Love (Kural 757); and while Love is something internal (Kural 79), compassion has to do with eyes (Kural 573). We see this relationship between Love & Grace being mentioned in couplet 285. Since Grace is the offspring of Love and since Love being internal has something to do with life and soul, the author considers meat eaters (who have to first kill a being) are always graceless.
POSSESSION of LOVE. And is there bar that can even love restrain?. The tiny tear shall make the lover’s secret plain.(Verse 71). Is there any fastening that can shut in love? Tears of the affectionate will publish the love that is within. The loveless to themselves belong alone, The loving men are others’ to the very bone.(Verse 72).
Those who are destitute of love appropriate all they have to themselves; but those who possess love consider even their bones to belong to others. Of precious soul with body’s flesh and bone, The union yields one fruit, the life of love alone.(Verse 73). They say that the union of soul and body in man is the fruit of the union of love and virtue. From love fond yearning springs for union sweet of minds; And that the bond of rare excelling friendship binds.(Verse 74).
Love begets desire: and that (desire) begets the immeasureable excellence of friendship. Sweetness on earth and rarest bliss above, These are the fruits of tranquil life of love.(Verse 74). They say that the felicity which those who, after enjoying the pleasure (of the conjugal state) in this world, obtain in heaven is the result of their domestic state imbued with love. The unwise deem love virtue only can sustain, It also helps the man who evil would restrain.(Verse 76) The ignorant say that love is an ally to virtue only, but it is also a help to get out of vice.
As sun’s fierce ray dries up the boneless things, So loveless beings virtue’s power to nothing brings.(Verse 77) Virtue will burn up the soul which is without love, even as the sun burns up the creature which is without bone, i.e. The loveless soul, the very joys of life may know, When flowers, in barren soil, on sapless trees, shall blow.(Verse 78). The domestic state of that man whose mind is without love is like the flourishing of a withered tree upon the parched desert. Though every outward part complete, the body’s fitly framed; What good, when soul within, of love devoid, lies halt and maimed?(Verse 79) Of what avail are all the external members (of the body) to those who are destitute of love, the nternal member. Bodies of loveless men are bony framework clad with skin; Then is the body seat of life, when love resides within.(Verse 80). That body alone which is inspired with love contains a living soul: if void of it, (the body) is bone overlaid with skin. BUSINESS ETHICS Over the years, Business Ethics have become one of the major topics for discussion around the world due to many of the business scandals that took place not only in the Indian context but also throughout the world.
In academic literatures, research papers on various dimensions of business ethics have been written by several scholars, such as Chakraborty (1993, 1995, 1999), Chakraborty and Chakraborty (2008), Sharma (1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003), Krishnan(2001, 2003), Kejriwal and Krishnan (2004), Satpathy (2006, 2007), Muniapan (2006,2007, 2009, 2010), Muniapan and Dass (2008,- 2009), Muniapan and Satpathy (2010),Satpathy and Muniapan (2008), Rob (2006), Parashar (2008) and others. These scholars have made studies based on the Vedic literatures,’ Upanishads, Ramayana, the Bhagavad-Gita (a part of Mahabharata) and the Arthashastra of Kautilya. A comprehensive book on ‘Ethical n Spiritual values in Indian Scriptures’ authored by Ved Prakash Bhatia has since been published by n is available on line with them; also at their Bookstore at Chennai. It contains nine chapters incl. ‘Vedic Ethics n values’,Vedic Ethical values in manusamriti, Human Values from Bhagvadgita: Relevance for Modern Management, Ethical valuesin Vidura Niti, A panoramic View of Ethical Values frm chanankya Niti sastra, twenty six Qualities of a Spiritual seeker from the Bhagvadgita, Ethical Values in Thirukkural, Ethical n Spiritual Vaalues in the Crest jewel of Wisdom)Viveka Choodamani), and Ethical Vaalues from Ishopanisada.
U may like to have a look at it n offer Ur. Valuable comments. Some comments r already there at and, etc.
Ved Bhatia Like.