3.0 Quality of Greatness

                                                                3.0 Quality of Greatness

Question:

Who is considered great?

Answer:

Those who accomplish rare things are considered great, while those who cannot accomplish rare things are not considered great.              (Couplet – 26)

செயற்கரிய செய்வார் பெரியர் சிறியர்

செயற்கரிய செய்க லாதார்.                                                  (குறள் – 26)

 

Explanation:

             To be considered great, one should accomplish rare and challenging tasks. For example, Mahatma Gandhi, who led the freedom fight against the British rule in India and obtained India’s freedom, accomplished a monumental task.  Nelson Mandela, who fought for the rights of the South Africans and won the fight, and established a democratic government with equality for all the people in South Africa, is another example of a great man who accomplished a difficult task. Periyar (E.V. Ramasamy) worked hard throughout his life for women’s rights and communal reservation for the non-Brahmins of Tamil society. He also worked hard to instill a sense of self-respect and to encourage the Tamil people to use rational thinking. He has indeed accomplished irreversible and permanent positive changes in Tamil society.  The tasks these men have accomplished are truly difficult tasks that resulted in significant benefits to their societies, and that is why they are considered great men. Hard work alone does not qualify one to be considered great. One is deemed to be great only if he achieves the desired goal after hard work.