66.1 Purity of Action

 66.1 Purity of Action

Question:

              What should one do if one makes a mistake?

 

Answer:

One should not do anything that one will regret later.

If done, one should not repeat the mistake.                     (Couplet – 655)

எற்றென்று இரங்குவ செய்யற்க செய்வானேல்

மற்றன்ன செய்யாமை நன்று.                                       (குறள் – 655)

 

Explanation:

              In Couplet 655, Valluvar gives very practical advice. Indeed, one should not do anything that one will regret later. If one knows in advance that his action is wrong and he will regret it later, he should not do that in the first place. If one does not know in advance that his action is right or wrong and one happens to do it due to extenuating circumstances, one should reflect upon it after the act. If one realizes that one’s action was improper, instead of ruminating on the mistakes, one should ensure that one does not repeat such an action.

 

66.2 Purity of Action

 66.2 Purity of Action

Question:

Is it acceptable to commit a dishonorable act under dire circumstances?

 

Answer:

One should not do anything that will be condemned

by the great, even to feed one’s starving mother.          (Couplet – 656)

ஈன்றாள் பசிகாண்பான் ஆயினுஞ் செய்யற்க

சான்றோர் பழிக்கும் வினை.                                        (குறள் – 656)

Explanation:

In Couplet 656, Valluvar says that even if one’s mother is starving, one should not commit an act that great men condemn. It may not always be possible to follow this mandate. If an individual’s family member is dying of starvation, he will be tempted to do anything to save them, including stealing food. Mahatma Gandhi, the staunch proponent of nonviolence, said that if someone’s sister is about to be raped, he should do whatever is necessary, including murder to protect her[1]. In general, one should indeed follow the path of virtue. But dire situations require bold and aggressive actions which may not be entirely virtuous.

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[1].  Diaz, S. M. Thirukkural  Vol. 2 (2000), Ramanandha Adigalar Foundation, Coimbatore, page 683

65.1 Power of Speech

 65.1 Power of Speech

Question:

Is the gift of speech a special gift?

Answer:

The gift of speech is indeed unique, and it

 stands apart from other gifts.                                          (Couplet– 641)

நாநலம் என்னும் நலனுடைமை அந்நலம்

யாநலத்து உள்ளதூஉம் அன்று.                         (குறள் – 641)

Explanation:

Human beings can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. In addition to these abilities, they can also reason and speak what is on their mind.   But what human beings can achieve through the power of speech cannot be achieved by any other faculty they possess. Almost two thousand years ago, Valluvar recognized the power of speech and said it is the chief among all the gifts a man possesses. Through the power of speech, they can express love, affection, anger, and other emotions. They can influence others through their power of speech. In addition to interpersonal communication, human beings can also communicate with a multitude of people simultaneously. With the advent of modern technologies, the power of communication can even transcend the limitations of space and time. The power of speech can be used for positive as well as negative purposes. So, the power of speech stands apart and, above all other gifts human beings possess.

 

 

65.2 Power of Speech

 65.2 Power of Speech

Question:

              Why should one pay attention to one’s speech?

 

Answers:

Since good and evil consequences may arise from

speech, it is wise to guard against blemishes in speech.               (Couplet – 642)

ஆக்கமுங் கேடும் அதனால் வருதலால்    

காத்தோம்பல் சொல்லின்கட் சோர்வு.                          (குறள் – 642)

 

Explanation:

Speech has the potential to cause good and bad consequences. While the demagoguery of Adolf Hitler laid the foundation for hatred and war, the speeches of Sir Winston Churchill encouraged Great Briton to fight against Adolf Hitler. United States President John F. Kennedy’s speech motivated the USA to take the lead in space exploration. Speeches of Rev. Martin Luther King inspired the USA to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the USA. There are other examples of speeches by famous leaders that have altered the course of human history. The impact of speech is equally powerful in interpersonal communications also. A kind and gentle word from a friend is a great consolation in times of distress. Whereas an unkind, harsh and offending word stays like a wound that never heals. Since speech can cause good and bad consequences, one must pay special attention to one’s speech.

 

 

65.3 Power of Speech

 65.3 Power of Speech

Question:

      How should a speech be?

 

Answer:

A speech should captivate the audience, and even those

absent should long to hear it.                                                          (Couplet – 643)

              கேட்டார்ப் பிணிக்கும் தகையவாய்க் கேளாரும்

வேட்ப மொழிவதாம் சொல்.                                        (குறள் – 643)

 

Explanation:

What Valluvar says in Couplet 643 may appear like a tall order for a speaker. However, there have been several speakers whose speeches have outlived them. The Gettysburg address of President Abraham Lincoln and the "I have a dream speech" of Rev. Martin Luther King are two well-known examples of such speeches. One example of such a captivating speaker, whom the author is familiar with, is Mr. C. N. Annadurai (1909 – 1969). Mr. Annadurai, affectionately referred to as Anna by his followers, was a politician during the second half of the twentieth century in Tamil Nadu, the state in which Valluvar lived 2000 years ago. Anna was a successful politician. He rose from virtual obscurity to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Anna’s meteoric rise and his party's victory in the elections were primarily due to his phenomenal public speaking prowess.

 

During the late 1950s, I was a student at Loyola College in Chennai (the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu), pursuing my undergraduate studies. Loyola college is one of the premier educational institutions in India, run by Jesuit priests. Loyola college was not only well-known for its academic excellence but it was also known for its strict enforcement of discipline among the students. When I was at Loyola College, I stayed in the dormitory. As per the dormitory rules, the students in the dormitory were supposed to be in their rooms from 8:00 PM each night till 6:00 AM the following day. Anyone who violated the rule was subject to heavy penalties, including eviction from the dormitory.

 

Anna used to speak often on the Marina beach in Chennai. The beach could accommodate thousands of people. Anna was an outstanding speaker. He had a great sense of humor. He was always very convincing in his speech. Even his political adversaries would love to listen to his speeches. He had the remarkable ability to make thousands of his listeners laugh, think, and even be motivated to act on his behalf. His diction was excellent. Alliteration was his specialty. Usually, his speeches were in the early part of the night. On several occasions, some of my friends and I violated the rules of the dormitory and went to the Marina beach to listen to Anna's speech and sneaked back into our rooms without the knowledge of the dormitory warden. The following day, my friends who did not go to Anna's meeting would gather around me and ask me to imitate his speech. Of course, Anna was inimitable. I used to try my best.

 

 If I had been caught for my transgression, I would have been in serious trouble with the dormitory warden and my father. But my interest in Anna's speech got the better of me. The point of this anecdote is to illustrate that there have been captivating speakers who met Valluvar's dictum in Couplet 643, and perhaps there will always be speakers like that.

 

 

65.4 Power of Speech

 65.4 Power of Speech

 

Question:

              How should one structure his speech?

Answer:

Deliver your speech after assuring yourself that no

counterargument can defeat your statements.                                       (kural – 645)

சொல்லுக சொல்லைப் பிறிதோர்சொல் அச்சொல்லை

வெல்லுஞ்சொல் இன்மை அறிந்து.                                         (குறள் – 645)

Explanation:

Valluvar emphasizes that the speaker should carefully prepare his speech so that no one can refute his statements. This implies that the speaker should thoroughly prepare his speech so that it is factually correct and logically consistent and that others cannot dispute his statements. This is very important when the speaker is in a debate or in a courtroom situation where there is a possibility of someone challenging his remarks.

 

 

65.5 Power of Speech

 65.5 Power of Speech

Question:

            Is brevity in speech important?

Answer:

Only those who cannot express themselves in a

few faultless words would like to use many words.                 (Couplet – 649)

பலசொல்லக் காமுறுவர் மன்ற மாசற்ற

சிலசொல்லல் தேற்றா தவர்.                                         (குறள் – 649)

Explanation:

              According to Valluvar, only those who are incapable of speaking briefly prefer to be verbose when they communicate with others. Speaking briefly helps to get the sustained attention of the listeners. Some people do not have clarity of ideas about what they want to communicate with others. In those situations, they tend to be long-winded. Valluvar’s advice is applicable to situations when the mode of communication is either inter-personal or addressing a group of people.

It is said that Sir Winston Churchill mentioned that it took him more time to prepare a short speech than the time it took to prepare a long speech. Some of the great speeches of historical importance are indeed very short. For example, President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address was less than three minutes. Sir Winston Churchill’s “Never give in “speech was less than five minutes. President Delano Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy speech “was less than seven minutes. Rev. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech was about fifteen minutes. These speeches were made at critical junctures of human history.

 

65.6 Power of Speech

 65.6 Power of Speech

 

Question:

What does Valluvar say about those who are unable to express what they have learnt?

Answers:

Those who are unable to express what they have

              learnt are like flowers without fragrance.                          (Couplet – 650)

இணருழ்த்தும் நாறா மலரனையர் கற்றது

உணர விரித்துரையா தார்.                                          (குறள் – 650)

Explanation:

              According to Valluvar, those who cannot express what they have learnt are like flowers without fragrance. The comparison is very appropriate and does not require any further explanation. 

64.1 Ministry

 64.1 Minister

 

Question:

What are the characteristics of a competent minister?

 

Answers:

A competent minister is one who deeply inquires,

decides on the ways of execution, and boldly advises.         (Couplet – 634)

தெரிதலும் தேர்ந்து செயலும் ஒருதலையாச்

சொல்லலும் வல்லது அமைச்சு.                                    (குறள் – 634)

 

Explanation:

              During the days of Valluvar, the role of a minister was to advise the king to make the right policy decisions and execute the decisions made by the king. These days, in a democratic government, the legislators and the ministers take the decisions, and the senior civil servants advise the ministers and execute the decisions the legislators make. In the government, the senior civil servants act as the ministers did in a monarchy. In the corporate environment, the Chief Executive Officer assumes the role of the king, and the vice Presidents take the role of ministers. The vice presidents are responsible for advising the CEO and executing the corporate decisions.

              

64.2 Ministry

 64.2 Ministry

Question:

What should one do when one arrives at an artificial way of doing a thing?

 

Answer:

Although one knows artificial ways of doing things, one

should do things in a way that is consistent with nature.            (Couplet – 637)

செயற்கை அறிந்தக் கடைத்தும் உலகத்து

இயற்கை அறிந்து செயல்.                                                     (குறள் – 637)

 

Explanation:

              In Valluvar’s scheme of things, the king makes the policy and decides what should be done. It is the minister who has the responsibility to execute what has been decided by the king. Since the minister is responsible for the execution, this question comes under the chapter on Ministry (Chapter 64 of Thirukkural). In today’s democratic governments, the legislative branch enacts the laws, and the executive branch executes them. Technology provides new ways of doing things and introduces new products. When technology offers new approaches and products, it is the responsibility of the people in charge to ensure that the new approaches and products are consistent with nature.

 

The Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland pioneered the first fully synthetic plastic in 1907. Since then, there has been a ubiquitous presence of plastics everywhere. In the past few decades, scientists and environmentalists have reached the alarming conclusion that since plastics are not biodegradable, they pose a grave danger to the environment and animals. Now, there are active programs to avoid plastics and recycle plastic products. Also, in the last centuries, fossil fuels have been increasingly used in power generation, automobiles, home heating, etc. In the past few decades, scientists have been warning us about the potential danger to the environment due to the use of fossil fuels. In Couplet 637, Valluvar warns us that though there are new ways of doing things, we should be aware of their impact on nature and do things so that they do not adversely affect nature.

64.3 Minister

 64.3 Minister

Question:

              What should a minister do if the king is ignorant?

 

Answer:

Although the king is ignorant, it is the duty of the

minister to give him sound advice.        (Couplet – 638)

அறிகொன்று அறியான் எனினும் உறுதி

உழையிருந்தான் கூறல் கடன்.                (குறள் – 638)

 

Explanation:

              According to Valluvar, if a king is ignorant, the minister must provide the right advice to him. These days when the monarchy is no longer the form of government, the advice is still valid for the senior executives who are in a position to advise their bosses. In a democratic government, a person is often appointed as a minister because of his loyalty to his party and not necessarily because of his expertise. In such situations, the minister may be ignorant of hat he should do in certain circumstances. At that time, it is the responsibility of the senior executive who reports to him to provide the right advice.

 

63.1 Fortitude

 63.1 Fortitude

 

Question:

         What is the best way to overcome adversity?

Answer:

Laughing at adversity is the best way to overcome it.          (Couplet – 621)

இடுக்கண் வருங்கால் நகுக அதனை

அடுத்தூர்வது அஃதொப்ப தில்.                                              (குறள் – 621)

Explanation:

          According to Valluvar, laughing at adversity is the best way to overcome it. It is easy to say that laughter is the best way to overcome adversity. But for most people laughing at adversity is not possible. Although it is difficult and perhaps even unnatural to laugh at adversity, modern psychologists agree with Valluvar that laughter is indeed very therapeutic in adverse situations.

              Psychologists believe a sense of humor when facing adversity is the most useful tool. Maintaining a sense of humor in critical situations helps us stay on our feet. A sense of humor is an essential characteristic of a resilient person. Resilience keeps us away from focusing on the negative. Positive emotions during stressful situations can help us to cope with adversity.

              History has several examples of people who overcame adversity through their positive attitude. One such example is Thomas Alva Edison, the prolific American inventor. In 1914, when ten buildings in Edison’s plant exploded in a chemical-fueled fire, he did not panic. He just stood there and watched the flame. In fact, he seems to have rejoiced. He told his son, “Go get your mother and all her friends. They will never see a fire like this again.” The next day, Edison surveyed the ruins and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” He got a loan from his friend Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, rebuilt his laboratory in a matter of weeks and continued to be successful.

              Soichiro Honda, the Japanese entrepreneur and founder of the Honda Motor Company, had a similar situation that he faced with a courageous, positive attitude. An earthquake once destroyed his automobile factory. After he rebuilt his factory, it was again demolished by the American bombing during the second world war. He was least perturbed and took it in stride. Undeterred by the two catastrophic events, he built the Honda manufacturing plant again and was enormously successful.

              Examples of Thomas Alva Edison, Soichiro Honda, and others like them confirm Valluvar’s approach to overcoming adversity.      

63.2 Fortitude

 63. 2 Fortitude

Question:

Is there anyone who will be imperturbable upon encountering adversities?

Answer:

Trouble will find it difficult to cause trouble to a man

if it confronts a man with bullock-like efforts.          (Couplet – 624)

மடுத்தவா யெல்லாம் பகடன்னான் உற்ற

இடுக்கண் இடர்ப்பாடு உடைத்து.                      (குறள் – 624)

Explanation:

         Those who have observed a bullock pulling a cart would have noticed that the bullock is undaunted by adverse terrain conditions. The bullock does not mind the terrain conditions it traverses, up or down, desert or swamp. According to Valluvar, if a man braves to face adversities like the bullock, then trouble will find it difficult to cause trouble to him. 

63.3 Fortitude

 63.3 Fortitude

 

Question:

              Is there anyone who will not be affected by adversity?

Answer:

He who does not crave pleasure and realizes that adversities in life

are natural will never be affected by adversities.                     (Couplet – 628)

இன்பம் விழையான் இடும்பை இயல்பென்பான்

துன்பம் உறுதல் இலன்.                                              (குறள் – 628)

Explanation:

         When our expectations are not met, we experience sorrow. Conversely, if we don’t have expectations, we will not experience sorrow. If we expect everything to go as we would like and hope never to experience a setback or failure, we are bound to be unhappy and experience sorrow when things do not go according to our expectations. So, the one who does not crave pleasure and realizes that adversities in life are natural will not experience sorrow when adversities are encountered. 

62.1 Perseverance

 62.1 Perseverance

 

Question:

How to succeed in a task that seems impossible?

Answer:

When a task seems impossible, do not be disheartened. Persistent

efforts will help you to achieve greatness.                    (Couplet – 611)                                  

அருமை உடைத்தென்று அசாவாமை வேண்டும்

பெருமை முயற்சி தரும்.                                         (குறள் – 611)

 

Explanation:

When Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931) was a young boy, he was told by his teachers that he was too stupid to learn anything and was sent home. He was homeschooled by his mother. He never had formal schooling. He was deaf in one ear and could not hear well in the other ear. Despite these disadvantages, he became an entrepreneur in his early years and was very fond of experimenting and coming up with his own inventions. He worked tirelessly with great persistence. In his attempts to invent the electric bulb, he met with failures more than 14,000 times and finally succeeded. Eventually, Edison went on to hold more than 1,000 patents for his inventions. Edison is now known as one of the most successful inventors who ever lived, and his creations changed the lives of billions of people. If he had thought of giving up, the world would not have benefited from his inventions.

 

Albert  Einstein, whose name is synonymous with intelligence, did not start speaking until he was seven and was thought to be mentally handicapped. But he never gave up, and his persistence led to the invention of the theory of relativity. He went on to win the Nobel prize and altered the world’s approach to physics.

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the USA, did not have formal schooling. He self-taught himself. He met with several setbacks and failures in his business attempts. He took failures in his stride. Undeterred, Lincoln marched into the political realm, where he launched several failed runs at political offices before his ascendance to President. He is said to have mentioned, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” So, according to Lincoln, failures are part of life, and one should persistently continue to work towards one’s goal without being discouraged. This is precisely what Valluvar says in Couplet 611.

In addition to those mentioned above, countless number of other people have realized their dreams by setting proper goals and working with unwavering persistence to overcome formidable adversities. The biographies of these successful people and others like them confirm Valluvar’s belief that adversities can be overcome by perseverance and success can be achieved.