76.3 On Making Wealth

 76.3 On Making Wealth

Question:

Is there a connection between love and wealth?

Answer:

Compassion, the child delivered by love grows

under the care of the rich nurse of wealth.                   (Couplet – 757)

அருளென்னும் அன்பீன் குழவி பொருளென்னும்

செல்வச் செவிலியால் உண்டு.                                     (குறள் – 757)

Explanation:

         Valluvar uses the word “love” in a narrow sense to mean the affection, attachment, and kindness among family members, relatives, friends, and other acquaintances. In Couplet 757, he defines “compassion” as the offspring of love. Compassion is when a person feels empathy for another person who is suffering and then takes action to alleviate the suffering of the other person. When a compassionate person wants to feed the poor, educate the poor children, and provide medical support to the sick, he needs money. As Valluvar says in Couplet 247, “There is no place in this world for people without wealth.” In this material world, for compassion to be meaningful and effective, a certain amount of wealth is essential for a person who exercises compassion. Therefore, there is a definite connection between compassion and wealth.