93.1 Abstaining from Drinking Liquor

 93.1 Abstaining from Drinking Liquor

Question:

            What are the consequences of drinking liquor beverages?

Answer:

Those who are addicted to liquor will never be feared

by their enemies, and they will never gain fame.                  (Couplet – 921)

One should never drink liquor; only those who do

not care for the esteem of the righteous great men

may drink liquor.                                                                     (Couplet – 922)

Even the mother is hurt to see her drunken son.

It is all the more painful for the righteous wise.                    (Couplet – 923)

The virtuous maid of modesty will turn her back

on persons who are addicted to the vice of

drunkenness.                                                                           (Couplet – 924)

Those who always intoxicate themselves in

private will have their secrets detected and

ridiculed by others in town.                                                    (Couplet – 927)

 

உட்கப் படாஅர் ஒளியிழப்பர் எஞ்ஞான்றும்

கட்காதல் கொண்டொழுகு வார்.                         (குறள் – 921)

உண்ணற்க கள்ளை உணில்உண்க சான்றோரான்

எண்ணப் படவேண்டா தார்.                                 (குறள் – 922)

ஈன்றாள் முகத்தேயும் இன்னாதால் என்மற்றுச்

சான்றோர் முகத்துக் களி.                                      (குறள் – 923)

நாண்என்னும் நல்லாள் புறங்கொடுக்கும் கள்ளென்னும்

பேணாப் பெருங்குற்றத் தார்க்கு.                         (குறள் – 924)

உள்ளொற்றி உள்ளூர் நகப்படுவர் எஞ்ஞான்றும்

கள்ளொற்றிக் கண்சாய் பவர்.                                (குறள் – 927)

Explanation:  

In the Couplets mentioned above, Valluvar describes that those who drink will not be feared by others; will not gain fame; will not gain the esteem of the great righteous men; will make their mothers unhappy; will lose their sense of shame; and will be ridiculed by others.

 

Drinking alcoholic beverages has been in practice for a very long time. In fact, it has been discovered that as early as the Neolithic period (10,000 B.C), people have used fermented beverages. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the U.S National Academy of Sciences, chemical analysis of the residues from some jugs confirmed that a fermented drink made of grapes, hawthorn berries, honey, and rice was being produced during the period 7,000 BC–6,650 BC. There is ample evidence in Tamil literature to indicate that locally brewed and imported alcoholic beverages were consumed in Tamil Nadu, the state in India where Valluvar was born and raised. It should be noted that Valluvar was the first Tamil philosopher/scholar who disapproved of drinking alcoholic beverages.