101.1 Futile Wealth

                                                         101.1 Futile Wealth

(101.1 நன்றியில் செல்வம்)

 

Question:

            How do you describe the wealth of a person not liked by others?

 

Answer:

The wealth of a man who is not liked by others is like a poison tree

bearing fruits in the middle of a town.                                       (Couplet – 1008)

 

நச்சப் படாதவன் செல்வம் நடுவூருள்

நச்சு மரம்பழுத் தற்று.                                                        (குறள் – 1008)

 

Explanation:

            The phrase “not liked by others“in Couplet 1008 refers to the one who is disliked by others because he does not use his wealth to help others. If a wealthy man does not help others in need, they will despise him. Since his wealth is not useful for anyone, Valluvar describes his wealth as the fruit of a poison tree. On the other hand, if a man helps others through charity and philanthropy, he will be liked by others, and his wealth will be useful to everyone.

 

            In Couplet 215 (Chapter 22 -  Duty to Others), Valluvar compares the wealth of a wise person to a tank full of drinking water in the town. Just like drinking water being useful forever for all the people in town, the wise person’s wealth will be useful for a long time. A person setting up a charitable foundation with his funds and using the interest from those funds will be able to help others forever, like the lake with drinking water. In Couplet 216, in the same chapter, Valluvar compares the benevolent person offering help while he has the resources to a fruit tree with edible fruits. Such a man will help when he has the resources, and when his resources are depleted, he will acquire more resources and start helping people again. His actions are like a fruit-bearing tree offering fruits to people during the season it has fruits. Finally, there are generous people who offer everything they have and deplete all their resources. In Couplet 217 from the same chapter, Valluvar compares their actions to a medicinal tree that offers its roots, bark, leaves, and everything for medicinal purposes for the benefit of the people. People will like those offering help in any one of the three methods. Since the wealth of an uncharitable man is not useful to others, Valluvar compares his wealth to a poison tree bearing inedible fruits.