102.1 Sense of Shame

                                                               102.1 Sense of Shame

(101.1 நாணுடைமை)

 

Question:

                Is a sense of shame the same as shyness?

Answer:

                Sense of shame due to dishonorable deeds and

                shyness of women are different.                                          (Couplet – 1011)

கருமத்தால் நாணுதல் நாணுந் திருநுதல்

நல்லவர் நாணுப் பிற.                                                   (குறள் – 1011)

 

Explanation:

                The Tamil word naanam (நாணம்) has several meanings. In Thirukkural, the word naanam is used to convey two different meanings. One of them is “sensitiveness to evil or dishonorable deeds.” The other one is shyness as a feminine quality. In Couplet 1011, Valluvar says that the sense of shame due to dishonorable deeds is different from the feeling of shyness of a woman. The Chapter on the Sense of Shame (Chapter 101) in Thirukkural deals only with an individual's sense of shame due to having committed evil or a dishonorable deed.