Thiruvlluvar’s Prescriptions for the Pressing Problems of the World

                        Thiruvlluvar’s Prescriptions for the Pressing Problems of the World

 

Dr. R. Prabhakaran

 

Abstract

 In the past four thousand years, there have been many philosophers, sages, and saints. Among all of them, Thiruvalluvar stands apart as a beacon light guiding humanity with his immortal wisdom. The world has always been experiencing several serious problems. Thiruvalluvar’s guidelines offer practical solutions to the problems of the world. This paper examines Thiruvalluvar’s solutions for poverty, diseases, violence, and environmental degradation. His solutions are consistent with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Although the solutions are different for the different problems, love seems to be the common factor in Thiruvalluvar’s approach to solving these problems. Thiruvalluvar contends that love is the quintessence of life. His message is one of love, truth, and non-violence. His approach is secular, and his ideas are universally acceptable. His message will help to make this world a better place for all.

 

Keywords: Thiruvalluvar, Thirukkural, UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Poverty, Diseases, Violence, Environmental Degradation

Introduction 

In the course of human history, there have been many philosophers, prophets, sages, and saints who have contributed to the development of religious and philosophical ideas. The Vedas are considered to be the oldest religious and philosophical texts. Historians surmise that the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, was composed between 1500 BC and 1000 BC. The monotheistic religion of Judaism, founded by Moses almost 3500 years ago, is one of the oldest religions of the world. After the early Vedic period and the beginnings of Judaism, the sixth and fifth centuries BC seem to have been the time when many philosophical ideas simultaneously blossomed around the world. During the sixth century BC, Mahavira and the Buddha appeared in the Indian philosophical scene. Contemporaneously to Mahavira and the Buddha, Confucius, the most renowned Chinese philosopher, preached civic humanism, morality, ethics, and social order in the Far East. 

 

Socrates was the most pre-eminent philosopher in the Western hemisphere during the fifth century BC. Although Socrates did not leave any written documents behind, Plato, his contemporary, and Aristotle, Plato's disciple, have abundantly described Socrates' contribution to Western philosophy. Based on their writings, scholars agree that the dialectical reasoning methodology proposed by Socrates is the foundation for the entire Western philosophical system. Plato and Aristotle have also made their own contributions to the development of Western philosophy.

 

Although there were significant developments in philosophical thought during the sixth and fifth centuries BC, that period did not have a monopoly in that field. There have been many outstanding philosophers and religious leaders in many parts of the world after the fifth century BC. Two major religions of the world, Christianity and Islam, were founded based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed during the first and the seventh century AD, respectively. Over the past two thousand years, several other outstanding philosophers have made remarkable contributions to the philosophical and religious ideologies of the world.

 

Thiruvalluvar and Thirukkural[1] 

About two thousand years ago, in Tamil Nadu, India, there was an extraordinary man, an outstanding philosopher who analyzed almost all aspects of human life and offered practical guidelines for a purposeful life on Earth. Scholars consider his ideas to be eternally valid and universally acceptable. His name is Thiruvalluvar, or Valluvar for short. His legacy is his magnum opus called Thirukkural, or the Kural for short. The Kural is a veritable guide for the "Art of Living." Valluvar is very well known in the state of Tamil Nadu, where people of all ages study his book. Professor Moriz Winternitz, an eminent Austrian orientalist, says, "Valluvar's Kural is one of the gems of the world literature. He (Valluvar) stands above all races, castes, and sects, and what he teaches is general human morality and wisdom. No wonder that the Kural has been read, studied, and highly praised in the land of its origin for centuries, but also found many admirers in the west, ever since it has become known." Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the German philosopher, physician, and Nobel laureate, admired Valluvar's positive view of the world and life as opposed to the "world and life negation" preached by the religions of India. Leo Tolstoy, the famous Russian novelist, was very impressed by Valluvar's ideas on non-violence. Also, Mahatma Gandhi was so fascinated by the Kural that he wanted to learn the Tamil language so that he could study the original version of the Kural. The Russians are said to have preserved important books of lasting value in the Kremlin in an indestructible Tungsten chamber so that they may outlast even a nuclear attack and be useful to posterity. The Kural is one of the books in that chamber. 

 

Many other scholars and philosophers from various parts of the world have recognized and admired Valluvar's profound and yet pragmatic view of human life and the practical guidelines he has offered for a purposeful life. The Kural is considered one of the most widely translated non-religious works in the world. It has been translated into about 41 languages of the world, and there are more than 50 translations in English alone.

 

Assuming that Valluvar was born about 2000 years ago, the primary religions in Tamil Nadu, as well as in India during that time, were the Vedic religion (the forerunner of modern-day Hinduism), Jainism, and Buddhism. In the Kural, we see some similarities with those religions. But Valluvar differs significantly from those religions. He advocates rationalism, and his book is secular. While religions focus on life after death, Valluvar’s concern is about this life on Earth. He offers guidelines for this life on Earth. Even though society has drastically changed in the past two thousand years, Valluvar's Kural stands tall as a beacon of light guiding humanity. He has proposed valid solutions for the problems we face today and perhaps for the problems we may face in the future.

 

United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals

These days, the world is facing many problems. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a set of goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[2], a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all." These goals are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. 

 

What are the pressing problems of today? According to the SDGs of the UNO’s General Assembly, the most pressing problems of the world today are poverty, diseases, violence, and environmental degradation. These problems are not new. They have been around for a long time.

 

First Major Problem – Poverty

What is poverty?

Poverty refers to lacking enough resources to provide the necessities of life, such as food, clean water, shelter, clothing, access to health care, education, and other basic amenities. Judging by this definition, poverty has been a plague upon society for an awfully long time. 

 

Poverty has Been a Problem for a Long Time

During the Dark Ages in Greece (1,100 BC – 750 BC), palaces burned, and people left their land and settlements and migrated to new settlements. The Dark Ages was the time of the worst poverty Greece had ever experienced, leading to homelessness. Later, in the Classical Period, during the Peloponnesian War, a plague hit Greece, and a third of the population died. Refugees had no water or sanitation, and they were scattered everywhere.

 

Ancient Roman society was divided into two major classes: the Plebeians (the poor) and the Patricians (the rich). In Ancient Rome, 95% of the citizens lived at or below the poverty level. Impoverished neighborhoods were crowded, dirty, and highly vulnerable to robbery and murder. The Plebeians lived in extremely unsanitary conditions. Since a large number of people lived in unsanitary conditions, infectious diseases were widespread among the poor. Each year, thousands of people died in Rome from contagious diseases. Therefore, the Plebeians lived like the homeless people live today.

 

Although the stratification of society into classes and castes has been responsible for extreme poverty among the so-called lower classes in ancient India, there was severe poverty in other sections of the society, also. Sangam literature documents the extreme poverty of some of the Tamil poets and musicians.

 

In the ancient days, poverty was not limited only to Greece, Rome, and India. There was widespread poverty in all parts of the world. Poverty continued to exist during the Middle Ages, and even today, there is poverty in many countries of the world.

 

· 85% of the world live on less than $30 per day, 

· Two-thirds live on less than $10 per day, and 

· 10% of the people live on less than $1.90 per day. 

. Many millions of people live on much less than $1.90 per day.

 

As the economic writer Henry Hazlitt has observed, “The history of poverty is almost the history of mankind.” 

 

Valluvar on Poverty

Valluvar considers that there is nothing that afflicts one like poverty does (Kural – 1041). He adds that when cruel poverty comes on, it destroys the joys of this life and the future (kural – 1042). He contends that the misery caused by poverty is so severe that one may even sleep in the midst of fire but not in the midst of poverty (kural – 1049). Here, Valluvar seems to take the poetic license and exaggerates that one can sleep in the midst of the fire. Nobody can really sleep in the midst of a fire. But it is indeed impossible to sleep in the midst of poverty. If a man does not know how he will feed his family tomorrow, how can he sleep tonight? He may not be able to sleep even for a minute.

 

Valluvar says that the unbearable misery of poverty brings along with it several other undesirable consequences (kural – 1045). According to Valluvar, the state of poverty will totally destroy the honor and the glory of one’s ancestry (kural – 1043). He adds that poverty will force even men of high birth to the moral weakness of speaking mean words (kural – 1044). The poor people will not be recognized for their talents. He mentions that though the words of the poor are sound in thought and clear in expression, they will not be heeded by others (kural – 1046). Finally, Valluvar is of the opinion that even a mother will treat her son as a stranger if his poverty is not associated with virtue (kural – 1047). These statements by Valluvar reveal that he was fully aware of the misery caused by poverty and the consequences of poverty.

 

What are the Causes of poverty?

We can think of four major sets of causes for poverty. 1) The first major set of causes includes the individual’s laziness, lack of motivation, and lack of interest in education. People like this will eventually end up poor. These may be called the behavioral causes of poverty. 2) The second major set of causes includes wars, conflicts, lack of infrastructure, government’s unresponsiveness to people’s needs, lack of welfare programs, poor sanitation, poor public works, lack of affordable healthcare, etc. These causes are related to the malfunctioning and or inefficiencies of the government. These are institutional causes of poverty. 3) The third major set of causes of poverty includes natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, droughts, pandemics, climate change, etc. These may be called the natural causes of poverty. 4) Finally, the fourth major set of causes of poverty is social injustice, inequality, and discriminations. These are the societal causes of poverty. 

 

Valluvar’s Solution for the Eradication of Poverty Due to Behavioral Causes

Poverty from behavioral causes is self-imposed by the individuals. Thirukkural contains a chapter on “Not Being Lazy,” a chapter on “On Energy and Enthusiasm,” a chapter on “Perseverance,” a chapter on ”Education,” and a chapter on “Illiteracy.” In the chapter on “Not Being Lazy,” Valluvar says, “If a man is lazy and has no enthusiasm, his family will be destroyed, and their crimes will multiply (kural – 604).” To emphasize the importance of enthusiasm, Valluvar says, “Only those who possess enthusiasm have everything, and those without enthusiasm have nothing even if they have everything (kural – 591).” He praises perseverance by saying, “Perseverance leads to prosperity; effortlessness results in poverty (kural – 616).” He emphasizes the value of learning by saying, ”Learning is the imperishable riches; all other things are not real riches (kural – 400)”. He condemns the uneducated people as beasts (kural – 410). In these and other kurals, Valluvar advises people against laziness and encourages them to advance in life by acquiring the required knowledge and skills. These are Valluvar’s prescriptions for helping individuals to extricate themselves from poverty.

 

Valluvar’s Solution for Poverty from Other Three Causes

It is the government’s responsibility to avoid unnecessary wars and to ensure that the country has good infrastructure, welfare programs, affordable healthcare, employment opportunities, and unemployment benefits. Also, the government should have effective plans to handle natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, droughts, pandemics, etc. Valluvar says, “The king must protect his subjects (kural – 549).” In another kural, he mentions, “As the whole world looks to the sky for rain, all subjects look to the king for a just rule (kural – 542).” According to Valluvar, it is the responsibility of the king to acquire, store, protect, and distribute the wealth (kural – 385).” Valluvar clearly states, “All human beings are equal by birth (kural – 972).” Therefore, it is the government’s responsibility to have appropriate laws and enforce them so that people are protected against societal inequalities and discriminations. So, it is the responsibility of the ruler (or the government) to protect the people from poverty resulting from institutional, natural, and societal causes. 

 

Causes and Effects of Poverty are Intertwined

Although the responsibilities for the various causes of poverty are clear, the situations may be more complicated in real life. For example, a man with a low level of education may experience poverty. Poverty may prevent him from pursuing further education and prevent him from providing higher education to his children. So, a low level of education causes poverty, and poverty, in turn, leads to low levels of education in the family. Similarly, the causes and effects of poverty from the institutional causes may also be inseparable. If a country is poor, it may not have good infrastructure. For example, the roads and bridges may be in poor condition needing repairs. If the infrastructure is not good, commerce and industry in that country will not flourish. When commerce and industry are affected, the country will have more unemployment and reduced national income. Lower national income will lead to more poverty. Thus, poverty causes poor infrastructure, and in turn, poor infrastructure causes poverty. So, what is the solution?

 

External Intervention is Necessary

In exceptional cases, an individual can extricate himself out of poverty by sheer discipline and hard work. So also, in some cases, a country can get out of poverty through good leadership and the dedicated hard work of the citizens. In most cases, an individual, as well as a nation, may need external help to rise above poverty. For example, a poor man with a low level of education needs help from an external source to continue his education. Even a young man with a good education and enthusiasm, eager and willing to work, will be poor if he lacks employment opportunities. He needs external intervention to get out of poverty. That external source can be the government or an employer. So also, a nation with poor infrastructure needs financial help from another nation or from an organization like the World Bank. So, a poor man or a poor nation may need external help to get out of poverty.

 

Charity and Philanthropy

The external intervention can be in the form of charity or philanthropy. Charity and philanthropy are different. Charity is a natural, emotional impulse to an immediate situation, and giving usually occurs in the short term. Philanthropy addresses the root causes of social issues and requires a more strategic, long-term approach. In the context of Thirukkural, charity is giving food or giving a person what he needs when the individual comes and asks for food or help. Whereas philanthropy is realizing the needs of poor people and fulfilling them without anyone explicitly asking for anything.

 

Valluvar says, “The removal of the fatal hunger of the destitute is the right place to deposit one’s wealth (kural – 226).” In another kural, he says that even if heaven is denied to you, it is better to help the poor through charity. He is of the strong opinion that there is nothing crueler than not being able to help the poor. According to him, there is nothing more worthwhile than being recognized for charity to the poor (kural – 231). In these cases, someone is hungry and asks for food, and he is given food. These kurals are in support of charity. 

 

In kural 212, Valluvar recommends philanthropy when he says, “All the wealth gained through hard work is for doing service to the deserving people.” In kural 211, he says, “Rain does not expect anything in return. Similarly, the duty to society demands nothing in return.” In these cases, a person realizes that everyone is alike and has compassion for the poor person. Help is offered to the needy person without being asked. That is philanthropy.

 

The same applies in the case of nations. Wealthy nations, large foundations, or an organization like the World Bank should help a poor country to get out of poverty. So, in general, the elimination of poverty in the world is the joint responsibility of the individuals, the governments, and the society.

 

The second major problem – Diseases

We just saw Valluvar’s solutions for solving the problem of poverty. Just like poverty, diseases also have been a problem for the world for a very long time.

 

Valluvar’s Solution for Eliminating Diseases

Basic Instructions for Good Health

As in the case of poverty, an individual has certain responsibilities, and the government and society have certain responsibilities to maintain public health. Individuals should do everything they can to maintain good health. In this regard, Valluvar has a few simple instructions. For example, he says that one should eat only after digesting what has already been eaten (kural – 942). Also, one should eat agreeable food in moderation to ensure good health (kural – 945). Although these instructions are very useful, they may not help to cure the numerous diseases that afflict people.

 

Emphasis on Precaution

Valluvar has a piece of general advice that is applicable to all situations. He says, “No terrifying calamity will happen to the wise who foresee and guard against potential evils (kural 429).” In a different context, he says, “The life of a man who does not guard against potential problems will be like a haystack before an advancing fire (kural – 435). But this kural is also relevant here.  

 

Valluvar emphasizes precaution as a major weapon to protect ourselves from the onslaught of diseases. In other words, individuals should take adequate precautions by way of exercise, diet control, moderation in food, having medical checkups as required, heeding the advice of physicians, and taking all the necessary precautions one can. This is particularly applicable in the present context of COVID. One should get vaccinated, maintain social distancing, wear a mask, and wash hands often. These are all precautions. One who takes all these precautions may not suffer from COVID. But sometimes, it may not be possible to figure out what precautions to take. For example, certain types of cancers cannot be anticipated or prevented. This is where intervention by doctors and healthcare workers may be necessary.

 

Government’s Responsibility

In addition to the individuals taking preventive measures, the government is also responsible for making sure the people do not suffer from serious diseases. Valluvar stresses the importance of good health for the citizens as an essential aspect of good governance. He says that good health of the citizens, the country’s wealth, plenty of yields, happiness, and proper defenses are the five ornaments of a country (kural – 738). He adds that an ideal country is one where people are free from starvation and epidemics and the country is not harassed by enemies (kural – 734). In both these kurals, Valluvar emphasizes the importance of good health for citizens. Therefore, according to Valluvar, it is the government's responsibility to ensure that the people enjoy good health. These days, it will mean affordable healthcare, medical facilities, clean water, good sanitation, and encouraging medical research to develop innovative cures for diseases.

 

Society’s Responsibility

In addition to individuals taking appropriate steps to protect themselves and the government helping the people, Valluvar emphasizes the role of everyone in society to help the people who suffer from diseases. He questions by asking, “What benefit does someone derive from his intelligence if he does not treat others’ suffering as his own (kural – 315)?” Obviously, every individual has some level of intelligence and is therefore capable of empathizing with those suffering from health issues. Thus, the society also has a responsibility to help people to maintain good health. In particular, doctors and healthcare workers have a responsibility to have empathy and compassion for their patients.

 

Just as in the case of poverty, preventing diseases and curing people when they suffer from illnesses is the joint responsibility of the individuals, the government, and society.

 

The Third Major Problem - Violence

Valluvar’s Solution for Preventing Violence

     Just like poverty and diseases, violent conflicts have also been common throughout the world since the time of Adam and Eve. The biblical Book of Genesis mentions that Cain, one of the sons of Adam and Eve, was jealous of his brother Abel and killed him. There is evidence of violent interpersonal conflicts during pre-historic periods. Violent conflicts continue even today throughout the world. Sometimes, the conflicts involve a few people, and at other times, there are violent conflicts between two or more groups of people and wars involving two or more countries. For example, according to the World Health Organization’s World Report on Violence and Health (Released in 2000), the 20th century was one of the most violent periods in human history, and during that period, an estimated 191 million people lost their lives directly or indirectly because of armed conflicts. In the year 2000, about 310,000 people died as a direct result of conflict-related injuries. So, it is a fact that violent behavior has been prevalent throughout human history.

 

What Is Violence?

     WHO’s World Report on Violence and Health defines Violence as follows: Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.

 

Valluvar’s Definition of Violence

Valluvar has a simpler definition of violence. In the Chapter on “Not Causing Harm,” he says as follows.

 

What one has realized as causing pain to oneself, one should not inflict on others.                                                                                                                                    (kural - 316) 

 

This means that one should avoid doing things to others those things he finds harmful if they are done to him. This then includes physical as well as psychological harm to others. If an individual is hurt when somebody uses harsh words towards him, he should not use harsh words towards others. Everyone feels pain when someone causes physical injury to them, and therefore, they should not cause physical injuries to others. This is very similar to Confucius’ Golden Rule, which states, “Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you.”

 

What is Valluvar’s Solution for the Problem of Violence?

Valluvar’s target audience is always the individual. His ethical guidelines for life are aimed towards individuals. He always talks about how an individual should behave under different circumstances. Consistent with his view on individual responsibility, he insists that one should avoid doing physical as well as psychological harm to others. First, he appeals to his readers’ intellect by asking, “What is the use of a man’s intelligence if he does not treat the sufferings of others as his own? (kural – 315)”. If one feels the sufferings of others, then he would not hurt other people. He cautions, “Even vengeance on those who cause unprovoked harm will bring endless evil (kural – 313).”. He mentions that “It is the code of the people who are pure at heart not to hurt others even when they do harm in anger (kural – 312).” Valluvar is totally against hurting others under any circumstance. He is convinced that “It is the cardinal virtue not to do any harm to anyone at any time in any measure even in thought (kural – 317).” In other words, his advice is one of tolerance of all harm done by others and not doing any harm to anyone in any measure at any time.

Doing Good for Evil

Valluvar sets a high goal for his readers by saying, “The best punishment for those who do evil to you is to shame them by returning good for evil (kural – 314).” This idea of Valluvar is even better than the one in the Golden Rule attributed to Confucius. So, it is appropriate to call this idea as the “Platinum Rule” of Valluvar.  One may question the practicality of this noble goal. But Mahatma Gandhi has demonstrated that it is certainly possible to follow Valluvar’s advice of doing good for evil.

 

Mahatma Gandhi’s Example

When Mahatma Gandhi was in South Africa fighting for the rights of Indians, he was sentenced to jail several times by General Smuts. But Gandhi’s protest was always non-violent. Mahatma Gandhi had no ill feelings towards General Smuts. When in prison, Gandhi had learnt to make sandals. Just before he left South Africa, he gifted the pair of sandals he made to General Smuts. General Smuts wore those sandals for many years. But he always felt guilty wearing those sandals. During Gandhi’s seventieth birthday celebrations, the General returned the pair of sandals with a note stating that he did not deserve to wear them. Those sandals are in Gandhi Museum in Mumbai, India.

 

Mahatma Gandhi used non-violence as a tool to fight against the British government in the struggle for India’s independence. Later, the concept was adopted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his struggle against the government of the USA to obtain Civil Rights for African Americans. Subsequently, Nelson Mandela also used non-violent methods to end apartheid and to establish a Democratic government in South Africa.

Valluvar’s solution to end violence at the individual, social, and political levels has produced positive results, and it is worth promoting that as the approach to end violence. After all, the origin of violence is in the minds of people. If people can eliminate the idea of hurting others from their minds, then there will be no more violence. The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO declares that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed." This is exactly the approach recommended by Valluvar.

The Fourth Major Problem - Environmental Degradation

What is Environmental Degradation?

Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through the depletion of resources such as quality of air, water, and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; and pollution. In other words, it refers to any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable.

 

 Environmental Degradation is a Relatively New Problem

Over the past several centuries, human beings have come up with many innovations. Agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation, and communications are some of the sectors in which we have made phenomenal progress. While the innovations and progress in these areas have produced several benefits, they have also contributed to environmental degradation. When human society changed from a hunter–gatherer society to an agricultural society, the result was deforestation and loss of biodiversity. After the industrial revolution of the 18th century, major changes in manufacturing started, and that resulted in increased use of coal as the primary source of energy. With the advent of automobiles and airplanes in the twentieth century, the use of other forms of fossil energy such as oil and natural gas has become more ubiquitous. That has led to land degradation, water pollution, toxic air pollution, and global warming. No doubt, the innovations are extremely beneficial. But they also have detrimental consequences.

 

Valluvar’s Stance on Environmental Degradation

Loss of biodiversity: During Valluvar’s days, there was no serious concern regarding the environmental degradation. However, he recognized the need to protect all life forms in this world. He has dedicated a chapter on “non – killing,” where he emphasizes the virtue of not killing any living being. With that goal in mind, he says,

 

According to all the books in the world, sharing our food with all the creatures of the world and protecting them is the most important virtue.                (kural – 322)

 

Human beings have been a constant threat to the continued survival of many life forms. According to Prof. Yuval Noah Harari, the author of the book, “Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind,” urbanization and agriculture have resulted in the loss of habitat for many species of animals. Our actions have contributed to the loss of biodiversity. So, if we pay attention to Valluvar’s remarks regarding sharing our food and protecting all animals, we may be able to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15, which aims to halt the loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation. 

 

Scarcity of water: There is a growing shortage of water in the world. Over 2 billion people in the world lack access to water that is free of health risks. The United Nations has determined that access to clean water and sanitation facilities is a basic human right. Sustainable Development Goal 6 is designed to "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." Valluvar is in total agreement with the objective of this goal. He asserts that water is essential to sustain life on Earth. He says,

 

Life cannot exist without water in this world. Similarly, virtue cannot exist without rain.                                                                                                                           (kural - 20)

 

Not only that the water should be available, but the available water should also be clean.

 

 In a different context, Valluvar says that forests are a highly desirable fortification for a country. It can also be interpreted that since forests contribute to rainfall, which is an essential source of water, forests offer protection for the people in a country, and therefore, deforestation should be avoided.

 

Valluvar’s Warning

In this regard, Valluvar has a kural, which sounds like a warning to human beings. He says that although we know how to do new things, we must ensure they are consistent with nature. Anything that is against nature will have adverse consequences. The kural is as follows:

 

Though you are acquainted with theoretical methods of performing an act, make sure that it is in tune with nature.                                                                              (kural – 637) 

Valluvar could not have known or anticipated the environmental problems the world is facing today. But amazingly, the kural is valid in the present context, where the world is confronted with the problem of environmental deterioration. 

 

In this context, there is also another kural that is also worth paying attention. Valluvar stresses the importance of prevention and planning to avoid disasters.

 

 The life of a man who does not guard against potential problems will be destroyed like a haystack before an advancing fire.                                                                    (kural – 435) 

 

Here, we see Valluvar’s prophetic wisdom advising us on the need to take preventive measures against any possible catastrophe. Scientists have been warning the world about the dangers of environmental degradation. Based on their advice, the leaders at the United Nations have recognized the dangers of environmental degradation and have come up with Sustainable Development Goals designed to protect the world from such threats. This is precisely the approach recommended by Valluvar. 

 

Conclusion

We looked at four major problems facing the world: poverty, diseases, violence, and environmental degradation. Valluvar’s proposed solution for the elimination of poverty is for the government and the affluent people to help the poor with love and compassion through charity and philanthropy without expecting anything in return. The solution for the elimination of diseases involves compassionate governance by the rulers and love for fellow human beings by the caregivers and the society. The solution to the problem of violence is through tolerance and love. Where there is love, there will be no violence. The solution to the problem of environmental degradation underscores the need for love of all forms of life, present and future. So, we see that love is the common factor in the solutions for all four major problems.

 

 Are human beings capable of such love? Valluvar is convinced that all human beings are endowed with the capacity to show and act with love towards all living beings. He says,

 

Love is the quintessence of life; without it, a man is nothing, but a frame of bones covered with skin.                                                                                                 (kural – 80)

 

As the American poet Anthony Liccione says, “With love, everything is possible,” Or as John Lennon of the Beetles Quartet says, “All you need is love.”

 

In conclusion, Valluvar is a philosopher for all ages and for all people. As G. U. Pope says, he is the bard of universal man. His book is immortal. His philosophy is secular. He believes in the equality of all people. His approach is rational. His focus is life on Earth. His philosophy is based on life and world affirmation. His message is one of truth, non-violence, love, and compassion towards all living beings of the world. The world will benefit immensely from his ageless wisdom. Therefore, it is our duty to spread his message throughout the world and inculcate the younger generation with Valluvar’s wisdom to make this world a better place.

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[1] In Tamil, the word “kural” means a two-line verse (couplet). Valluvar’s book consists of 1330 kurals. The term “Thiru” is an honorific prefix to the book of kurals and hence his book is called Thirukkural. The term “the Kural”(with an upper case K) is used to refer to the book and the word “kural” (with a lower case k) is used to refer to the individual couplet.

 

[2]. https://sdgs.un.org/goals