Sant Thiruvalluvar

Sant Thiruvalluvar

Thiruvalluvar did not give any answer. He simply kept quiet. He wanted to teach them the glory of Grihastha Ashrama by example.

Thiruvalluvar was taking cold rice in the morning. He said to his wife: “Vasuki, the rice is very hot

Bring a fan to cool it”. Thiruvalluvar’s wife was drawing water from the well when Thiruvalluvar called her. She at once left the rope and ran to him with a fan to cool the rice. She did not say to her husband: “How can the cold rice be hot? Why do you want a fan now?”. She simply obeyed his commands. The vessel that contained water was hanging half-way in the well unsupported, on account of her Pativrata Dharma Shakti. The aspirants noticed this phenomenon and the noble conduct of Vasuki and were simply struck with amazement. About midday, on another occasion, Valluvar called his wife and said, “Bring a lamp immediately, O Vasuki! I am stitching the cloth. I cannot see the eye of the needle. I cannot pass the thread properly”. Vasuki did not say to her husband: “It is broad daylight now. Why do you want a lamp? You can see the eye of the needle clearly”. But she implicitly obeyed his word. 

he aspirants were much inspired by the ideal life of sage Thiruvalluvar and the exalted conduct of Vasuki

They did not speak a word to the saint. They took leave of the saint and quietly left the place with profound satisfaction. They were deeply impressed by the practical and exemplary life led by Thiruvalluvar and Vasuki. They learnt the lesson that the life of an ideal householder was in no way inferior to that of an ideal Sannyasin who was treading the path of Nivritti and austerity in the Himalayan caves and that each was great in its own place, time and circumstances.

Dear readers! Such ladies sit enthroned in the hearts of their husbands. No doubt they are hard to find, because such women never advertise themselves; but there must be many in our land of Rishis and sages; and unless we maintain such a high level of moral purity, we will all be going down in these days of modern civilization and scientific advancement. If the husbands of the present day behave like Thiruvalluvar, the wives will say, “My husband has become senseless. He wants to fan the rice when it is so cold! He wants a light when there is broad sunlight”. The wives will rebuke their husbands and fight with them.

That house wherein the wife serves the husband with sincere devotion and observes Pativrata Dharma is heaven on earth. That house wherein the wife fights with the husband and disobeys his orders is a veritable hell on earth.

Ladies who practise Pativrata Dharma need not go to temples. They need not practise any Vrata or penance. Service to the husband becomes worship. They can realise God through service to their husbands. Husbands also should be ideal persons with noble qualities. Husbands are the Gurus for their wives. The wives need not get any initiation from any Acharya. Glory to such exalted ladies who practise Pativrata Dharma!

Source – dlshq org

Sant Thiruvalluvar is one of the greatest poet-saints of Tamil culture, honoured for giving humanity the Tirukkural, a masterpiece of ethics, wisdom, and practical living. His exact period and personal history remain uncertain, yet his influence is clear and vast. He is remembered not only as a literary genius but also as a moral teacher whose words guide people beyond barriers of caste, creed, language, and time. His couplets speak with unusual simplicity, but their meaning reaches deep into personal conduct, family life, leadership, friendship, love, and social responsibility.

Sant Thiruvalluvar is traditionally associated with Mylapore in present-day Chennai, and many stories connect him with his wife Vasuki. Some traditions describe him as a weaver, while others claim him through different religious communities. These debates show how widely people have loved and accepted him. The details of his biography may be unclear, but the purity of his message is unmistakable. He belongs to all who respect virtue, compassion, discipline, and wise living.

Sant Thiruvalluvar is best known as the author of the Tirukkural, also called the Kural. This work contains 1,330 couplets arranged in 133 chapters. Each chapter has ten compact verses, and each verse carries a complete thought in only a few words. Such compression is one reason the text is admired. It proves that wisdom does not always need long explanation. A short sentence, when born from deep insight, can shape a life.

Sant Thiruvalluvar organised his teaching into three major sections: Aram, Porul, and Inbam. Aram deals with virtue, righteousness, domestic life, non-violence, truth, hospitality, self-control, and compassion. Porul discusses wealth, governance, education, ministers, kingship, justice, diplomacy, war, friendship, and public duty. Inbam speaks of love, longing, union, separation, and emotional refinement. Together these three sections cover the main areas of human life. This structure makes the Tirukkural both spiritual and practical.

Sant Thiruvalluvar gave high importance to virtue. He teaches that good conduct is the foundation of all achievement. Wealth without righteousness becomes dangerous, and learning without humility becomes empty. His couplets praise kindness, gratitude, patience, control of anger, sweet speech, and truthfulness. These values are not limited to one religion. They form the universal grammar of a decent human life. This is why his work is often called a common scripture for humanity.

Sant Thiruvalluvar also spoke strongly about non-violence and compassion. The Tirukkural condemns killing and honours the heart that cannot bear the suffering of other beings. This ethical sensitivity makes his teaching deeply relevant today. In a world affected by cruelty, competition, and indifference, his words remind readers that real greatness begins with the refusal to harm. A society becomes noble not by wealth alone, but by mercy.

Sant Thiruvalluvar understood the importance of family and domestic responsibility. He did not treat household life as inferior to spiritual life. In the Tirukkural, a good home is a place of love, hospitality, discipline, and service. A true householder supports guests, helps the needy, raises children with values, and lives with honesty. This makes his teaching useful for ordinary people who wish to live spiritually without leaving daily duties.

Sant Thiruvalluvar was also a master of political wisdom. His section on Porul gives guidance about kings, ministers, forts, armies, justice, taxation, speech, and public welfare. He believed leadership must be rooted in fairness and self-control. A ruler should protect people, listen to wise counsel, avoid cruelty, and act with foresight. These ideas remain important for modern administrators, business leaders, teachers, and anyone who holds responsibility over others.

Sant Thiruvalluvar praised learning, but he also warned against pride. Knowledge must improve character. A person may read many books, yet remain ignorant if conduct is poor. The Tirukkural asks readers to join study with humility, listening, reflection, and action. This message is especially useful in the present age, where information is abundant but wisdom is often rare. True education should produce compassion, clarity, and responsibility.

Sant Thiruvalluvar also gave refined attention to friendship and speech. He explained how to choose good friends, avoid harmful company, and speak words that heal rather than wound. In his view, language carries moral weight. Speech can build trust or destroy relationships. A wise person uses words with kindness, timing, and truth. This teaching is practical for family life, social life, politics, and spiritual practice.

Sant Thiruvalluvar remains a global figure because the Tirukkural has been translated into many languages and studied by people of different backgrounds. Its appeal lies in its universal tone. It does not depend on complex ritual or sectarian identity. It speaks about how to live, how to govern, how to love, and how to control the self. This universality makes it meaningful in schools, homes, temples, libraries, and public life.

Sant Thiruvalluvar stands as a saint of wisdom, brevity, and moral courage. His work teaches that life becomes beautiful when guided by virtue, justice, compassion, and love. He shows that poetry can become philosophy and philosophy can become daily conduct. For modern readers, his message is clear: speak truth, avoid harm, respect learning, serve others, govern fairly, love sincerely, and make every action worthy of the human birth.

Sant Thiruvalluvar finally reminds us that timeless wisdom does not grow old. A couplet written centuries ago can still correct the mind, soften the heart, and guide society. His legacy continues wherever people read the Tirukkural and try to live by its values. He belongs not only to Tamil literature, but to the moral heritage of the world. Sant Thiruvalluvar also inspires artists, reformers, translators, and public thinkers. Statues, memorials, festivals, and classroom lessons keep his memory active, but the greatest honour is practice. When a child learns honesty, when a leader rejects injustice, when a family welcomes a guest, or when a person controls anger, the spirit of the Kural becomes alive. His wisdom asks every generation to turn noble words into noble habits and build a society where virtue is stronger than pride in every age and sacred place.