Tirukkural-On Virtue-On The Blessing Of Children

Kural :68
Thammintham makkal arivudaimai maanilathu
Mannuyirk kellam inidhu.

If children are better equipped with a broader and more human outlook,
The whole world will feel happy with them.

Progress from generation to generation is a natural and welcome development. I
want my son to do better than I have done in life. It is the law of nature that all
parents without exception desire their children to excel them in some field or the
other, if not in all, and are extremely happy when they do so. This direct meaning
has been adopted by Pazhaya Urai. The Bible also endorses this view. 'Wisdom is
justified of her children'.

One has only to read Alwin Toffler's 'Future Shock' to realize picturesquely how
the progress of 800 lifetimes has been condensed into the one life-time, in which
we live, by progressive acceleration. Children of one generation outdoing their
parents of the previous generation is, therefore, a natural process.,

The totality of such effect of all good children on all parents is what is envisaged
in this Kural


Kural : 63

Tamporul enpadham makkal; avarporul
Taththam vinaiyaan varum

A man's children are his real wealth; and their own worth
Is assessed by their correct conduct and good name.


The idea here is that, while a man's wealth are his children, their worth will be
determined by their own actions.

V.v.s Iyer refers to this couplet as a very knotty one, probably because of the
juxtaposition of two different ideas and the interpretation of the word 'porul' in
two ways in the same Kural. Actually 'porul' in the first portion means wealth,
while 'porul' in the next refers to their 'worth'.

But this is not really so strange when we consider usage in Tamil literature such
as the following:
Pon potr pudhalvarp pera adheerum
Ponpotr pudhalvanodu

Obviously both the ideas of wealth and worth are together involved in the
comparison of the children to gold.

Kural : 61
Perumavarrul yamariva thillai arivarindha
Makkatpaeralla pira.

I know of no greater blessing than one's children,
Who grow with well-instructed discernment.


Cicero's emphatic query about children is almost another translation of this
couplet of Valluvar's. 'What gift has Providence bestowed on man that is so dear
to him as his children'?

The term 'Arivarindha' is interpreted by Parimelalagar as 'who have known what
must be known', (i.e.,) have innate understanding, which is appropriate and
adequate. The same idea has been recorded by Rajaji slightly differently as 'Who
have grown up to true enlightenment'. The reference here is to all children and
not merely to sons as restricted by Parimelalagar, and certainly not so in the India
of today



Elupirappum tiyavai tinta palipirankap
Panputai makkat perin.

A man's children who are blemishless and cultured, safeguard his family
reputation for generations.

Though I have preferred to translate the phrase 'Yelupirappu' as through
'generations', the exact meaning is through the 'seven births'. A person with such
children who are pure and cultured will according to Parimelalagar, go through
his chain of seven births without blemish and definitely attain ultimate release.

The Bible says in this context:

'The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice'.

Here again the Karma theory comes in testifying to Valluvar's firm roots in the
Hindu religion and philosophy.