AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE STUDY OF TIRUVALLUVAR
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A Lecture by Prof.Avvai Duraisami Pillai
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Part – 10
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From these we come to the conclusion that a virtuous wife is a real blessing to a house. But this is not sufficient. She must bring forth brilliant children. They are fine ornaments to the household. She is not only responsible for the prevalence of peace and pleasure but should beautify the household life by bringing up good children. It must be clearly understood that procreating children is not the sole purpose of the family life; according to Valluvar, Tholkappiar and other ancient Tamil saints, the children were true ornaments as well as wealth to the family and to that effect they were brought up.
Of all the valuable acquisitions a husband and wife of a family can have, nothing is greater than begetting intelligent children. Sons and daughters of irreproachable character will enable their parents to enjoy all pleasure not only in this life but in the seven-fold births they may take in future and that is because great thinkers of the past declared one’s children as one’s for¬tune. The wishes and the best thing that a father can do to his children is to educate them to such an extent as would elevate them to the forefront of the councils of the wise.
The parents feel that, by the education they give, ii their sons and daughters possess for higher degree of knowledge than themselves, it would do immense good to all beings at large. When the society recognises the greatness of her son and offers him the foremost of its place, the mother’s heart is filled with pride and happiness exceedingly greater than what she enjoyed when she gave birth to him. Having shown the true extent of the parental care and love towards the intellectual growth of the son, Valluvar exhorts the son that the best requittal that a greatful son could offer to bis father is to make the wise men praise the parent for presenting so noble and virtuous a son for the benefit of, the human society. With this chapter Valluvar completes the structure of the unit of the human society.
These family-units are bound together by the sacred bond of genuine love; this love is spon¬taneous and nothing can obstruct it from its flow. From love springs affection to all and that in turn results in real friendship with others.
அன்பு ஈனும் ஆர்வமுடைமை அது ஈனும்
நண்பு என்னும் நாடாச் சிறப்பு. (12)
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