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Tirukkural-On Virtue-Covetousness -Kural 173

By Staff

Thirukkural-Covetousness
Citrinbam vekki aranalla seyyaare
matrinbam vendu bavar.

Those who aspire for heavenly bliss, will not give room for unrighteousness
Through base desire for a transcient pleasure.

Valluvar's injunction here, is to control the mind, whenever the wandering senses seek to draw it downwards, if at all one's sights are directed towards the attainment of happiness in the world hereafter.

A parallel to this precept, is probably the exhortation of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which is believed to have converted St. Francis Xavier, the learned Don of the Paris University, to renunciation and missionary zeal. He used to say, 'what doth it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?'

(Matt. 19:21; Luke 8:36)

This has always been the way of all our sages and Rishis. Renunciation is not anything rare in India, the renunciation of Gautama the Buddha being the most spectacular of it all. A relevant passage of the Gita on Renunciation, is as follows:

'He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not hanker after happiness, who has become free from affection, fear and wrath, is indeed the Muni of steady wisdom'.

(Gita 2, 56)

Phrase 'matrinbam' refers to 'happiness in the world hereafter'.

Story first published: Thursday, April 30, 2009, 16:07 [IST]
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