Tirukkural-On Virtue-On Love Or Affection-Kural 76

Arathtirke anbucaer penpa ariyaar
Marathirkum akthe thunai.

The ignorant say that affection is appropriate only to righteousness; But it will also inspire heroism, to be rid of evil.

Love is of the source not only for great deeds of virtue but for great deeds of courage as well.

A tender heart and war-like deeds are not mutually exclusive. History is replete with instances of a tender-hearted man doing mighty deeds, as one inspired, when the need arose. Even a woman like Joan of Arch became a heroine and a liberator in such a context. Therefore, Parimelalagar's interpretation of this Kural is not at all acceptable.

In fact one wonders how that 'Prince among commentators; slipped up in this. Apparently he just followed the earlier commentators, as most others after him have done, except Rajaji.

Parimelalagar would say that in this Kural Valluvar's idea is, that love overcomes wrath and enmity and helps one not only to do the right thing by oneself, but also to overcome the evil done by others. But with such a meaning, the word 'Thunai' (i.e.) help, becomes inconsistent. Parimelalagar's interpretation of 'maram' as 'wrong' is not its only meaning. The word also means- 'military prowess and the virtues of a solider,' who rises up in defence of a good cause like the valiant knights of King Arthur's Round Table (Cf. Maravar-war-like tribe of the South). Such an interpretation alone will be appropriate to the use of the word 'Thunai' already referred to. In adopting this line, therefore, I have followed Rajaji.