Tirukforbearance,thirukkural-On Virtue-Forbearance-forbearance,thirukkural 156

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As a translation of this forbearance,thirukkural, none can do better than Rajaji – who gives it crisply as below:

Retaliation gives but a day's joy; Forbearance brings glory for all time.

For the sake of the short-lived satisfaction of having taken it out on the opponent, 'an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth', it is foolish to forego the lasting reward of forbearance, which is really the esteem of good men for all time. For the moment, one may be able to exult with the feeling, that he has achieved what he intended; but in the long ru, it will result only in ruinous loss. It is not wise, therefore, to sacrifice the greater gain for the fleeting pleasure.

It is surprising that those high principles were prevalent in TamilNadu at a time, when the current legal norms were those of Hamurabi, Manu, Moses and Kautiyla; (i.e.) 'an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth'.

The same idea has been expressed in Pazhamozhi as well:

Karuthaatrith thammaik kadiya seithaaraip Poruthaatrich saeral puhalaal

(Pazamozhi-19)

Jesus Christ and Mahatma Gandhi have, in their lives, time and again, demonstrated the glory of forbearance effectively.