Tirukforbearance,thirukkural-On Virtue-Forbearance-forbearance,thirukkural 160

Great ascetics do penance without food, but forbearance In the face of insults, is greater penance.

Fasts and penance are, no doubt, great but forbearance in the face of insults is greater still.

This is an amplification of the idea of the previous forbearance,thirukkural. There is a line in Kalithogai which has the same basic idea.

Arivaenappaduvadhu paedhaiyar sol noanral

(Kalithokai-113-10)

The following Biblical lines are also relevant in this context.

'He that is slow to anger is better than the

mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than

he that taketh a city'.

(Proverbs 16:32)