Tirukkural-On Virtue-An Open House Or Hospitality-Kural 85

Add as a preferred source on Google

Vithum idalvaendum kollo virundhompi
Michchil misaivaan pulam

A man who feeds his guests before he has his own repast on the remnants, Does not even have to sow seeds in his field.

A man, who is particular about serving his guests before he has his own meal, will have no need to sow seeds in his field, which will automatically bear rich fruit. Obviously, the second part of the explanation is not to be taken literally. Such a man will certainly not be lazy; he will do his work to the best of his ability but circumstances and God's grace will help him with the outcome of a rich harvest.

That there were many such very generous men in the Tamilagam of old and that they were highly esteemed, is seen from the following passage of Manimekalai.

Yaavarum varuga venrisaithavudan ooty
undaelu michchil undu

After all, God and his good men, are bound to look after such a man, who has been receiving all those who seek his hospitality and has been catering to their needs, before sitting down himself, to eat of what is left. Hospitality is itself seed enough for his fields and the crops will rise and yield. He and his house as well as his heredity will flourish on God's grace.

Prof. Avvai S Duraisami in an essay and Thiru K M Balasubramaniam, in the notes attached to his translation, have given another possible interpretation of this Kural. According to them, a farmer-householder may even go to the extent of breaking the normal farmer's rule laid down in the Puram, 'that it is folly to cook and eat the seed-grains,' and in an emergency, using the very seed-grains to entertain a special guest. It is said of Illayankudi Maranar that he did just such a sacrifice for the sake of feeding a rare guest.

But my view is that there is no need to labour this point. It is well realized that the virtue of guest service was developed to a fine art in old Tamil society and very much store was set by the ethics behind it. While this explanation is useful to understand the limits to which the ancient Tamils were prepared to go in practicing hospitality and the extent of the sacrifice, which must needs bring in its wake God's blessing, people's good wishes and prosperity, it is not appropriate as an interpretation of the meaning of the Kural itself.

Obviously the idea of the Kural is the straight forward one that has been discussed in the first paragraph. It is similar to the other prevalent dictum that 'if one looked after other people's children, one's own children will grow up without the need for looking after.' In fact, the basis of the second interpretation of cooking the seed-grains to entertain a guest is not inconsistent with the first interpretation of recompense with God's grace, as such a special sacrifice is bound to bring forth a special reward.

Incidentally, it may be mentioned, that such an opportunity for extreme sacrifice in guest service will not apparently be available to the generous farmers of our country hereafter, because seed-grains are now being preserved by protective treatment with poisonous chemicals, to ensure freedom from attack by pests in the early stages of germination and growth!