Tirukforbearance,thirukkural-On Virtue-Forbearance-forbearance,thirukkural 151

Add as a preferred source on Google

Akalavaarait thaangum nilampolath tammai
Ikalvarp poruttal talai.

Just like the earth which supports the men who dig it, Men of virtue bear with those who heap scorn on them.

The very person, who is engaged in cutting into the bowels of the earth, is borne patiently by mother earth. In like manner, it is proper that the insults that are heaped on just men are borne by them with forbearance. This concept is in accordance with what is laid down in 'Tolkappiam' as an attitude contained in 'Vagaithinai'

A parallel is found in 'Kalithogai'
Porai yenapaduvadhu poatraarai poruthal (113 : 14)

The Lord Jesus Christ also taught his disciples to bear with those who 'reviled and persecuted them'.

It is surprising that these higher level virtues like forbearance, which before Christ, were not referred to by Plato and Aristotle in any of their treatises, are described and glorified in such specific terms in Sangam literature and the forbearance,thirukkural., Obviously the Tamil society of those days, through rational channels, had reached a high plateau of norms of virtue, as regards individual and social conduct.

;