Thirukkural- On Virtue- Penance-Kural-263

Add as a preferred source on Google

Perhaps because of their duty to provide sustenance for the sages, The householders have forgotten penance.

Valluvar here reminds the householder of his duties to the ascetics and the other orders, and delicately expresses a warning that the householder should not consider penance as beyond him. After all, penance is bearing up with one's share of pain and refraining from causing pain to other creatures. And the householder gets more opportunities of sublimating such situations into penance than even the ascetic.

The Gita brings out this fact beautifully in chapter V, when it says the performance of action by Karma-yogi is far superior to the renunciation of action, and penance that way. What is required for growth in this state of virtue is non-attachment to results.