Tirukkural-On Virtue-On Rectitude-Kural 114

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The just and unjust come to be known,By the reputation they leave behind.

Who is just and who is unjust is best determined by the reputation they leave behind them. Parimelalagar would translate the word 'Echcham' as 'children' and so K Srinivasan's rendering of this Kural in English is as follows:

The just and unjust, both are known
By each one's offspring, truth is known.

I am afraid this is not quite right because we have seen in life many noble parents having wayward children or no children at all. It is better to interpret 'Echcham' as reputation and include in this larger concept the character and reputation also of the children, if any. Rajaji would say that your life, character and work would impress itself upon your children's character and your children also will walk the path of rectitude, if you yourself have consistently done the same. This line of explanation follows Parithi.

It is also keeping with the ideas of Sangam literature, which consider it the father's duty to make his son a virtuous man 'Saanroan aakudhal thandhaikuk kadanae'. Valluvar himself has said elsewhere that the greatest gift a father can give his son is to train him so that he is fit to take a pre-eminent place in society.

'Thandhai maharkku aatrum nandri avaiyathu
mundhi iruppach seyal'

The New Testament of the Bible too would confirm this interpretation in the famous passage:

'You will know them by their fruits; are grapes
gathered from thorns or figs from thistles.'

(Matt. 7:16)

Thiru. K M Balasubramaniam, adopting the line of Vidwan Thiagarajan Chettiar vis-a-vis 'Echcham' and the substitute word 'Makkal' preferred by a foreign scholar, contends that the word 'Echcham' would actually mean the reputation that one leaves behind. Valluvar has used the same word to mean 'children' in some contexts and 'Posthumous reputation' in other contexts. For instance in Kural 238- 'Isai yennum echcham' as opposed to 'Vasai' would only mean the good name that a man who passes away leaves behind him. In the context of this Kural, I would certainly consider that the interpretation of 'reputation left behind' would be the more appropriate.

Biblical support for this is found in the Proverbs:

'The memory of the righteous is a blessing
but the name of the wicked shall rot'

(Proverbs: 10:7)

in the face of all this, I am personally of the view that, even in a more generalized context, the word 'Echcham' in the sweep of its meaning, covers all the good, that one leaves behind. This interpretation would include not only reputation, but the ideals, followers and institutions left behind by the just man, in addition of course, to the good parts and character of his own children. It will help us to understand the correct implications of the word if we think of what Gandhiji has left behind as his 'Echcham'. In my approach, I have, therefore, integrated both Rajaji's and Thiagarajan Chettiar's views and excluded only the rather naive interpretation of merely 'children'.