Tirukkural-On Virtue-On Self Restraint-Kural 121

Effective self-control places one among the Gods; Want of it will plunge one into utter darkness.

Self-restraint is a virtue, which is as necessary for the house-holder as for the ascetic. The self-control envisaged here, is a to be exercised in thought, word and deed, in respect of the dominant personal vices of avarice, anger and pride.These vices are normally considered as prelude to a fall.,

The Bible confirms this idea in the following lines:

'Before destruction a man's heart is haughty,
and before honour is humility'.

(Proverbs 18:12)

G.U. Pope refers to humility as a Christian virtue because prior to Christ, Aristotle had not referred to it. The Lord Jesus Christ had laid special emphasis on this virtue time and again, and more particularly in his Sermon on the Mount.

'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

(Matt, 5:3)

'Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth'.

(Matt. 5:5)

But Valluvar's presentation here (probably 31 B C) makes it clear that it was one of the acknowledged virtues, in his time at least, in the Tamil country. This would mean that it was either native to the soil or had come into the country along with the many thought-currents that blew in, around Valluvar's time. After all King Solomon's Proverbs had referred to humility long before the birth of Christ.