Date: 17 FEBRUARY 2018
Time uploaded in London- 19-06
Written by London swaminathan
Post No. 4755
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Chanakya was a great genius who lived 2300 years ago. He wrote in Sanskrit several didactic works and the Arthasastra, book on economics. Tiruvalluvar was a genius who wrote Tirukkural with 1330 couplets touching various topics from God to family life. Though the Tamil Nadu government is sticking to a date of first century BCE for Tiruvalluvar, linguistically he can be placed only in the fourth century or fifth century CE. In all the 133 chapters, he used Sanskrit words.
Chanakya says,
Up to five years one should fondle a child;
for the next ten years one should exercise control over him;
As soon as he enters the sixteenth year, father should start treating him like a friend.
-Chanakya Niti, Chapter 3, Sloka/verse 18
laalayet panca varshaani dasa varshaani taadayet
prapte tu shodase putrammitravadaacaret
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WHO IS A GOOD SON? CHANAKYA AND VALLUVAR ANSWER
Good Son is like Moon!
Even with a single educated noble son the whole family gets elated (brightened) as does get the night with the moon.
-Chanakya Niti, Chapter 3, Sloka/verse 16
ekenaapi suputrena vidhyaayuktena saadhunaa
aahalaaditam kulam sarvam yathaa chandrena sarvarii
Tiruvalluvar says,
The wisdom on’s sons will be a blessing to the world at large rather than to the parents—Kural/verse 68
A mother’s joy at hearing of her son acclaimed as full of virtue and refinement is greater than her joy at the time of his birth – Kural 69
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Bad son is like a Forest Fire!
Just as with one dry tree being burnt by fire the whole forest gets burnt, in the same way a family with a bad son.
-Chanakya Niti, Chapter 3, Sloka/verse 15
ekena ssuhka vrukshena dahyamaanena vahninaa
dahyate tadvanam sarvam kuputrena kulam yathaa
xxx
One Markandeya or 100 Duryodhanaadi?
What has one to do with a number of sons who cause only sorrow and affliction. A single son who could be the support, the one wherefrom the family can draw comfort is better.
-Chanakya Niti, Chapter 3, Sloka/verse 17
kim jaatairbhahubihi putraihi sokasantaapakaarakaihi
varamekaha kulaalambhii yatra visraamyate kulam
xxx
Even a single meritorious son is better than hundreds of them with no merit. A single moon dispels darkness and not the multitude of stars.
varameko gunii putro nirgunaisca satairapi
ekaschandrastamo hanti na ca taaraaganairapi
-Chanakya Niti, Chapter 4, Sloka/verse 6
Tiruvalluvar says,
The duty of the son to the father is to make others exclaim, “what penance has he done to be blessed with such a worthy son”.
What father is expected to do his son is to make him fit to hold the foremost place among the learned – Kural 67
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Still born son!
It is better to have a still born son than the one born foolish. The still born one gives a modicum of pain. The foolish one burns the whole life
muurkhasciraayurjaatopi tasmaajjaatamruto varaha
mrutaha sa caalpadukkhaaya yaavajjiivam jatoo dahet
-Chanakya Niti, Chapter 4, Sloka/verse 7
Tiru Valluvar in his master piece Tirukkural says,
Among the blessings one should have there is none so great as having sensible children – Kural 61
No evil will befall a man in all the seven births he may have if he gets children of irreproachable character – Kural 62
Famous Hindu Boys
Hindu mythology and Hagiology have lot of exemplary children in its over 3000 year history such as Druvan, Markandeya, Nachiketas, Thiru Jnana Sambandar, Adi Shankara,Satyakama Jabali, Prahlada, Vamana, Uddalaka, Svetaketu and Andal (poetess).
–Subham —