
Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 16,114
Date uploaded in London – 21 August 2026
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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Points to be noted:
Kural 245 shows that Valluvar and other Hindus knew that only earth has got an atmosphere (with oxygen). I say this because in Puram verse 20 and 365 also they say it clearly. Whenever they described the land mass, they always had the epithet “that which is surrounded by sea”. It shows they know the geography of the whole earth and the atmosphere above. There is another proof where they say, “all rivers run towards sea and all payers go to one God”. Tis shows they know hundreds or thousands of rivers around the world.
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Compare Bhagavad Gita 6-40 with Kural 245
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते ।
न हि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ॥ 40॥
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśhas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyāṇa-kṛit kaśhchid durgatiṁ tāta gachchhati
BG 6.40: The Supreme Lord said: O Parth, one who engages on the spiritual path does not meet with destruction either in this world or the world to come. My dear friend, one who strives for God-realization is never overcome by evil.
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Compare the style of Kural247 and BG 4-31 (this world and the world above)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 31 (4.31) states that those who live a life of sacrifice and partake of its spiritual remnants attain the eternal divine, while those who perform no sacrifice cannot find happiness in this world or the next
Hindus like Valluvar think the same way; they worry about life in this world and the world above!
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Linguistic points
Ulaka= Lokam ; Sanskrit and Tamil have the same parent language.
More interesting is POORIYAAR (Kural 241) is the opposite of Arya;
Arya = good, cultured; Spuriya= Wicked, bad. I say this because we have similar word in English SPURIOUS!
Synonyms: Fake, false, bogus, counterfeit.
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Following Translations are used:
1.A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933
2.S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000
3.Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886
4.Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB
5.EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986
6.H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931
7.Tamil Original
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Project Madurai website has all the Tamil books.
Part 43
Kindliness; Mercy ; Ascetic Virtue; The Possession of Benevolence; துறவறவியல் – ASCETIC VIRTUE
25. அருளுடைமை – Compassion

241.A tender and merciful heart is the loveliest and the most precious of all our possessions; for are not the riches of this earth found among the vilest of men?- A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933
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241.The best of all possessions is the wealth of compassion;
For the meanest of men too possess worldly wealth- S M Diaz, I G of Police – SMD, Year 2000
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241
Wealth ‘mid wealth is wealth ‘kindliness’;
Wealth of goods the vilest too possess.
The wealth of kindness is wealth of wealth, in as much as the wealth of property is possessed by the basest of men – Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886
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241.The wealth of wealth is wealth of grace
Earthly wealth e’en the basest has Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB.
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241. Wealth of kindliness is real wealth. Material wealth is possessed by even the basest- .EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986
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241.The wealth of kindliness is wealth indeed;
For even vicious men have worldly wealth- H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931
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241. அருட்செல்வம் செல்வத்துள் செல்வம் பொருட்செல்வம்
பூரியார் கண்ணும் உள
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242.Search within yourself and seek in mercy a tower of strength; for do not all the tenets of the world proclaim that she is the surest and safest guide in your journey to the unknown?- ANM+2
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242.The search for virtue’s path, cutting across all religions and moral teachings,
Will leave invariably to spiritual deliverance through compassion – SMD
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242
The law of ‘grace’ fulfil, by methods good due trial made,
Though many systems you explore, this is your only aid.
(Stand) in the good path, consider, and be kind. Even considering according to the conflicting tenets of the different sects, kindness will be your best aid, (in the acquisition of heavenly bliss.) – GUP
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242.Seek by sound ways good compassion;
All faiths mark that for-salvation -SB
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242.After due consideration of what will stand you in good stead, be compassionate. Nothing but compassion can sustain you—EVS
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242.Walk the good way, consider and be kind;
Though many ways you study, this your aid will be- HAP
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242. நல்லாற்றால் நாடி அருளாள்க பல்லாற்றால்
தேரினும் அஃதே துணை.
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243.They enter not the dark and dreadful valley of the shadow of death whose hearts glow with tender light of mercy- ANM+2
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243.Men with hearts, overflowing with gentle compassion, will never
Have to go to the nether-world of darkness- SMD
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243
They in whose breast a ‘gracious kindliness’ resides,
See not the gruesome world, where darkness drear abides.
They will never enter the world of darkness and wretchedness whose minds are the abode of kindness. – GUP
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243.The hearts of mercy shall not go
Into dark worlds of gruesome woe-SB
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243.Those who have compassion will never be cast into the hell of darkness and sorrow—EVS
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243.There is no dark and dismal hell ordained
For those whose heart is full of kindliness- HAP
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243. அருள்சேர்ந்த நெஞ்சினார்க் கில்லை இருள்சேர்ந்த
இன்னா உலகம் புகல்.
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244.The shoals and sand banks that a heart dreads in its voyage to the promised land beyond the clouds are not for the soul which loves all that lives on earth— ANM+2
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244.The besetting sins that endanger the soul, will not approach those,
Who encompass all living creatures with their love- SMD
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244
Who for undying souls of men provides with gracious zeal,
In his own soul the dreaded guilt of sin shall never feel.
(The wise) say that the evils, which his soul would dread, will never come upon the man who exercises kindness and protects the life (of other creatures) – GUP
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244.His soul is free from dread of sins
Whose mercy serveth all beings-SB
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244.The wise say that those who protect other living beings with compassion need have no fear of evil for their own souls—EVS
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244. மன்னுயிர் ஓம்பி அருளாள்வாற்கு இல்லென்ப
தன்னுயிர் அஞ்சும் வினை.
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245.Sorrow never afflicts a merciful soul; and to this, the vast teeming earth, round which the wanton winds do merrily blow, is a mighty witness- ANM+2
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245.The vast and flourishing wind-blown earth is witness to the fact,
That those who practise compassion will never be subjected to suffering- SMD
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245
The teeming earth’s vast realm, round which the wild winds blow,
Is witness, men of ‘ grace’ no woeful want shall know.
This great rich earth over which the wind blows, is a witness that sorrow never comes upon the kind-hearted. – GUP
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245.The wide wind-fed world witness bears:
Men of mercy meet not sorrows-SB
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245.The compassionate know no misery. this will be borne out by all in this wide world—EVS
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245. அல்லல் அருளாள்வார்க்கு இல்லை வளிவழங்கும்
மல்லல்மா ஞாலம் கரி
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246.Behold an unloving heart that is blind to mercy, and doth inequity; the wise say of him that he has forgotten the bitter lesson which is learnt in his former birth, in the school of affliction- ANM+2
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246.Men of no compassion, who indulges in unkindness to all creatures,
Will so forget themselves as to lose the means of reaching heaven- SMD
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246
Gain of true wealth oblivious they eschew,
Who ‘grace’ forsake, and graceless actions do.
(The wise) say that those who neglect kindness and practise cruelties, neglected virtue (in their former birth), and forgot (the sorrows which they must suffer.) – GUP
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246.Who grace forsake and graceless act
The former loss and woes forget-SB
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246.The hard hearted who indulge in cruelties are those who have forgotten the sufferings they underwent in consequence of deviating from the path of virtue—EVS
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246. பொருள் நீங்கிப் பொச்சாந்தார் என்பர் அருள்நீங்கி
அல்லவை செய்தொழுகு வார்
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247.The kingdom of heaven is not for the soul devoid of mercy, even as the joys of this earth are not for those sunk in the very depths of poverty- ANM+2
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247.Even as happiness in the world depends wholly on material possessions,
Happiness in the world beyond will surely depend on compassion- SMD
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247
As to impoverished men this present world is not;
The ‘graceless’ in you world have neither part nor lot.
As this world is not for those who are without wealth, so that world is not for those who are without kindness. – GUP
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247.This world is not for weathless ones
That world is not for graceless swines-SB
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247.As those without riches can have no enjoyments in this world so also are those without compassion
Denied the blessings of the world above—EVS
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247.You world’s joy is not for those who kindness lack,
As the world’s joy is not for those who riches lack- HAP
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247. அருளில்லார்க்கு அவ்வுலகம் இல்லை பொருளில்லார்க்கு
இவ்வுலகம் இல்லாகி யாங்கு.
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248.Some day fortune may smile on the ragged poor; but only endless gloom awaits a loveless heart- ANM+2
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248.Worldly wealth once lost may be recouped,
But compassion lost cannot be made up- SMD
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248
Who lose the flower of wealth, when seasons change, again may bloom;
Who lose ‘benevolence’, lose all; nothing can change their doom.
Those who are without wealth may, at some future time, become prosperous; those who are destitute of kindness are utterly destitute; for them there is no change. – GUP
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248.The wealthless may prosper one day;
The graceless never bloom again-SB
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248.The poverty stricken may sometimes prosper, but those without the trace of compassion will be runed without redemption—EVS
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248. Those lacking wealth one day may prosperous be;
Those lacking kindness for ever will lack all- HAP
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248. பொருளற்றார் பூப்பர் ஒருகால் அருளற்றார்
அற்றார்மற் றாதல் அரிது.
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249. A merciless being striving to walk in virtue is like a bewildered one catching the glimpse of truth- ANM+2
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249.It is easy to see that clear understanding is essential for acquiring knowledge;
Nut it is not so easy to visualise that compassion is essential for goodness- SMD
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249
When souls unwise true wisdom’s mystic vision see,
The ‘graceless’ man may work true works of charity.
If you consider, the virtue of him who is without kindness is like the perception of the true being by him who is without wisdom. – GUP
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249.Like Truth twisted by confused mind
Wisdom is vain in hearts unkind-SB
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249.The virtue of the man who has no compassion is as rare as the perception of truth by those who have no wisdom—EVS
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249.Ponder the charity of those who kindness lack;
It is like Truth’s vision seen by muddled minds- HAP
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249. தெருளாதான் மெய்ப்பொருள் கண்டற்றால் தேரின்
அருளாதான் செய்யும் அறம்
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250.Knit not your brows against the weak in your insolent might, but remember the day when your own cheeks turned pale with fear in the presence of a mightiest foe— ANM+2
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250.When one tends to become cruel to those under his control
One should think of himself cowering before stronger men- SMD
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250
When weaker men you front with threat’ning brow,
Think how you felt in presence of some stronger foe.
When a man is about to rush upon those who are weaker than himself, let him remember how he has stood (trembling) before those who are stronger than himself. – GUP
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250.Think how you feel before the strong
When to the feeble you do wrong-SB
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250.When a man is about to pounce upon another weaker than himself, let him remember how he trembled in the presence of those superior to him—EVS
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250. வலியார்முன் தன்னை நினைக்கதான் தன்னின்
மெலியார்மேல் செல்லும் இடத்து.
–subham—
Tags- Kindliness; Mercy ; Ascetic Virtue; The Possession of Benevolence; துறவறவியல் – ASCETIC VIRTUE
25. அருளுடைமை – Compassion, part 43, Tirukkural Encyclopaedia- Chapter 25 (Kural 241-250)

































