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

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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 —