Assertion of the Strength of Virtues in Thirukkural and Why They Matter Today
The True Happiness Is Only That Happiness We Get By Doing Virtuous Deeds
As we all know, the Thirukkural, one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time, was penned by the ancient Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. It is a timeless guide to ethics, morality, and virtuous living.
He has written on individual virtues (like gratitude, politeness, chastity, etc.), explaining what they are, the benefits of doing them, and what happens if they are not followed. The special point I want to tell you is that Thiruvalluvar has devoted ten thirukkurals just to emphasize the importance of doing virtuous deeds in the adhikaram “Assertion of the Strength of Virtues.” And that is the endorsement for us to be virtuous people.
He says, only that happiness we get by doing virtuous deeds is the true happiness:
அறத்தான் வருவதே இன்பம் மற்று எல்லாம்
புறத்த புகழும் இல. – Kural 39.
Which means, “Only that pleasure which flows from domestic virtue is pleasure; all else is not pleasure, and it is without praise”. (Translation by G. U. Pope)
Another one says virtue gives wealth during life and ensures heaven after death!
சிறப்பு ஈனும் செல்வமும் ஈனும். அறத்தினூ உங்கு
ஆக்கம் எவனோ உயிர்க்கு. – Kural 31.
Meaning, “Virtue will confer heaven and wealth; what greater source of happiness can man possess?” (Translation by G. U. Pope)
And, I like this kural:
அறத்தின் ஊஉங்கு ஆக்கமும் இல்லை அதனை
மறத்தலின் ஊங்கு இல்லை கேடு. – Kural 32.
That says, “There can be no greater source of good than the practice of virtue; similarly, there can be no greater source of evil than the forgetfulness of it”. (Translation by G. U. Pope)
So, we can strongly believe that it is essential for us to be virtuous, i.e., whatever we do, should be based on our timeless ethical virtues. What do you say?
Having said that, we would like to know what a virtue is. Direct meaning from the dictionary is “Behaviour which shows high moral standards, a good quality or habit”.
A few examples for you to get a clarity in what we are referring to as virtues: Kindness, Gratitude, Acceptance, Patience, Compassion, Honesty, Forgiveness, Empathy, Chastity, Courage, Assertiveness, Modesty, Generosity, Justice, Trust, Cleanliness, Friendliness, ….
It is very clearly seen that these virtues play an important role in our well-being, and living with virtues gives a deep sense of happiness. They are the strength of our character and are essential to the smooth living of every individual and for our society in turn. Can you imagine any person living happily with a good relationship with others without a fair amount of the qualities of honesty, compassion, courage, justice, perseverance, or forgiveness? That’s because virtues are what make it possible for us to live well together with others, to have resilience in the face of adversity, to flourish and achieve a good life.
One day, my friend Shyam was looking very dull, and when asked, he said that he felt very bad for his behaviour with his son the previous night. He started telling me: I went home late from the office after a long meeting and some other important work. My son just stood in front of me blocking my way wherever I went, like in the bedroom while I was changing, near the dining table, etc, and he was hiding something in his hand. I got irritated and shouted at him angrily. The poor child went to bed sadly. Seeing him weeping even in sleep, I woke him up and asked why he was blocking my way. The child ran down the bed to get a bunch of flowers and said, Papa, I made this bouquet of red flowers as you like red colour! Oh my God, remembering that it was my birthday, he had collected the flowers from in and around our flats, and I had behaved very unkindly to him. When he said this, tears started rolling down his cheeks.
What do you see in this? Being kind to everyone is a great virtue that all of us should develop, right? If Shyam had trusted his son and been kind to him, both of them would have been happy. Kindness is one of the keys to happiness!
Recently, I read an article ‘Happiness is a journey: 6 virtues for daily happiness’ in the site, ‘Virtues for Life’. The author has stated: Acceptance, Gratitude, Kindness, Patience, Purpose and Wonder as the six virtues for ensuring happiness everyday!
For example, acceptance is a key to happiness—it means embracing life as it is, with all its ups, downs, and unpredictability. It reminds us we can handle whatever comes our way, making us more adaptable and resilient. By letting go of “what could have been,” we free ourselves to live in the present and make the most of each moment. Once you stop arguing with reality and start dancing with it (badly, but still), things get easier. What do you say?
In the same way, we can understand how gratitude, kindness, and patience are important for being happy. Give it a thought, you can see it for yourself!
Also, to experience lasting happiness, we need a sense of purpose—whether it’s a goal, dream, or vision that inspires us. Purpose gives our days direction and meaning, helping us focus our energy and find fulfilment in our actions. While discovering our purpose can take time, the clarity it brings allows us to approach each day with intention and a deeper sense of meaning.
You might be surprised to see ‘Wonder’ as one of the virtues for our happiness, isn’t it? As kids, the world amazed us—everything was new, exciting, and full of wonder. We were happy! We can reclaim that curiosity as adults by staying open to new experiences. Just a small effort—like learning something new, trying a different song, or exploring a fresh idea—can make everyday life feel vibrant and full of possibility again.
Quite fascinatingly, whatever virtue we look at, not only these six virtues discussed above, we observe a significant correlation with happiness. This means that successfully cultivating any virtue would grant well-being returns. Can you see this?
Recently, I saw a video where a small boy approaches his mother’s friend, who is a lawyer, and asks her to get a divorce for him! Shocked by hearing that she talks to the boy to know that he asks divorce from his parents and understands that his father and mother are very unkind to him as they are busy with office work tension and addicted to mobile usage respectively. Where are we going?
Our ancient wisdom, teachings by our ancestors, and the reality we see all insist we be virtuous people, am I right?
