The Kural · Chapter
CVII: The Dread of Beggary explained
This chapter extols the virtue of self-reliance and the dignity of labor, condemning beggary as a degrading act that undermines human worth.
What happens
This chapter extols the virtue of self-reliance and the dignity of labor, condemning beggary as a degrading act that undermines human worth. It emphasizes that even the humblest food earned through one's own effort is superior to any gift received through begging, and that the refusal of a gift can be more painful than the act of begging itself.
Themes in this chapter
The Vanity of Worldly Life
The chapter contrasts the fleeting relief of begging with the enduring dignity of self-earned sustenance, highlighting the emptiness of relying on others.
Social Harmony and Ethics
It condemns begging as a disruption of social ethics, advocating for personal responsibility and the moral duty to avoid becoming a burden on society.
Characters to notice
- Thiruvalluvar
Author of the Kural, presenting moral teachings on the dread of beggary.
- the Kural
The text itself, which is the source of the verses on beggary.
Key passages
“The man that beggeth not is ten million times worthier than he that beggeth, even though it be only at the hands of men that give lovingly and with all their heart.”
A person who never begs is infinitely more honorable than one who does, even if the giver is generous and kind.
Highlights the inherent superiority of self-reliance over dependence.
“Though it is only gruel thin as water, nothing is more savoury than the food that is earned by the labour of one’s hands.”
Even the simplest food, like watery porridge, tastes better when it is earned through one's own hard work.
Emphasizes the sweetness of self-earned sustenance.
“Even if what thou beggest is only water for the cow, nothing is so humiliating to the tongue to utter as a begging prayer.”
Asking for even the smallest thing, like water for a cow, is deeply humiliating to say.
Illustrates the shame associated with any form of begging.