The Kural · Chapter
XCIX: Worth explained
This chapter extols the virtue of worth or noble character, defining it through duties, inner comeliness, and five pillars: love, shame, complaisance, indulgence, and truthfulness.
What happens
This chapter extols the virtue of worth or noble character, defining it through duties, inner comeliness, and five pillars: love, shame, complaisance, indulgence, and truthfulness. It contrasts saintly non-killing with the worthy's abstention from scandal, emphasizes humility as strength, and declares that true worth acknowledges superiority in inferiors, does good to injurers, and remains steadfast amid universal change.
Themes in this chapter
Virtue and Righteousness
The chapter defines worth through virtuous conduct, including love, truthfulness, humility, and doing good to enemies.
Social Harmony and Ethics
Worth is portrayed as a social pillar, with pillars of character supporting noble conduct and acknowledging superiority in others.
Characters to notice
- the Kural
The chapter is a direct excerpt from the Kural, expounding on the nature of worth.
Key passages
“The comeliness of the worthy is the comeliness of their character: the comeliness of the body addeth nothing to their comeliness.”
A person's true beauty lies in their moral character, not in physical appearance.
Emphasizes inner virtue over outer form.
“Love to all, sensibility to shame, complaisance, indulgence to the faults of others, and truthfulness, these five are the pillars that support the edifice of a noble character.”
Universal love, a sense of shame, agreeableness, forgiveness, and honesty are the five foundations of a good character.
Lists the core virtues that uphold worth.
“Poverty is no disgrace to a man if he possesseth the wealth that is called character.”
Being poor is not shameful if one has the riches of a good character.
Contrasts material poverty with moral wealth.