Valluvar on Right Conduct
Dr. R. Prabhakaran
Bel Air, MD, USA
Introduction
Ethics
and morals relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. Although they are sometimes
used interchangeably, they are different. The word “Ethics” refers to the rules
provided by an external source, such as the codes of conduct in workplaces or
principles in religions. The term “morals” refers to an individual’s own
principles regarding right and wrong. An individual gets his ideas regarding
right and wrong from religion, society, parents, self-study, and observations.
Therefore, an individual’s morals are influenced by the ethics of the society
in which he lives.
Preference of right conduct over life
Valluvar uses the term right conduct to include an individual’s
principles regarding the ideal way of conducting himself in a given society.
Right conduct results in respect, recognition, reward, and self-satisfaction. Although
one excels in knowledge and many virtues, there is nothing better than right
conduct to help him attain eminence. Since right conduct results in eminence,
Valluvar is convinced that if one has a choice between life and right conduct,
one should protect one’s right conduct more carefully than one’s own life. In
other words, leading a life without the right conduct is not really worth it.
These ideas can be seen in the following kurals:
Right conduct should be
carefully preserved and guarded. Though one knows and excels
in many virtues, right
conduct alone will come to one’s aid. (kural – 132)
Since right conduct
leads to eminence, it should be preserved more carefully than life itself. (kural
– 131)
There are people who are really convinced that right conduct is
even more important than life itself. During World War II, the US ship SS
Dorchester was struck by a submarine’s torpedo and started to sink. The lives
of the people in the ship were in grave danger. Lieutenants George Fox,
Alexander Goode, John Washington, and Clark Poling were chaplains of varying
faiths who were stationed in the sinking ship, the Dorchester. When the ship
started to sink, the chaplains quickly rallied the troops together and began
handing out life jackets and directed people to safety. When the supply of life
jackets ran out, they selflessly gave away their own life jackets. Then, the
chaplains joined hands, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the
ship. The Four Chaplains are sometimes referred to as the "Immortal
Chaplains" or the "Dorchester Chaplains.” In 1948, the United States
Postal Service issued a three-cent stamp to commemorate their brave and
selfless sacrifice. There is no doubt that the four chaplains valued helping
others to survive as more important than their own lives. Like the chaplains,
there are countless other examples of people taking life-threatening risks to
save others in trouble. These are people who value right conduct more than
their own precious lives.
The concept of honor is closely related to that of right
conduct. In fact, one’s right conduct is the basis of one’s honor. Someone who
fails to pursue the right conduct is likely to experience criticism by others,
bad reputation, guilt, disgrace, and even loss of honor. In Japanese culture,
when someone has failed in his duties or found guilty of a significant crime or
suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of an enemy or a competitor, they
feel that their honor is at stake. Under these circumstances, it is not unusual
for some people to commit suicide. These people resort to these extreme
measures because they feel their honor is more valuable than their own lives.
William Shakespeare reflects the same sentiment in his play, Troilus and Cressida,
where he says, “Life every man holds dear; but the dear man holds honor far
more precious dear than life.”
Valluvar does not recommend suicide as a remedy for loss of
honor or reputation. To him, life is precious. Therefore, it should be
protected. But right conduct is more important than life. Therefore, one
should protect right conduct more carefully than life.
Right Conduct leads to greatness
According to Valluvar, “A man with an envious nature cannot get
riches. So also, a man without right conduct will not achieve greatness. (kural
– 135)”. Envy is defined as a feeling of discontent or resentful longing
aroused by someone else's possessions. Psychologists believe that there are two
kinds of envy: the benign kind and the malicious kind. They say benign envy is
healthy, and it motivates an individual to work hard and obtain the things he
desires. On the other hand, malicious envy is unhealthy and leads to
indignation, frustration, resentment, and anger. As a result, the one with malicious
envy may not get what he desires, including riches. It looks like, Valluvar had
the malicious kind of envy in mind for the kural 135.
Strength of character and right Conduct
Though right conduct is the most desirable quality, it is not
easy to practice it consistently. Valluvar says that only those with
extraordinary willpower and strength of character will always practice the
right conduct. He also knows that straying away from right conduct may have
severe adverse consequences.
People with strong minds
do not swerve from proper conduct. They know its breach will spell ruin. (kural – 136)
Impropriety of conduct leads to disgrace and distress
Even men in high positions sometimes fail to follow the right
conduct. There are many examples of people who ended up in disgrace despite all
their remarkable achievements. In recent memory, there have been two US
presidents who ended up in disgrace. It is not easy to become the most powerful
man and the leader of the free world. So far, in the history of the world,
there have been only 46 people who have risen to the elevated and the most respected
position of US president. Two of them slipped from right conduct despite their
phenomenal achievements and ended up in disgrace of historic proportion.
One
of them was Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States of America.
In many respects, President Nixon was an able administrator. He ended the
American involvement in the war in Vietnam in 1973, brought home the American prisoners of war, and ended the military draft. Nixon's visit to China in 1972 eventually
led to diplomatic relations between the two
nations. He initiated détente and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with
the Soviet Union in the same year. He enforced the desegregation of Southern schools,
established the Environmental Protection Agency,
and began the War on Cancer. He was
re-elected in one of the largest electoral landslides in U.S. history in 1972 when he defeated George McGovern. But despite all these
accomplishments, he got himself involved in the Watergate scandal. His 1972
re-election campaign was involved in the break-in and wiretapping at the
Democratic National Committee’s (DNC’s) headquarters at the Watergate office
complex in Washington, D.C. Nixon and his administration were involved in the
cover-up, and Nixon himself was not very truthful. As a result of Nixon’s
cover-up and illegal activities, he was investigated and was about to be
impeached. He resigned before the actual impeachment proceedings.
Another example of a man in a very powerful position who
disgraced himself was President Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United
States of America. Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime
economic expansion in American history. He passed the Welfare Reform Act and
the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He was very popular and maintained a
very high favorable rating throughout his presidency. But his extramarital
activities landed him in trouble. He was investigated and found guilty of
perjury and obstruction of justice in a sex scandal case. He was impeached by
the House of Representatives and was later acquitted by the US Senate. Thus, a
powerful man with a brilliant record of accomplishments ended in disgrace
because of a lack of moral character.
Valluvar claims that right conduct is a real virtue, and
deviation from right conduct will cause disgrace and distress. The downfall of
powerful men like Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton is a warning to others that if
the right conduct is ignored, the consequences can be catastrophic. Valluvar’s
warning in this regard can be seen in the following kurals.
Men obtain greatness
from the propriety of conduct. The impropriety of conduct results in untold
disgrace. (kural – 137)
Propriety of conduct is
the seed of virtue. The impropriety of conduct will always cause distress. (kural – 138)
Secular approach to right Conduct
It should be noted that Valluvar’s stance on right conduct is
different from that of the religions. Religions invoke the concept of sin to ensure
that people follow the right conduct. In other words, according to religions,
not following the right conduct is a sin. In order to avoid committing a sin,
religions encourage people to follow the right conduct. According to Valluvar,
one should follow the principles of right conduct simply because it is the
right thing to do and not for any religious reasons.
Effect of impropriety of conduct upon the family
The disgrace of those who failed to follow the right conduct may
also affect their family members. There is a reference to such an incident in
Tamil literature. Approximately 2,000 years ago, there was a king by the name
Nannan who ruled a small kingdom in Tamil Nadu. In those days, it was customary
for the kings to declare a particular tree as their royal tree. According to
the prevailing custom, king Nannan had declared a specific mango tree his royal
tree. Cutting the royal tree or its branches or eating that tree's fruit was
considered a significant crime. One day, a young girl was swimming in a river
adjoining the royal tree. A fruit from the royal mango tree fell in the river.
This girl ate the mango fruit that fell into the river. The palace guards
noticed that the girl had eaten the fruit from the royal tree. They went and
reported the incident to king Nannan. He declared her guilty and sentenced her
to death. The girl’s father pleaded for mercy and even told the king that as a
penalty for his daughter’s act, he would donate 81 elephants to King Nannan. But
the king ignored the father’s plea and asked the guards to execute the young
girl. The guards carried out the order. This incident caused irreparable damage
to the reputation of the king, his family, and his progeny. Many years later, a
poet refused to hug Nannan’s offspring Ilaviccikko because he was the
descendant of Nannan. In other words, ignominy arising from the ruthless act of
Nannan affected his descendants. Valluvar warns that if someone fails to follow
the right conduct, their family members may also be disgraced, and their reputation
may also be discredited.
Right conduct helps to
advance the status and dignity of a family; bad conduct destroys
the status and dignity
of the family. (kural – 133)
What is right contact?
Admittedly, Valluvar has demonstrated the need for right conduct
and the disastrous consequences of failing to pursue right conduct. But one
critical question remains to be answered. What does Valluvar consider as right
conduct? Valluvar’s answer to this question is as follows:
Those who fail to
conduct themselves in harmony with the world are ignorant despite their vast
learning. (kural – 140)
So,
according to Valluvar, right conduct is what is determined as the right conduct
by the world. But there are no uniform standards for right conduct in the
world. However, different countries and cultures have their own codes of
conduct. Therefore, it makes sense to interpret the word “world” as that part
of the world where one lives instead of the whole world. Further, what was
considered the right conduct in the past may not be regarded as the right
conduct at the present time. For example, child marriages were not unusual in
India about two centuries ago. Now, it is against the law, and therefore, it is
not right conduct for someone to marry a child. Also, in India, widow
re-marriage was unacceptable in the past. Today, it is not uncommon. In the
past, having a child out of wedlock was considered shameful and unacceptable by
American society. As of 2008, about 40.6 percent of children were born to
unmarried mothers, and the number of children out of wedlock is increasing. So,
right conduct is a function of the community where one lives and the period in
which one lives. Valluvar conveys the same idea in another kural in a different
context. He says, “It is wisdom to conform to the ways of the world (kural –
426).”
By stating that right conduct is living in harmony with the
world, Valluvar has addressed the question in general terms, and his answer is
valid for all parts of the world and for all ages. Valluvar adapts the same
technique and keeps his remarks general enough in other contexts also. In the
chapter on “Education (Chapter- 40)”, Valluvar says “Whatever is to be learnt
should be learnt flawlessly, and after having learnt, live accordingly (kural –
391).” It should be noted that Valluvar does not specify any particular
subject. What people study today is vastly different from what was studied
during Valluvar’s days. If he had provided a list of subjects to be studied, such
a list will have no relevance in the modern educational system. In the chapter
on the “Glory of Defense Forces (Chapter-77)”, he says, “The defense force
which is complete in its components and undaunted by setbacks and capable of
gaining victory is the chief asset of a ruler (kural – 761).” The modern
weaponry and the various components of the defense forces are entirely
different from what existed during the days of Valluvar. If he had mentioned
the details about the weapons or the components of the defense forces, his
statements would no longer be valid. As in the case of education and defense
forces, Valluvar uses generalization so that his ideas regarding right conduct
will be valid at all times and in all communities and cultures.
Conclusion
Valluvar considers life as precious, and it should be protected.
But, to him, right conduct is more important than life, and therefore right
conduct should be protected more carefully than life itself. There are people
who risk their lives to help others. The actions of these people validate
Valluvar’s view on right conduct. Right conduct helps to achieve eminence in
one’s life. But only those who have the strength of character can pursue right
conduct on all occasions. Improper conduct of an individual leads to disgrace
and distress not only for him but also for his family. Valluvar’s concept of
what is right conduct is not based on any religion. According to him, right
conduct is determined by the community and the period in which one lives.
Valluvar’s approach in adopting the generalizations and avoiding the specifics
has enabled his ideas to transcend the boundaries of space and time, and thus
his ageless wisdom continues to be universally applicable and eternally valid.
