Valluvar on Truthfulness
Dr. R. Prabhakaran
Introduction
Truth is difficult to define. Philosophers have
struggled to come up with a clear definition of truth that covers its many
aspects. Among the many definitions and theories regarding truth, the one given
in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is simple and straightforward. Merriam-Webster’s
dictionary defines truth as the property of being in accord with fact or
reality. In other words, a statement is said to be true if it is in accordance
with fact or reality.
Valluvar’s definition of truthfulness and almost
truthfulness
Valluvar
has a slightly different definition of truth. He states that truth is speech
that is free from all evil.
Speech that is in accordance with fact but not causing any harm
whatsoever to anyone is truth. (kural
– 291)
Valluvar’s definition of truth seems to imply that
truth is different from mere fact. According to him, truth is not merely a
factual statement. It is more than that. As Dr. T. P. Menakshisundaran, a
renowned Tamil scholar, points out, “Truth is not terminal exactitude. But it
is the manifestation of the inner arul (compassion) in speech.” It is the intent
behind what is said that makes it a truth.
In
the next kural, Valluvar states that even a false statement may be considered
truth if it produces unmitigated good. How can that be? Consider the situation
where a little girl wearing a new dress asks her father, “Dad, don’t I look
very pretty in this dress?”. Even if the father does not think that the dress
makes her look pretty, his response would be, “Yes. Honey, you really look very
pretty in this dress.” The father’s statement is not consistent with the fact.
But there is no harm done by the father’s statement that the girl looked pretty
in that dress. In this case, the father’s intent is absolutely good. He wants
to make his daughter happy. Although the father’s statement is technically a
falsehood, it is almost like truth.
Even a false statement is almost like truth if it can produce a
benefit without the slightest blemish. (kural – 292)
Valluvar is consistent in his statements. He is
really pragmatic in his approach to defining truth. To him, a statement is true
if there is no intention to harm anyone. Statements that do not harm anyone and
produce pure good can be considered almost like the truth. According to Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary, a lie is a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive
someone. So, when someone is lying, intentional deception is involved. In
the example cited above, the father has no intention to deceive or hurt his
daughter. Therefore, his statement is not a lie. That is why Valluvar says it
is almost like truth.
Being true to one’s own conscience
When
someone makes a statement, others may not know the real intentions behind that
statement. But his own conscience will certainly know his intentions.
Therefore, he certainly knows whether the statement he made was true or almost
true or simply a lie. According to Valluvar, if it is a deliberate lie, his own
conscience will hurt him. Therefore, he advises that one should never tell a
lie. However, if someone is true to his own conscience, he will be revered by
all.
Do not utter falsehood about whatever your conscience knows to
be true. If you do, your own conscience will continue to hurt you. (kural
– 293)
He who conducts himself true to his own conscience dwells in the
hearts of all mankind.
(kural – 294)
Benefits of not uttering a lie
According
to Valluvar, there are two ways of life. One is domestic life, where people
live with their families. They try to make a living by working. They are
expected to share their food and wealth with others who are less fortunate.
Performing charitable acts is one of their most essential duties. The other way
of life is that of ascetics. The ascetics spend their time doing penance and
focus their attention on getting rid of their desires and attachments and
seeking salvation from the chain of births and deaths. It is a rare individual
who follows the domestic way of life and yet spends time on penance like the
ascetics. Valluvar says one who is true to his own conscience and speaks the
truth is superior to those who practice charity and penance together.
One who is truthful in thought and word is superior to those who
practice penance and charity. (kural
– 295)
According to Valluvar, truthfulness is the supreme
virtue. He says that being truthful is the most glorious virtue, and
truthfulness yields all other virtues. Therefore, the only virtue one
needs to practice is truthfulness.
There is no greater glory than being truthful. Being truthful
yields all the virtues without exertion. (kural – 296)
Truth cleanses the mind
Valluvar
makes another interesting observation. He says that water helps to clean our
bodies. In the same manner, truthfulness helps to clean our minds. When someone
follows truthfulness meticulously, then he must be true to himself. That means,
if he were to be confronted for his actions, he must confess what he did and
meet the consequences for his actions. Eventually, truthfulness will deter him
from straying away from the path of virtue. Thus, constant and continuous
practice of truthfulness acts as a detergent for the mind and purifies the
mind. According to Valluvar, “Virtue is nothing but cultivating a mind without
blemishes; everything else is an empty show (kural 34).” If truthfulness would
cleanse the mind of all blemishes, there can be no other virtue better than
that. Therefore, one who practices truthfulness need not be concerned with
following other virtues. Over time, truthfulness will automatically lead him to
all other virtues. This is precisely why the noblemen of perfection consider
truthfulness as the only guiding light for them to follow. In fact, Valluvar
says that truthfulness is a prerequisite quality for a nobleman of
perfection.
External
purity is made possible by means of water. Truthfulness purifies the mind. (kural
- 298)
If one speaks the truth and nothing but the truth, he need not
seek other virtues. (kural - 297)
External lamps do not light the path of the noblemen. Only
truthfulness illuminates their path. (kural
- 299)
Love, sense of shame, philanthropic munificence, gracious
compassion, and truthfulness are
the five pillars upon which perfection of character rests. (kural - 983)
Valluvar’s assurance
Valluvar
personally acknowledges that he has never seen anything more precious than
truthfulness. In the entire Kural, this is one of the rare occasions where
Valluvar speaks in the first person and gives an assurance to his readers that
he is convinced that truthfulness is the most precious virtue.
Of
all things we have seen in our experience, there is nothing more precious than
truth. (kural – 300)
Conclusion
For
a statement to be considered true, it must be factual, and at the same time, it
should not cause any harm to anyone. Falsehood can be considered almost truth
if it can produce a benefit without any blemish whatsoever. A lie is a
statement made with the intent of deceiving someone. If someone utters a lie,
then his own conscience knows that it is a lie, and his own conscience will
continue to hurt him. According to Valluvar, truthfulness is the supreme
virtue. Continuous and consistent practice of truthfulness cleanses one’s mind
of all evil thoughts. According to Valluvar, virtue is nothing but cultivating
a mind which is free of all blemishes. Since truthfulness is the mother of all
virtues, men of perfection use that as their guiding light. Valluvar is
convinced that truthfulness is the most precious of all virtues.
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