Thirukkural & Gandharalankaram: A Study on Charity-Related Ideas

திருக்குறள் & கந்தரலங்காரம் சுட்டும் ஈகையறச் செய்திகள்

Abstract

Literature plays a vital role in guiding people along a righteous path without deviation. Its very purpose is to teach man how to live as a human being and to refine and elevate his life. Bhakti literature, in particular, was written with the aim of helping man attain spiritual liberation. When a person abides by moral principles, worldly life becomes free from suffering — this is the fundamental idea of both ethical and spiritual texts. Religion is based on God, while ethics is centered on man. A person devoted to religion is generally also devoted to ethics. In this regard, the concepts of charity — its meaning, greatness, benefits, sharing with others, the inability to give, and the state of the non-giver — are elaborated in both Thirukkural and Gandharalankaram. This study examines these aspects in detail.