Microsoft Word Revised Syllabus Ver doc

CHARITY 
Kural-51 
Giving to the poor is alone charity: all other giving is of the nature of loan. 
Kural-52 
Through it lead unto heaven, receiving is bad: and though heaven should be denied to the 
giver, even then the giving of alms would be the highest virtue. 
Kural-53 
It is only the high-born man that giveth without ever meanly saying, I have not. 
Kural-54 
The heart of the giver is not glad until he seeth the smile of content on the face of the 
suppliant. 
Kural-55 
The conquest of conquests to the conqueror over self is the conquest over hunger: but even 
that conquest cometh only after the self-abnegation of him who appeaseth that hunger. 
Kural-56 
To fill the gnawing hunger of the poor. that is the way that the wealthy man should lay up a 
store for himself against a evil day. 
Kural-57 
The evil disease called hunger toucheth not the man that divideth his bread with others. 
Kural-58 
The hard of heart who perish their wealth by hoarding it, have not they ever tasted the delight 
of giving unto others? 
Kural-59 
Bitterer verily than the beggar’s bread is the hoarded meal of the miser eating alone. 
Kural-60 
Nothing is bitterer than death: but even death is sweet when one hath not the wherewithal to 
give to those who appeal for help. 
The title of this chapter in the Tamil is simply ‘Giving’; that is alms or charity in the 
technical sense. The poet in this chapter speaks of the importance of giving alms and its 
significance. He says that all gifts have the nature of what is done for: a measured return; 
hence giving to the destitute along is true charity, and though heaven itself may become 
unobtainable for the giver, even then charity would be considered as the highest virtue. The 
poet further adds that the power of those who perform penance, which can also be referred to 

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as the power of enduring hunger, is inferior to the power of those who remove the hunger of 
others. Or in other words, the might of asceticism is less than this might of charity among 
those in the domestic state and the according to the writer is the place for one to lay up one’s 
wealth. The poet then remarks that solitary and unshared eating for the sake of fullness of 
riches is certainly more joyless than begging. The meaning is that the hoarding up of wealth 
for selfish ends leads to more suffering to oneself than even begging, because one must eat in 
solitary state and without sharing with others. The writer finally concludes by saying that 
nothing is more miserable than death; but even that is delightful to the one who does not have 
the necessary means to contribute to those who plead for support; because for him; it is better 
to die than to have to live without being able to give to the needy.