Thirukkural 280 on Ascetic life

Thirukkural on Ascetic life

2000 years ago, during the period of Thiruvalluvar, three religions were dominant in India. They were Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism. all these religions had ascetics who had renounced the worldly pleasures. Thiruuvalluvar had given a revolutionary thought on ascetic life in the kural 280.

The doctrines of these three Indian religions differ.According to Jainism, there is no creator of the Universe, which simply means that Jainism does believe in Creator or God ( Atheism )
Buddhism doubts the existence of God ( Agnosticism )
Hinduism believes in God ( Theism ).

Even though Hinduism is said to be polytheistic ( belief in many gods ) in reality , it believes in one Supreme God BRAHMAN. Here BRAHMAN should not be confused with Brahma, Brahma , Vishnu, Shiva are the three forms of  Supreme BRAHMAN. Hinduism ultimately believes in only  one God ( monotheism )
All other gods worshiped in Hinduism are the different manifestations only one God  BRAHMAN.

During Thiruvalluvar Time the sages or sannyasies or hermits or munivars or ascetics wore saffron robes and lived with clean head shave or long hair.In those days long hair ( tress head ) or Shave head are the symbol of ascetic life.Hindu ascetics were called munivars or sannyasies, Jain ascetics- munis, Buddhist ascetics -monks.
While Hindu sannyasies and jain munis were wanderers, Buddhist monks lived in monasteries.
Thiruvalluvar says-
Ascetic life with shaven head or long hair is not required
if a person renounces the evils that the society condemns  ( kural 280 )

An individual calling himself divine and involving in all the evil acts which the society condemns is a fraud. Instead, an individual calling himself a family person but living a life rejecting all the evils or wrongs is a saint.
For him  saffron dress , shaven head or long hair, forest living, etc are not required .He could live a happy life with wife and children, do occupation of his choice and  earn within prescribed norms .It is the purity that makes a man a saint, not the external acts.

மழித்தலும் நீட்டலும் வேண்டா உலகம்

பழித்தது ஒழித்து விடின்


மழித்தலும் = shaven head or tonsured head
நீட்டலும் = long hair

In simple words-
The society has condemned certain acts, keep away from them.
You need not become an ascetic .

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For students' reference


Atheism does not believe in the existence of God. Eg. Jainism
Agnosticism doubts the existence of God . Eg. Buddhism
Theism believes in God. Eg. Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, etc

Monotheism is belief in one God.
Polytheism is belief in many gods.

BRAHMAN is the ultimate reality in Hinduism. .Bhahma ( creator ) , Vishnu (protector ), Shiva ( destroyer)
are the three forms Supreme BRAHMAN .
One God existing in three forms is called , " doctrine of holy Trinity ".
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