Page:The Kural or The Maxims Of Tiruvalluvar.pdf/72

SECTION i

THE LIFE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER

CHAPTER 5

FAMILY LIFE

41. The householder is the mainstay of all who follow the three other paths of life.^[1]

42. The householder is the friend of the orphan and the pauper and the helpless dead.^[2]

43. Five are the duties of the householder, namely, the offering of oblations to the dead, the performance of sacrifices to the Gods, the doing of hospitality, the rendering of help unto relations, and the looking after of one's own self.

44. Behold the man who feareth to do ill and doth charity before eating his meal : his seed decayeth never.

45. If love aboundeth in the home and righteousness doth prevail, the home is perfect and its end is all fulfilled.

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1. i.e. the student, the eremite, and the ascetic.
2. friend of the dead because he performs their obsequies.