The ancient Tamil text Thirukkural, written by poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, consists of 1,330 short couplets divided into three books on virtue, wealth, and love. It is considered a masterpiece on ethics and morality, influencing scholars and leaders across various fields. Motivational speaker and author Bharathi Bhaskar explores the timeless wisdom of this classic.
The Power of Kural 315
Some couplets in the Thirukkural do more than advise; they unsettle the silence within us. Kural 315 is one such mirror: "Arivinaan Aguvadundo Piridhinnoi Thannoipol Potrakk Kadai" — "What worth is a man's intelligence, if he does not guard another's pain as his own?" At first glance, this couplet appears simple. Compassion has been praised in every civilization, but Valluvar is doing something far deeper: he is defining intelligence itself. A person may possess scholarship polished by universities, wisdom sharpened by experience, and brilliance celebrated by society. Yet, what is the use of all these if another being's suffering does not move him into action? The beauty lies in the word 'Piridhin' — not merely another human being, but another life, another existence. Valluvar does not praise tears or helpless lament; to treat another's pain as one's own is a responsibility.
Padman: A Life Straight Out of a Kural
This couplet kept returning to mind when reading about Arunachalam Muruganantham being nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Born into poverty in rural Tamil Nadu, losing his father early, dropping out of school at 14, and working as a welder to support his family — nothing in his beginnings suggested global recognition. Yet history often begins in unnoticed corners. A few months into his marriage, he discovered that his wife was using filthy rags and scraps of paper during menstruation because sanitary pads were too expensive. Behind closed doors, millions of women were enduring infection, shame, and indignity, as though suffering itself was part of womanhood.
The Relentless Pursuit of a Solution
Most people would have looked away in embarrassment, but Muruganantham could not. He began experimenting with cotton and other materials to design affordable pads. His wife and sisters initially helped him, but repeated failures exhausted them. Soon, women in the village started avoiding him, and men mocked him. Then he uncovered another painful truth: the sanitary pads manufactured by multinational companies cost less than eleven cents yet sold at nearly 40 times the amount. With no volunteers willing to test his experiments, Muruganantham turned himself into the subject. He strapped a bladder filled with animal blood to his body and walked for hours testing absorption levels of the pads. The village ridiculed him, yet somewhere amidst that disgrace was the quiet greatness of a man who had decided that another's pain was his own.
Transforming Lives Through Innovation
Years of relentless effort finally led him to create low-cost sanitary pad-making machines. He traveled across India training women to operate these machines and produce affordable pads with dignity and self-reliance. Today, his machines are used across 22 Indian states and in more than 100 countries. When approached by many companies to make this a commercial venture, Muruganantham refused, knowing the price of the pads would escalate. Affectionately called 'Padman', his winning the Nobel Prize would indeed be a moment of pride for the nation. One cannot help but whisper a silent prayer that the Nobel Committee sees the quiet magnitude of his work. Yet, for a man who has already brought silent smiles to millions of women, perhaps the prize has already been won.
