உணவு ஒழுக்கமும் உண்ணாநோன்பும்: வள்ளலார் மற்றும் வேதாத்திரி மகரிஷி அவர்களின் தத்துவ மற்றும் வாழ்வியல் பார்வைகளின் ஒப்பீட்டு ஆய்வு

Food Discipline and Fasting: A Comparative Study of the Philosophical and Lifestyle Perspectives of Vallalar and Vethathiri Maharishi

Abstract

Food and fasting serve as decisive factors across three dimensions of human existence: physical health, mental discipline, and spiritual excellence. Within the long-standing spiritual and medical traditions of Tamil society, Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalar (19th century) and Philosopher Vethathiri Maharishi (20th century) proposed revolutionary and scientific perspectives on nutrition. Based on the core principle of "Jeevakarunyam" (compassion for all living beings), Vallalar viewed hunger as a dire disease and considered its eradication the first step toward spirituality. He emphasized a vegetarian diet and Sattva Guna (purity/harmony) as the pathway to "Soul-Identity-Unity" (Anma Neya Orumaipadu). Conversely, Vethathiri Maharishi defined food as "fuel for the body-machine" and scientifically explained the consequences of deviations in its quantity and method of consumption. In his Manavalakkalai (Simplified Kundalini Yoga) philosophy, he described fasting as a "maintenance service" for the digestive system, detailing how it helps conserve bio-magnetic energy (Uyir Kantha Attral).

This paper compares the thoughts of these two great sages and integrates them with modern medical concepts such as Autophagy and Intermittent Fasting to propose a holistic lifestyle model. This study explores in detail how their ideas guide modern humanity across four domains: bodily purity, mental control, compassion, and spiritual evolution.