Ethical Values Expressed in the Poetry of Thiruvalluvar and Kabir

Abstract

India is a country blessed with diversity-be it geographical or cultural. Despite the existence of diverse cultures, customs, philosophies, ideologies, traditions, languages ​​and dialects, attire, and culinary habits, India remains bound together by a single thread, stretching from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Despite considerable diversity, the spirit of integrity, unity, and public welfare remains the same, though expressed in various forms. India pursues egalitarian and human welfare objectives that embody the broader concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. This article examines the ethical values ​​expressed in the works of two such great saints of Indian literature: Thiruvalluvar and Kabir. Literature has been called the mirror of society; whatever transpires within a society is clearly reflected in the literature of that era. In their works, Thiruvalluvar and Kabir addressed the societal issues of their era-including religious ostentation, hostility, jealousy, hatred, and internal strife, and also preached how humans should lead their lives.