The Kural or the Maxims of Tiruvalluvar/Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
KINDNESS OF SPEECH
91. The speech that is truly kind is the speech of the righteous men which is full of tenderness and free from dissimulation.
92. Better even than a generous gift is sweet speech and a kind and gracious look.
93. Behold the sweet and gracious look and the kind speech that cometh from the heart : Righteousness hath its dwelling place there.
94. Behold the man who always speaketh words which gladden all hearts : Poverty, the increaser of sorrow, will never come to him.
95. Modesty and a loving speech, these alone are the ornaments of man and none other.
96. Sinfulness will wane away and righteousness will increase if thy thoughts are good and thy speech is kind.
97. The word that is serviceable and kind createth friends and bringeth forth benefits.
98. Words that are kind and are removed from all littleness yield good in this life and in the next also.
99. Why doth not a man cease from violent words, even after he hath felt the sweetness that kind words give ?
100. Behold the man who useth hard words when sweet ones serve : he preferreth the unripe fruit to the ripe.
