1-63VirtueLoveGovt
By Periyava
Translation from Tamil: V. Krishnaraj

அறமும் அன்பும் அரசாங்கமும் : தெய்வத்தின் குரல் (முதல் பகுதி)
http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/part1kural63.htm

The king is the guardian of Dharma. Let us explore its meaning. What is Dharma?
All who took birth as humans have hunger and thirst. They need a shelter. They need clothing for protection from heat, cold…They work to buy these needs and amenities. Besides providing for the needs, man has duty towards others. They have duties and obligations to wife and children, the community and the nation. One must guard against lust and anger, making himself and others to enjoy better life by his work and duty. Dharma is to advance spiritual improvement and adjunct to it perform this worldly works and obligations.
We should keep the society with no friction among people in work and other activities and ensure spiritual advancement of the community. This is the duty of the government. The responsibility of the Government is to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the society.
Love should be the currency of transaction among people and the government and the people. All activities of the people and the government should proceed from the wellspring of love. There is the doer, the action, the fruit and the target, being an individual. Whoever is the target, that action should have the basis in love. All actions should emerge from the wellspring of Love.
In the world of change, a threatening cloud of war looms on us. There is a necessity to impose punishment on people. Whether it is a prosecution of war and administering punishment, we should administer them without hatred but with love.
Whatever is the nature of action and reaction, there should not be a feeling in the mind other than love. Love differs from Ahimsa mentioned by The Buddha and Gandhi. In the conduct of worldly affairs and welfare, it is impossible to withhold or avoid violence to the wrongdoers. Then there is no taint in violence. Bur we should entertain love towards the target of punishment. We should consider the welfare of the world and the receiver of punishment, that is he should not accumulate more sins doing the crime again. Love is the guide for all acts. All evils will slowly attenuate and disappear. This is not my message. This is the essence of all the spiritual instructions of the Ṛṣis and Munis.