Lesson 5: Virtues and Ethics

Vocabulary Introduction: Virtues and Ethical Concepts

• அறன் (aran) - virtue/dharma
  
• அறம் (aram) - righteousness
  
• ஆதிபகவன் (aadhipagavan) - the primordial lord
  
• நாடிஅருள் (naadiyarul) - seek and grace
  
• பூண்டார் (poondaar) - those who have undertaken
  

• உதவிக்கு (udhavikku) - for help
  
• வேளாண்மை (velaanmai) - agriculture/service
  
• காத்து (kaathu) - protecting
  
• பொறை (porai) - patience/burden
  
• நன்றி (nandri) - gratitude
  

More Vocabulary: Ethical Actions and Qualities

• ஒறுத்தார்க்கு (oruthaarkku) - to those who punished
  
• அஞ்சார் (anjaar) - fearless ones
  
• பயனில்லாச் (payanillaa) - useless
  
• ஆள்க (aalka) - may (you) rule
  
• அஃகாமை (ahkaamai) - not diminishing
  

• சான்ற (saandra) - virtuous/great
  
• பொறுத்தார்க்குப் (poruthaarkup) - to those who forgave
  
• நல் (nal) - good
  
• இல்லா (illaa) - without
  
• அறனும் (aranum) - even virtue
  

Activity 1: Proverb Matching

Match the Tamil words with their English equivalents in common proverbs:

1. அறம் செய விரும்பு (Desire to do _____)
   
2. நன்றி மறவாதே (Don’t forget _____)
   
3. பொறுத்தார் பூமி ஆள்வார் (Those who _____ will rule the earth)
   
4. அஞ்சாமை ஆண்மை (Fearlessness is _____)

Instructor: Discuss the meanings of these proverbs and how they relate to Tamil ethical values. Encourage students to share similar proverbs from their own cultures.

Activity 2: Ethical Dilemma Discussions

Present ethical dilemmas and discuss using new vocabulary:

1. A friend asks for help cheating on a test (உதவிக்கு vs. அறம்)
   
2. Witnessing bullying at school (அஞ்சார் vs. பொறை)
   
3. Choosing between personal gain and helping others (வேளாண்மை vs. பயனில்லாச்)

Instructor: Prepare scenarios beforehand. Guide the discussion to use the new vocabulary in context. Encourage students to express their opinions using the Tamil words they’ve learned.

Activity 3: Story Creation with Moral Lessons

In small groups, create a short story incorporating at least 6 words from today’s lesson, with a clear moral lesson.

Example: ஆதிபகவன் ஒரு மனிதனைப் பார்த்து, “நீ அறன் செய்யவேண்டும்” என்றார். மனிதன் நல் செயல்களைப் பூண்டார். அவன் பொறை காத்து, பிறருக்கு உதவிக்கு சென்றான். இறுதியில், அவன் சான்ற மனிதனாக மாறினான்.

(The primordial lord looked at a man and said, “You should perform virtuous deeds.” The man undertook good actions. He maintained patience and went to help others. Finally, he became a virtuous man.)

Instructor: Help students construct grammatically correct sentences. Discuss the moral lessons in each group’s story and how they relate to Tamil ethical values.

Practice Time!

Individually, write a paragraph about a personal experience where you practiced one of the virtues we learned today. Use at least 5 new words from the lesson.

Recap

We learned:
1. Vocabulary related to virtues and ethical concepts
2. How to use these words in proverbs and ethical discussions
3. The importance of moral values in Tamil culture
4. How to create stories with moral lessons using new vocabulary

Homework

1. Write an essay on the importance of one virtue (e.g., நன்றி or பொறை) in society
   
2. Create a mind map of the virtues learned, showing how they relate to each other
   
3. Find and translate 3 Tamil proverbs related to ethics and virtues

Next Lesson Preview

We’ll explore:
- Verbs associated with virtuous actions
- More complex ethical concepts in Tamil literature
- The role of ethics in Tamil history and governance