Saints like Appar were able to describe the beauty and magnificence of Lord Siva, because of their steadfast faith. Their minds were unwavering. Had they succumbed to worldly distraction and temptations, they would not have been able to sing His praises, elaborated M.A. Manickavelu, in a discourse. Appar describes Lord Siva as the One with arched eyebrows, lips red like a ripe coccinea, a smile on the lips, matted locks moistened by the Ganges, a coral red body smeared with milk white ash, and a raised foot. How can one witness this beauty unless one is born a human being, wonders the saint. It is not just enough to be free from temptation to be able to enjoy the wondrous spectacle of Siva dancing. One must also be free of bad traits, and Vallalar, in his Deiva Manimalai, lists these traits — anger, jealousy and so on. Anger is akin to barren land. An angry man keeps people away from him and none will want to be in the company of a short-tempered person.
Thiruvalluvar warns of the dangers of anger. He says if you want to protect yourself, keep your temper in check. Otherwise your anger will destroy you. A miser, who hoards his wealth has a mind that is like a dark cavern. When a man is under the influence of the quality of moha, then he becomes like a man who is in darkness. He does not see the liberating light, which is the Lord. Jealousy makes you miserable, because instead of focusing on your life, you are busy looking at another person, making comparisons, and in the process, you become unhappy. Thiruvalluvar says that where jealousy resides, it will destroy a man’s wealth and lead him to hell. If a person is jealous, Lakshmi will move away, leaving her elder sister Jyestha in charge, says Thiruvalluvar. Jyestha is the Goddess of misfortune.
