The kural that started with a mustard seed
Kural 108 is the one most people quote without knowing its number. Valluvar writes that a favour done in a moment of need, even if it is as small as a mustard seed, should be seen by the receiver as large as a palm tree. The image is precise, not poetic decoration. A mustard seed is the smallest unit of measure Tamil culture used. A palm tree is one of the tallest things in the southern landscape. The ratio is not about exaggeration. It is about the discipline of perception.
