The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is why is compassion important. This article explains how compassion is not just a feeling, but a functional mechanism that directly ends suffering for you and for others, according to Vallalarβs spiritual science. While many traditions treat compassion as a noble virtue, Vallalar taught it as the absolute prerequisite for spiritual progress. For him, it was the operating law of the soul. To understand this radical claim, we must first look at the man who lived it.
The Life and Teachings of Vallalar
Ramalinga Swamigal, known as Vallalar, was a 19th-century Tamil mystic whose collected writings, the Thiru Arutpa, remain one of the most extraordinary spiritual records ever produced. His life was filled with remarkable feats β though he dismissed anything supernatural, insisting that everything he did was a science. He established the Sathya Gnana Sabai (Hall of True Wisdom) and the Sathya Dharma Salai, a center for feeding the poor that continues to operate its non-stop kitchen over 150 years later. On January 30, 1874, accounts from those present record that he locked himself in a room in Mettukuppam and was never seen again β his body never found. This event is documented by government records and by British Collector John Henry Garstin.
The Central Prayer of Compassion
At the heart of Vallalarβs path is a Mahamantra, or great prayer, that he encouraged everyone to recite. This mantra is not a request for personal gain but an invocation of the two forces he identified as supreme: Grace-Light and Compassion.
The mantra is:
AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β
TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti
The translation is:
The Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light.
The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light.
Notice that Compassion (Karunai) is placed on equal footing with the divine Grace-Light (Arut Perum Jyoti). For Vallalar, these were not two separate things. He taught that the divine expresses itself as compassion. To access one, you must practice the other.
What Is Jeeva Karunyam? The Operating Law of the Soul
Most people think of compassion as a feeling of pity or a moral choice to be kind. Vallalarβs teaching on Jeeva Karunyam goes much deeper. The term translates to βcompassion toward all living beings,β from the smallest insect to the largest animal, and of course, to other humans.
For Vallalar, Jeeva Karunyam was not a virtue to be cultivated; it was the fundamental law of the soul. He taught that without it, all other spiritual efforts are useless. No amount of prayer, no mantra recitation, and no meditation can bear fruit if a person participates in the suffering of other beings. Compassion is the switch that allows the current of grace to flow.
This practice is also tied to Para Opakaram, or helping others without any expectation of reward or recognition. It is the simple, direct act of alleviating suffering because suffering is present. This is not about feeling good about yourself. It is a functional response to a universal reality.
Why Is Compassion Important for Ending Your Own Suffering?
Here we arrive at the core of your question. You are likely asking about compassion because you are seeking a way to feel better, to find peace, or to end a sense of pain or separation. Vallalar provides a direct, functional answer: compassion is important because it is the mechanism by which suffering ends for both the giver and the receiver.
How does this work? Vallalar taught that the soulβs access to divine grace-light is blocked by acts of cruelty. The most significant of these, which he addressed relentlessly, was the eating of meat. He explained that when you consume the flesh of a creature that died in fear and pain, you are ingesting that suffering. This act, he taught, creates a dense barrier around the soul, making it impossible for the subtle light of grace to penetrate.
This is not a philosophical or moral argument. It is a spiritual science. By causing or participating in the suffering of another being, you directly obstruct the flow of grace that would otherwise end your own suffering. Conversely, when you actively work to end anotherβs sufferingβby feeding the hungry, for exampleβyou dissolve that same barrier. The act of giving clears the channel for you to receive.
[VOLUNTEER: 1-2 sentences β a concrete example relevant to this articleβs specific topic. Match the seed to the angle β do not always default to a meal scenario: For suffering/crisis/emptiness: a moment before or after practice where a small outward act broke the heaviness, or a prayer directed at others felt different from one directed inward. For diet/plant-based: someone pausing before a meal, noticing a shift in energy or clarity. For purpose/disconnection: someone who stopped asking βwhat is my purposeβ and simply helped the next person in front of them β and found direction returned quietly. No personal history needed. Topic: why is compassion important]
How Vallalar Lived This Truth
Vallalar did not just teach these ideas; his entire life was a demonstration of Jeeva Karunyam. The most famous example is the Sathya Dharma Salai he founded in 1867. He lit a fire there with the promise that it would never be extinguished and that no one would ever be turned away hungry. That fire still burns today, feeding thousands daily.
His compassion extended to all life. Accounts from his life describe him walking carefully to avoid stepping on insects. He would weep upon seeing a withered crop, feeling the thirst of the plants as his own. He refused to harm any creature, teaching that the refusal to kill is the highest discipline. For Vallalar, compassion was not one virtue among many. It was the single, non-negotiable prerequisite for a life of grace and the end of all suffering.
A Simple Experiment in Compassion
Words and theories can only go so far. Vallalarβs path is one of direct experience. If you want to understand why compassion is important, you can run a small experiment today.
Give food to one hungry being. It could be a homeless person, a stray dog, or even a flock of birds in your backyard. Do it without any expectation of thanks or reward. Do it simply to end the suffering of hunger for that one creature.
Afterward, be still for a moment. Notice what happens inside you. That small, quiet shift you feelβthat sense of rightness, of warmth, of connectionβis Jeeva Karunyam beginning its work. It is the first taste of grace, earned not by prayer, but by action.
You came here for why is compassion important and found something worth reading. Want much more?
The Sanmarkkam Journey delivers free teachings, health guidance, and translations of
Vallalarβs works, directly to your inbox. We take you by hand, at your own pace.
No pressure, no selling. Just value. Unsubscribe with one click. Join the Sanmarkkam Journey
Want Vallalar's wisdom
delivered free to your inbox?
All directly to your favourite email inbox.
We take you by hand, at your own pace. Step-by-Step.
- Free E-book: Jeevakarunyam Ozhukkam β Vallalar's Guide to Compassionate Living IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD
- Free E-books, translations & commentaries
- Free health tips from Vallalar's manuscripts
- Free community
- Free Emporium items
- & Much More π
π―οΈ Welcome to the Journey
Look for an email from international@sanmarkkamlife.org. Check your inbox, spam folder and Promotions tab. Your first teaching and your free e-book are on their way.
π We hate Spam. No Pressure. 0 Selling or Pitching.
1 Click Unsubscribe any time.
Privacy Policy Β· Sanmarkkam Life APS Β· GDPR compliant