ரௌத்திரம் பழகு

Explanation

This is one of the most famous lines of the Pudhiya Aathichoodi. Avvaiyar said 'aaruvathu sinam', anger is to be cooled; Bharathiyar says 'raudhiram pazhagu', practise righteous anger. The two do not conflict. Anger for one's own sake is evil, and Thiruvalluvar condemns it in his chapter on not giving way to anger. But the anger of dharma that rises at injustice is a power that protects the right.
'Raudra' is the nature of Rudra. Shiva burning the three cities, Narasimha tearing apart Hiranyakashipu and Durga slaying Mahisha are all forms of righteous anger. Yet that anger subsides once evil is destroyed; Narasimha grew calm at Prahlada's devotion. The word 'practise' matters: this is not uncontrolled fury but a power disciplined by practice.