THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION 111

VERSES 1101 T 1020
    
µúõÐòÐò¨ ëæ¨Èªêùª     Rejoicing in the Embrace
 

æúªÌîæìªÌ ãúªÌãá¨õÐêÐÊ ã÷ª×í÷¨±ëª É몵ùÄëª
øúªâìèï æúªîú ãó      1101

æúªÌ   sight
îæìªÌ   hearing
ãúªÌ   taste
ãá¨õÐêÐÊ   smell
ã÷ª×   touch
í÷¨±ëª   the delights offered by
É몵ùÄ몠  the five senses
øúªâêèïæР æúªîú  this maiden adorned with bright bangles
ãó  are to be found in
 


The delights of all the five senses-sight, sound, taste, smell and touch-are to be found at the
same time in the maiden adorned with bright
bangles (1101).

 
ç¨ú¨æÐÆ ëÕåÐÊ ç¨÷ëäª íú¨á¨éÈ   1102
êäªîåèáªæÐÆêÐ êèîä ëÕåÐÊ

ç¨ú¨æÐÆ   for illness
ëÕåÐÊ   medicine
ç¨÷  are different
ëäª  O!
íú¨ ¬éÈ  êäª  caused by this bejewelled maiden
îåèáªæÐÆ   for the illness
êèîä   herself
ëÕåÐÊ   is the antidote

Illness and medicine are always distinct and separate.But for the fever she brings on, the bejewelled maiden herself is the medicine(1102).

êèëªô©ÈªôèõÐ âëäªîêèóª Êá¨ù¨äª ¬ä¨Êâæèùª ? 1103
êèëéõæÐ æúªúèäª ãùÆ

êèëªô©ÈªôèõР  the dame that one loves
âëäªîêèóª   slender shoulders
Êá¨ù¨äª   resting
¬ä¨Êâæèùª   can it be sweeter than ?
êèëéõæР æúªúèäª  of the lotuseyed god (Lord Vishnu)
ãùÆ  the world

 
Can the world of the lotus-eyed God be sweeter than resting on the slender arms of one's beloved ?(1103)

 
婧ªæ¨äª âê®ãëª Æ×Ƨªæèùª êúªöäªÄëª 1104
ê©áèúªÌçª âç÷ª÷èóª ¬ôóª

婧ªæ¨äª   on separation
âê®ã몠  burns
Æ×Ƨªæèùª   when close
êúªöäªÄ몠  is cooling
ê©  the fire that
áèúªÌ窠 âç÷ª÷èóª   where did (she) get it from
¬ôóª   this maiden

Where did this maiden obtain this fire that burns on
separation and is cooling when together ? (1104)

 
îôìªì âçèÇê¨äª íéôáéô îçèÙîë 1105
îêèìªìèõÐ æÊçªç¨äèóª îêèóª
 
îôìªì  âçèÇê¨äª  whenever desired
íéô íéô  îçèÙëª  as imaginable
Ö  O!
îêèÌ ÍõР æÊçªç¨äèóª   the one with a profusion of flowers
îêèóª   shoulders (provide)
 


Any joy imaginable is available from the maiden
whose tresses are decked with flowers (1105).

 
ã×îêè× ãá¨õÐêó¨õÐçªçêÐ ê©úªìùèùª îçéêæÐÆ 1106
íë¨Èªê¨äª ¬áäª÷ä îêèóª

 
ã×îêè×   every time (whenever)
ãá¨õÐêó¨õÐçªç   brings me new life
ê©úªìùèùª   by touch
îçéêæÐÆ   of this maiden
íë¨Èªê¨äª   of nectar
¬áäª÷ä   is of the nature
îêèóª   the shoulders

The shoulders of this maiden are verily a nectar
that brings me new life every time I touch
her (1106).

 
ê몬ùª ¬ÕåÐÊ êëÊçèêÐÊ ãúªì÷ª÷èùª 1107
íëªëè íõ¨éô ËáæÐÆ

 
ê몬ùª   in one's house
¬ÕåÐÊ   what is available
êëÊ  one's own
çèêÐÊ   having shared with others
ãúªÌ í÷ª×   like partaking thereafter
Íùª  O!
íëªëè íõ¨éô   of fair and comely complexion
ËáæÐÆ   embracing

 
The joy of touch of this fair maiden is like the joy of a householder taking a meal after sharing what he has with others (1107).  


ô©Çëª ¬ÕôõÐæÐÆ ¬ä¨îê ôó¨á¨éì 1108
îçèÈçª çìèí ËáæÐÆ

ô©Ç몠 ¬ÕôõÐæÐÆ  for those who are deeply attached
¬ä¨îê   the greatest joy
ôó¨á¨éì   space for air to pass
îçèÈ窠 çìèí  without (incapable of splitting)
ËáæÐÆ   embrace

The greatest joy is in the closeness of an embrace that permits not even air between them (1108).

 
Ãìùª ãúõÐêùª µúõÐêùª ¬éôæèëëª 1109
ÔïáèõÐ âç÷ª÷ çáäª

Ãìùª   quarrels
ãúõÐêùª   reconciliation
µúõÐêùª   reunion
¬éô  these
æèëëª   of those in love
ÔïáèõР  in that state
âç÷ª÷  çáäª  what they achieve

Quarrels, reconciliation and reunion are the
great joys that come to lovers (1109).

  í÷¨îêè× í÷¨áèéë æúªì÷ª÷èùª æèëëª 1110
âò÷¨îêè×ëª îòá¨éÈ ëèìªÌ

 
í÷¨áèéë   one's ignorance
æúªÌ   realised
í÷ª×   is like
Íùª  O!
æèëëª   love
âò÷¨îêè×몠  with each embrace
îòá¨éÈ  ëèìªÌ  this maiden with redhued ornaments


Just as one realises the extent of one's ignorance, on analysis and reanalysis, yearning increases with the experience of each embrace (1110).

  

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