THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 20

VERSES 1 TO 10

çáä¨ù  âòèùªùèéë    Avoiding idle talk

çùªùèõР  Ëä¨á窠  çáä¨ù   âòèùªÙôè䪠     191
öùªùèÕ몠  öóªó窠  çÌëª

 
çùªùèõР                            many
Ëä¨á                               to the disgust
çáä¨ù                             empty words
âòèùªÙôè䪠                   who speaks
öùªùèÕ몠                        by anyone
öóªó窠    çÌ몠                 in contempt
   
  He   who   to   the   disgust   of   many   speaks   empty   words   will 
 be   held   in   contempt   by   all.    

çáä¨ù   çùªùèõÐË䪠  âòèùªùùª   åáä¨ù     192
åìªìèõÐæúª   âòáªêù¨äª   ê©Ê

 
çáä¨ù                             wasteful words
çùªùèõÐË䪠                      in the presence of many
âòèùªùùª                          speaking
åáä¨ù                              undesirable acts
åìªìèõÐæúª                       to friends
âòáªêù¨äª                         doing
ê©Ê                                    worse
 
It   is   worse   to   speak   wasteful   words   in   the   presence   of   many   
 than   doing   undesirable   acts towards   friends.    

åáä¨ù䪠  öäªçÊ   âòèùªÙ몠  çáä¨ù   193
çèõ¨êР  ÊéõæÐÆ몠  ãéõ

 
åáä¨ù䪠                          without virtue
öäªçÊ     âòèùªÙ몠         is known
çáä¨ù                             wasteful things
çèõ¨êÐÊ                             at length
ãéõæÐÆ몠    ãéõ              speaks
 
He   is   known   to   be   without   virtue   who   speaks   at   length   about
  wasteful   things.    

åáäªòèõè   åäªéëá¨äª   å©æÐÆ몠  çáäªòèõè窠   194
çúªç¨ùªâòèùª   çùªùè   õæêÐÊ

 
åáäªòèõè                          from righteousness
åäªéëá¨äª                        goodness
å©æÐÆ몠                              will veer him away
çáäªòèõè                         useless
çúªç¨ùªâòèùª                   worthless words
çùªùèõР    íæêÐÊ                  utters toall
 
He   who   utters   useless   words   will   not   remain   in   righteous   path.    

ò©õÐéë   ò¨÷çªîçèÌ   婧ªÆ몠  çáä¨ù      195
å©õÐéë   ±éìáèõР  âòèù¨äª

 
ò©õÐéë                               stature
ò¨÷çªîçèÌ                        and respect
婧ªÆ몠                             lose
çáä¨ù                             worthless words
å©õÐéë     ãéìáèõР                 good people
âòèù¨äª                            speak
 
When   good   people   speak   worthlesswords   they   lose   their   stature
 and   respect   that   they   are   worthy   of.
     
çáä¨ùªâòèùª   çèõèìªÌ   ôèéä   ëæäªöäùª     196
ëæÐæ쪠  çêï   âáäùª
 
çáä¨ùªâòèùª                    idle words
çèõèìªÌ     ôèéä                    revels in
ëæäªöäùª                         is not a man
ëæÐæ쪠                              among men
çêï                                  chaff
öäùª                                 may be said to be
   
He   who   revels   in   idle   words   is   not   a   man   but   a   chaff   among   men.  

åáä¨ù   âòèùªù¨Ä¢ª   âòèùªÙæ   òèäªî÷èõР   197
çáä¨ù   âòèùªùèéë   åäª×

 
åáä¨ù                             crude words
âòèùªù¨Ä¢ª                    speak
âòèùªÙæ                          let men
òèäªî÷èõР                         knowledgable
çáä¨ù                            useless words
âòèùªùèéë                    not utter
åäª×                                 good
 
It   is   better   that   knowledgable   men   speak   crudely   than   speak   idly.    

íÕëªçá䪠  ͱ몠  í÷¨ô¨äèõР  âòèùªùèõР      198
âçÕëªçá䪠  ¬ùªùèê   âòèùª

 
íÕëªçá䪠                     worth
ͱ몠                               weigh
í÷¨ô¨äèõР                       The wise
âòèùªùèõР                        will not utter
âçÕëªçá䪠    ¬ùªùèê   of no value
âòèùª                               words
 
  The   wise,   who   weigh   the   worth   of   every   utterance,   will 
 only   speak   words   of   significance.

   
âçèÕóªê©õÐåÐê   âçèòÐòèåÐÊ¢ª   âòèùªùèõР  ëÕóªê©õÐåÐê     199
ëèò×   æèìªò¨   áôõÐ

 
âçèÕóªê©õÐåÐê                  idle words
âçèòÐòèåÐÊ¢ª                  forgetfully
âòèùªùèõР                      will not utter
ëÕóªê©õÐåÐê                      not ignorant
ëèò×                             without faults
æèìªò¨     áôõР                  intelligent
 
The   good   wise   men   will   not   even   forgetfully   utter   idle   words.  

âòèùªÙæ   âòèùªù¨÷ª   çáÄéìá   âòèùªù÷ªæ   200
âòèùªù¨÷ª   çáä¨ùèòР  âòèùª

 
âòèùªÙæ                         speak
âòèùªù¨÷ª                          words
çáÄéìá                        of worth
âòèùªù÷ªæ                        do not speak
âòèùªù¨÷ª                          words
çáä¨ùèòР   âòèùª            empty words
 
  Speak   worthy   words,   do   not     speak   empty   words.  

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