THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 22

VERSES 211 TO 220

ø窵õô÷¨êùª       The   Social   Good
     
éæëªëè×  îôúªìè  æìçªçèÌ  ëèõ¨ëèìªÌ       211 
öäªäè÷ª×§ª   âæèùªîùè   ãùÆ     ?  
éæëªëè×       recompense
îôúªìè       without expecting
æìçªçèÌ       duty
ëèõ¨ëèìªÌ       torrrential rains
ö䪠  Í÷ª×몠      what help
âæèùª    Ø      O! does it give
ãùÆ       this world

Like   the   clouds   that   have   no   recompense   for   conferring
the   blessing  of  rain   on   all   living   beings  the  sources of the
noble  minded  to  society  too  can  have  no  recompense   (211).

 
êèóè÷ª÷¨êР êåÐê âçèÕâóùªùèåÐ êæÐæèõÐæÐÆ      212
îôóèúªéë   âòáªê÷ª   âçèÕìªÌ
 
êèóª    Í÷ª÷¨       with effort
êåÐê       earned
âçèÕâóùªùè몠      all the wealth
êæÐæèõÐæÐÆ       to the deserving
îôóèúªéë       help
âòáªêùª       doing
âçèÕìªÌ       for the purpose of

The   wealth   that   is   produced   by   the   effort   of   the   deserving
is   only   for   producing   the   social   good   (212).

 
µêÐîê   ÓùæêÐÊ몠  ¼úªÌëª âç÷ùõ¨îê     213
ø窵õô¨äª   åùªù   ç¨÷
 
µêÐîêóª       the higher
ãùæêÐÊ몠      world
¼úªÌ몠      this world
âç÷ùª    íõ¨Ê   Ö       O! not equal to
ø窵õô¨äª       helping others
åùªù       the value of
ç¨÷       other than

Nothing   in   this   world   or   any   higher   one   can   equal   the   value   of
social   service     (213).

 
øêÐê   ê÷¨ôè䪠  ãá¨õÐôèȪôè䪠  ë÷ªé÷áè䪠      214
âòêÐêèÕóª   éôæÐæ窠  çÌëª
 
øêÐêÊ       social good
í÷¨ôè䪠      one who knows
ãá¨õР   ôèȪôè䪠      truly lives
ë÷ªé÷áè䪠      one who does not
âòêÐêèÕóª       among the dead
éôæÐæçªçÌ몠      considered
 
He  truly  lives  who  lives  for  social  harmony ; one  who  does  not,
is as good as dead   (214).
  $  
ÃÕú¨   å©õÐå¨é÷åР  ê÷ªî÷   ãùæôè몠          215
îçõ÷¨   ôèó䪠  ê¨Õ
 
ÃõР  ãú¨       the village pond
å©õР   å¨é÷åÐÊ   í÷ª×       filled with water
ãùÆ       the world
íôè몠      as desired by (for its welfare)
îçõР   í÷¨ôèó䪠      extremely wise
ê¨Õ       wealth
 
The   wealth   of   the   wise   who   live   for   social   welfare   is   like
the   village   pond   brimful   of   water   (215).
 
 
çáäªëõ몠 ãóªñõÐçª çÇêÐê÷ª÷èùª âòùªô몠     216
åáÄéì  áèäªæúª   çïäª
 
çá䪠      useful
ëõ몠      tree
ãóª   ÃõР      in the village
çÇêÐê÷ª÷èùª       ripe with fruit
âòùªô몠      wealth
åá䪠   ãéìáè䪠  æúª       devoted to doing good
çï䪠      if available
 
The  wealth  of  the  man  devoted  to  the   social   good  is  like  the
village  tree  bearing  plenty of  fruits   (216).
   
ëÕåÐêèæ¨êР  êçªçè   ëõêÐê÷ª÷è÷ª   âòùªô몠     217
âçÕåÐêéæ   áèäªæúª   çïäª
 
ëÕåÐÊ    Í樠      like medicine
êçªçè       without fail
ëõêÐÊ    í÷ª×   Íùª       like a sturdy tree
âòùªô몠      wealth
âçÕåР   êéæáè䪠  æúª       with the generous and magnanimous
çï䪠      if it is (with)
 
The   wealth   of   man   devoted   to   the   social   good   is   like   medicines
for   all   ills   from   all   parts   of   the   medicinal   tree   (217).
   
¬ìä¨ùª   çÕôêÐÊ몠  ø窵õô¨÷ª   âæèùªæèõР      218
æìä÷¨   æèìªò¨   áôõÐ
 
¬ì䪠   ¬ùª       when not in affluent
çÕôêÐÊ몠      times also
ø窵õô¨÷ªÆ       to help
øùªæèõР      will not fail
æì䪠   í÷¨       realising one's responsibility
æèìªò¨áôõР      the wise
 
The   wise   who   strive   for   social   good   will   continue
to   do   so   even   when   their   wealth   declines   (218).
   
åáÄéìáè   åùªÔõÐåÐêèäª Íêùª   âò±ëªå©õ       219
âòáªáè  êéëæùè   ôè×
 
åá䪠   ãéìáè䪠      one devoted to doing good
åùª   ÔõÐåÐêè䪠      in want
Íêùª       becoming
âò±ëª    å©õÐéë       assistance that could be given
âòáªáèÊ       unable to do
íéëæùè    Í×       state of feeling for it
 
The  misery  of   poverty  is  felt  by  the  man  who  is  devoted
to  the  social  good  when  he  is  unable  to  contribute  to  it  (219).    
ø窵õô¨  äèùªôÕ§   îæìä¨äª  íþâêèÕô䪠    220
ô¨÷ª×æÐîæèóª   êæÐæ   ÊéìêÐÊ
 
ø窵õô¨äèùª       by giving help
ôÕ몠   îæÌ   öä¨ùª       should there be disadvantage
íþÊ       that (disadvantage)
øÕô䪠      one
ô¨÷ª×æР   îæèóª       even by selling (oneself)
êæÐæÊ       equal to
ãéìêÐÊ       will be

The   social   good   is   worth   embracing   even   if   it   brings
ruin   to   the   one   engaged   in   it   (220).

PROCEED TO THE  KURAL - SECTION 23 -
RETURN TO THE INDEX OF KURAL PRESENTATION