THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 25

VERSES 241 TO 250
    
íÕÓéìéë      Compassion
 
íÕìªâòùªô몠  âòùªôêÐÊóª   âòùªô몠  âçèÕìªâòùªô몠       241
·õ¨áèõР  æúªÑ몠  ãó
 
íÕìªâòùªô몠      the wealth known as compassion
âòùªôêÐÊóª       among all riches
âòùªô몠      the richest
âçèÕìªâòùªô몠      material wealth
·õ¨áèõР      ignoble
æúªÑ몠      even among
ãó       is available
 
Compassion   is   the   highest   form   of   wealth.   Material   wealth
can   be   found   among   the   low   (241).  
åùªùè÷ª÷èùª  åèï  íÕóèóªæ  çùªùè÷ª÷èùª      242
îêõ¨Ä몠  íþîê   Êéú
 
åùª   Í÷ª÷èùª       following the righteous path
åèï       considering
íÕóª    Íóªæ       live as kind souls
çùª   Í÷ª÷èùª         following several ways
îêõ¨Ä몠      even when analysed
íþîê       that alone
Êéú         best aid
 
Among   all   the   paths   take   the   path   of   compassion.   Among   all
the   paths   that   alone   is   the   mainstay   (242).  
íÕóªîòõÐåÐê  â墪ò¨äèõÐæР æ¨ùªéù  ¬ÕóªîòõÐåÐê    243
¬äªäè   ãùæ몠  µæùª
 
íÕóª       compassion
îòõÐåÐê       possessing
â墪ò¨äèõÐæÐÆ       persons
¬ùªéù       not
¬Õóª       darkness
îòõÐåÐê       enveloped by
¬äªäè       of sorrow
ãùæ몠      world
µæùª       attainment
 
Those   whose   hearts   are   full   of   compassion   will   never
suffer   a   world   of   darkness   and   difficulty   (243).  
ëäªÄá¨õР  Øëªç¨   íÕóèóªôè÷ªÆ   ¬ùªâùäªç    244
êäªÄá¨õР  í¢ªà몠  ô¨éä
 
ë䪠  ãá¨õР      life of other creatures
Øëªç¨       protect
íÕóª    Íóªôè÷ªÆ       showing compassion
¬ùª   öäªç         (it is said) will never visit
êäªÄá¨õР      his own life
í¢ªà몠      dreaded
ô¨éä       (result of) sinful acts
 
Harm   will   never   come   his   way   who   shows   compassion   to
everyone   around   him   (244).
   
íùªùùª  íÕóèõÐôèõÐæÐÆ  ¬ùªéù  ôó¨ôȧªÆ몠   245
ëùªùùªëè   ¢èù몠  æõ¨
 
íùªùùª       suffering
íÕóª       compassion
ÍóªôèõÐæÐÆ       those with
¬ùªéù       not
ôó¨   ôȧªÆ몠      wind-blown
ëùªùùª       fertile
ëè¢èù몠      vast world
æõ¨       proof
 
Experience   of   this   vast   wind-blown   world   provides   enough
proof   that   harm   does   not   touch   the   compassionate   (245).
 
 
âçèÕóª  å©§ªæ¨çª âçèòÐòèåÐêèõР öäªçõÐ íÕóªå©§ªæ¨   246 
íùªùéô   âòáªâêèÇÆ   ôèõÐ
 
âçèÕóª       the wealth of righteousness
婧ªæ¨       devoid of
âçèòÐòèåÐêèõР      those who have forgotten their real self
öäªçõР      it is said
íÕóª       compassion
婧ªæ¨       devoid of
íùªùéô       undesirable
âòáªâêèÇÆôèõР      engaged in acts
 
They   who   forget   compassion   and   engage   in   wrongs   are   those
who   have   forgotten   their   real   self,   it   is   said   (246).
 
íÕó¨ùªùèõÐæÐÆ íôª²ùæ몠 ¬ùªéùâçèÕó¨ùªùèõÐæÐÆ 247 
¬ôª²ùæ몠  ¬ùªùè樠  á觪Æ
 
íÕóª       compassion
¬ùªùèõÐæÐÆ       those who do not possess
íôª²ùæ몠      the higher (everlasting, blissful) world
¬ùªéù       is not attainable
âçèÕóª    ¬ùªùèõÐæÐÆ       those who do not have material wealth
¬ôª²ùæ몠      (the pleasures of) this (mundane) world
¬ùªùè樠      not there
ͧªÆ       as if
 
The   joys   of   this   world   are   beyond   those   without   wealth
but   the   joys   of   the   higher   world   are   beyond   those   without
compassion   (247).

âçèÕó÷ª÷èõР  ·çªçõР  øÕæèùª   íÕó÷ª÷èõР   248
í÷ª÷èõÐë÷ª   ÷èêùª   íõ¨Ê
 
âçèÕóª    í÷ª÷èõР      those without wealth
·çªçõР      may prosper
øÕæèùª       in future
íÕóª    í÷ª÷èõР      those without compassion
í÷ª÷èõР      are lost
ë÷ª×       later
Íêùª    íõ¨Ê       will never regain
 
Wealth   once   lost   may   be   regained;   but   compassion,
once   lost,   can   never   be   regained   (248).
   
âêÕóèêè䪠 âëáªçªâçèÕóª  æúªì÷ª÷èùª  îêõ¨äª       249
íÕóèêè䪠  âò᪱몠  í÷ëª
 
âêÕóèêè䪠      the unlettered
âëáªçªâçèÕóª       the import (of a text)
æúªì÷ª÷èùª       comparable to
îêõ¨äª       if analysed
íÕóèêè䪠      the one without compassion
âò᪱몠      engaging in
í÷몠      righteous act
 
Engaging   in   righteous   acts   without   compassion   is   like
the   attempt   to   get   at   the   import   of   a   text   by   the   unlettered   (249).  
ôù¨áèõÐË䪠  êäªéä   å¨éäæÐæêè䪠  êäªä¨äª     250
âëù¨áèõÐîëùª   âòùªÙ몠  ¬ìêÐÊ
 
ôù¨áèõР      stronger
Ë䪠      in front of
êäªéä       oneself
å¨éäæÐæ       consider
êè䪠      one
êäªä¨äª       compared to one
âëù¨áèõР      the weak
îëùª       against
âòùªÙ몠      attack
¬ìêÐÊ       at that time

He   who   shows   no   consideration   for   the   weak   should   recall
his   state,   when   he   himself   was   beset   by   a   stronger   one     (250).  


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