THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 3

VERSES 21 TO 30

å©ê‡êèõ‡    âçÕéë      The   greatness   of   Ascetics  

øÇæ‡æê‡Ê    å©ê‡êèõ‡    âçÕéë    ô¨Çç‡çê‡Ê          21
îôÚˆÌëŠ    çÄôùŠ    ÊÚ¨²  
 
øÇæ‡æê‡Ê   a virtuous life
å©ê‡êèõ‡   one who has renounced
âçÕéë   greatness
ô¨Çç‡çê‡Ê   the best
îôÚˆÌëŠ   praiseworthy
çÄôùŠ  ÊÚ¨²   the purpose of the books
 
The   purpose   of   books   is   to   extol   the   greatness   of   ascetics,
established   in   a   life   of   virtue,   who   have   renounced   worldliness.
   
Ê÷å‡êèõ‡    âçÕéë    ÊéÚæ‡Ô÷¨äŠ    éôáê‡Ê          22
¬÷å‡êèéõ    öÚˆÚ¨æ‡âæèÚˆ    ì÷Š×  
 
Ê÷å‡êèõ‡   one who has renounced (saints)
âçÕéë   greatness
ÊéÚæ‡Ô÷¨äŠ   measured in terms of value
éôáê‡Ê   in this world
¬÷å‡êèéõ   those who have born and died
öÚˆÚ¨æ‡âæèÚˆì÷Š×   to count

To   measure   the   value   of   the   greatness   of   Saints   is   like   counting
the   number   of   people   who   have   lived   and   died.    

¬Õéë    ôéæâêõ¨å‡Ê    ¼ÚˆÌí÷ëŠ    ·Úˆìèõ‡     23
âçÕéë    ç¨÷§‡æ¨÷Š×    ãùÆ  
 
¬Õéë   in this world and the nether world
ôéæâêõ¨å‡Ê   to find happiness and suffering
¼ÚˆÌ   in this world
í÷ëŠ   saintlihood
·Úˆìèõ‡   embraced
âçÕéë   greatness
ç¨÷§‡æ¨÷Š×   exalted
ãùÆ   in the world

Most   exalted   are   those   who   have   analysed   experiences   of   this
and the   other   world   and   embraced   the   way   of   the   Saint.    

ãõâääŠÄëŠ îêèì‡ïáèäŠ øéõå‡ÊëŠ æèç‡çèäŠ   24
ôõâääŠÄëŠ    éôç‡ç¨÷Šîæèõ‡    ô¨ê‡Ê  
 
ãõä  öäŠÄëŠ   intelligence
îêèì‡ïáèäŠ   the rod used to control
Øõ‡  Éå‡ÊëŠ   the five senses
æèç‡çèäŠ   who controls
ôõäŠ  öäŠÄëŠ   is superior
éôç‡çæ‡Æ   for salvation
Øõ‡  ô¨ê‡Ê   is the seed sown

The   one   who   uses   his   intelligence   to   control   the   five   senses
like   the   rod   used   to   control   the   elephant   becomes   fit   for
the   higher   state   of   salvation.    

Éå‡êô¨ê‡êèäŠ Í÷Š÷ùŠ íæùŠô¨à늵 óèõ‡îæèëèäŠ    25
¬å‡ê¨õîä    òèÙ§‡    æõ¨
 
Éå‡Ê  íô¨ê‡êèäŠ   one who has controlled the five senses
Í÷Š÷ùŠ   greatness
íæùŠ  ô¨à늵  ãóèõ‡   people in the heaven
îæèëèäŠ   King
¬å‡ê¨õîä   Lord Indra
òèÙ§‡  æõ¨   sufficient proof
   
Indra,   the   king   of   those   who   live   in   heaven,   is   himself,
  sufficient   proof   of   the   strength   of   one   who   has
  subdued   the   five   senses.
     
âòá÷Šæõ¨á    âòáŠôèõ‡    âçõ¨áõ‡    ò¨÷¨áõ‡        26
âòá÷Šæõ¨á    âòáŠæùè    êèõ‡  
 
âòá÷ŠÆ  íõ¨á   what others cannot do
âòáŠôèõ‡   will accomplish
âçõ¨áõ‡   able people
ò¨÷¨áõ‡   those who are not so able
âòá÷ŠÆ  íõ¨á   things that cannot be done
âòáŠæùè  êèõ‡   cannot accomplish

Able   people   can   accomplish   what   others   cannot   do,   but   those
who are   not   so   able,   cannot.  

àéôøó¨    Ã×Øéò    åè÷Š÷âëäŠ×    Éå‡ê¨äŠ     27
ôéæâêõ¨ôèäŠ    æì‡îì    ãùÆ  
 
àéô   taste
øó¨   brightness
Ã×   touch
Øéò   sound
åè÷Š÷ëŠ   smell
öäŠ×  Éå‡ê¨äŠ   the five senses
ôéæ   type
âêõ¨ôèäŠ  æì‡îì   one who is aware
ãùÆ   has control of the world

He   who   has   understood   the   limitations   of   the   five   senses   is
in command   of   his   circumstances.
   
å¨é÷âëèȨ    ëèå‡êõ‡    âçÕéë    å¨ùê‡Ê                28
ëé÷âëèȨ    æèì‡ï    ô¨ÌëŠ  
 
å¨é÷âëèȨ   useful words
ëèå‡êõ‡   saints
âçÕéë   greatness
å¨ùê‡Ê   in this world
ëé÷âëèȨ   Mantras told by them
æèì‡ï  ô¨ÌëŠ   will show
 
The   deep   meaning   of   the   Mantras   given   to   the   world   by
saints shows   their   greatness.
   
ÆÚâëäŠÄëŠ    ÆäŠî÷÷¨    å¨äŠ÷èõ‡    âôÆó¨        29
æÚî뱧‡    æèê‡êùŠ    íõ¨Ê  
 
ÆÚâëäŠÄëŠ   virtue
ÆäŠ×   as high as the mountains
ö÷¨  å¨äŠ÷èõ‡   those who have climbed
âôÆó¨   anger
æÚî뱧‡   though momentary
æèê‡êùŠ   consequences
íõ¨Ê   not withstand
 
One   cannot   withstand   even   a   moment's   anger   of   those   of
lofty virtue.    

íå‡êÚõ‡    öäŠîçèõ‡    í÷îôèõ‡ë÷Š    â÷ôŠ²á¨õ‡æ‡ÆëŠ      30
âòå‡êÚˆéë    ·ÚˆâìèÇæ    ùèäŠ  
 
íå‡êÚõ‡  öäŠîçèõ‡   considered a Brahmin
í÷îôèõ‡ë÷Š   the virtuous
â÷ôŠ²á¨õ‡æ‡ÆëŠ   all living beings
âòå‡êÚˆéë   blessings
·ÚˆÌ   above all
øÇæ  ùèäŠ   by regarding


The   virtuous   one   who   regards   all   living   beings   with   compassion
is   to   be   considered   a   Brahmin.
     
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