THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR
SECTION - 34

VERSES 331 TO 340
                                                          
å¨éùáèéë     The   Transitory   World

  å¨ùªùèê   ô÷ªé÷   å¨éùá¨ä   öäª×úÕ몠        331
  µùªù÷¨   ôèúªéë   æéì
 
å¨ùªùèêô÷ªé÷           the transient ones
å¨éùá¨äª                   permanent
öäª×úÕ몠               thinking so
µùªù÷¨ôèúªéë       this invalid cognition
æéì                          is lowly
 
That   ignorance   that   causes   the   transient   to   be   mistaken
for   the   permanent,   is   to   be   despised   (331).
 
ÔêÐêèìªÌ íéôæÐÆÈèêÐ ê÷ªî÷   âçÕ¢ªâòùªôëª 332         
îçèæÐÆ몠  íÊô¨ó¨åР  ê÷ª×
 
ÔêÐêèìªÌ      íéô       in the dancing hall
ÆÈèêÐÊ    í÷ªî÷           like the assemblage of persons
âçÕ¢ªâòùªô몠           enormous riches
îçèæÐÆ몠                     (its) disappearance
íÊ                              that
ô¨ó¨åÐÊ    í÷ª×            like a dispersal of persons
 
Wealth   comes   and   goes   like   the   crowd   that   come   to   see
a   play   and   disperse   when   it   is   over   (332).  
í÷ªæè   ¬áùªç¨÷ª×òР  âòùªô몠  íÊâç÷ª÷èùª      333
í÷ªÆç   ͧªîæ   âòáùª
 
í÷ªæè               unstable
¬áùªç¨÷ª×       of the nature of
âòùªô몠          wealth
íÊ                  that
âç÷ª÷èùª         if acquired
í÷ªÆç             everlasting righteous acts
ͧªîæ              then and there
âòáùª              should be done
 
As   riches   come   and   go,   they   should   be   used   at   once
for   good   acts   (333).    
å èâóä   øäª×îçèùª   æèìªï   ãá¨õмÕ몠        334
ôèóÊ   ãúõÐôèõÐ窠  âç÷¨äª
 
åèóª    öä                     called day
øäª×    îçèùª               one unit of time
æèìªï                          showing itself
ãá¨õР                           life
¼Õ몠                           capable of slicing
ôèóª    íÊ                   sword that it is
ãúõÐôèõÐçªâç÷¨äª       if one would realise the truth
 
The   day   which   appears   as   a   unit   of   time   is   but   a   weapon
that   cuts   away   at   life   (334).
   
åèòÐâò÷ª×  ô¨æÐÆóªîëùª  ôèõèË䪠  åùªô¨éä     335
îë÷ªâòäª×   âòáªá窠  çÌëª
 
å
ô¨æÐÆóª                      hiccups
îëùª    ôèõèË䪠      appearing (before the body falls)
åùªô¨éä                  good acts
îë÷ªâòäª×              quickly (without wasting time)
âòáªáçªçÌ몠          must be done
 
Before   the   tongue   fails   and   the   last   hiccup   comes,   good
work   must   be   finished   without   loss   of   time   (335).
 
âåÕåùª  ãóâäèÕô䪠 ¬äª÷¨ùªéù  öäªÄ몠  336
âçÕéë  ãéìêÐʬôª   ²ùÆ
 
âåÕåùª               yesterday
ãó䪠                  was there
øÕô䪠               who
¬äª÷¨ùªéù         not (alive) today
öäªÄ몠              such a
âçÕéë              reputation
ãéìêÐÊ              (it) has
¬ôª²ùÆ            this world
 
He   was   here   yesterday   but   is   gone   today-   this   is   the
way   of   this   transient   world   (336).
   
øÕâçèÇÊ몠  ôèȪôÊ   í÷¨áèõР  æÕÊç       337
îæèï±ëª   íùªù   çù
 
øÕ   âçèÇÊ몠      not even a moment
ôèȪôÊ                  live for
í÷¨áèõР                 those who are not certain
æÕÊç                     think and make plans
îæèï±ëª                millions of
íùªù                     not only
çù                         but even more

Unaware   whether   they   will   be   alive   the   next   moment,
people   yet   make   millions   of   plans   (337).
 
Æìëªéç   êä¨êÐÊøȨá窠  µóªç÷åР  ê÷ªî÷        338
ãìëªîçèÌ   ãá¨õ¨éì   å쪵
 
Æìëªéç                the egg
êä¨êÐÊ                   separated
øȨᠠ                   and lying
µóª                      bird
ç÷åÐÊ    í÷ªî÷      like flying away
ãìëªîçèÌ           with the body
ãá¨õ¨éì               life
å쪵                     connection

Even   as   the   egg   breaks   and   the   bird   within   flies   away,   so
too   is   the   connection   of   this   life   with   the   body   (338).
   
ã÷§ªÆ   ôÊîçèÙ몠  òèæÐæèÌ   ã÷§ªæ¨           339
ô¨È¨çªçÊ   îçèÙ몠  ç¨÷窵
 
ã÷§ªÆôÊ       sleeping
îçèÙ몠         like
òèæÐæèÌ          death
ã÷§ªæ¨             having slept
ô¨È¨çªçÊ         wakening
îçèÙ몠         like
ç¨÷窵             (re)birth
 
Death   is   like   going   to   sleep   and     birth   is   like
waking   from   it   (339).
   
µæÐæ¨ùª  íéëåÐê¨äª×  âæèùªîùè  ãìëªç¨Äóª   340
 ÊòÐò¨ùª   ¬ÕåÐê   ãá¨õÐæÐÆ
 
 
íéëåÐê¨÷ª×        is not available
âæèùªîùè          did not come by
ãìëªç¨Äóª         within the body
ÊòÐò¨ùª                 alone
¬ÕåÐê                in that state
ãá¨õÐæÐÆ              life
 
The   life   that   occupies   a   body   temporarily   does   not
seem   to   have   a   permanent   abode   (340).
 

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