THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 37

VERSES 361 TO 370
 
íôè   í×êÐêùª     Curtailing   Desire

íôèöäªç   öùªùè   ãá¨õÐæÐÆëªö¢ª   ¢èäª×몠      361
êôèí窠  ç¨÷çªç©Ä몠  ô¨êÐÊ
 
íôè    öäªç       desire, it is said
öùªùè       for all
ãá¨õÐæÐÆ몠      living beings
ö¢ª¢èäª×몠      always
êôè       without fail
íçªç¨÷窵    ¼Ä몠      causing births
ô¨êÐÊ       source

Desire   is   the   seed   from   which   comes   the   endless   cycle
 of birth   and   death   (361).

 
îôúªÌ§ªæèùª  îôúªÌ몠 ç¨÷ôèéë  ë÷ª÷Ê    362
îôúªìèéë   îôúªì   ôÕëª
 
îôúªÌ§ªæèùª       (if one) desires something
îôúªÌ몠      (he) should desire
ç¨÷ôèéë     birthlessness
ë÷ª÷Ê       that state of birthlessness
îôúªìèéë       desirelessness
îôúªì       if desired
ôÕ몠      will result from
   
Freedom   from   the   birth-death   cycle   comes   from   freedom   from   desire,
but   that   freedom   from   desire,   must   itself,   be   desired   (362).
   
îôúªìèéë  íäªä  ô¨ÇòÐâòùªô몠 ¼úªïùªéù     363
ÍúªÌ몠  íþâêèçªçÊ   ¬ùª
 
îôúªìèéë       freedom from desire
íäªä       like
ô¨ÇòÐâòùªô몠      the highest wealth
¼úªÌ       in this world
¬ùªéù       does not exist
ÍúªÌ몠      in the other world
íþÊ   øçªçÊ       (wealth) like that
¬ùª       is not there
 
Freedom   from   desire   is   the   highest   wealth   in   this   world,
and   indeed,   in   the   other   world   (363).
   
­ãáªéë   öäªçÊ   íôèô¨äªéë   ë÷ª÷Ê          364
ôèíáªéë   îôúªì   ôÕëª
 
­   ãáªéë       purity
öäªçÊ       is known as
íôèô¨äªéë       freedom from desire
ë÷ª÷Ê       that freedom from desire
ôèíáªéë       truth
îôúªì       if practised
ôÕ몠      will ensue
 
Freedom   from   desire   confers   the   highest   bliss.   That   freedom
ensues   from   devotion   to   truth   (364).
   
í÷ª÷ôõР  öäªçèõР  íôèí÷ª÷èõР  ë÷ªé÷áèõР      365
í÷ª÷èæ   í÷ª÷Ê   ¬ùõÐ
 
í÷ª÷ôõР      those without rebirth
öäªçèõР      it is said, are
íôè       desire
í÷ª÷èõР      without
ë÷ªé÷áèõР      others (those whose desires have not been cut)
í÷ª÷èæ       like them
í÷ª÷Ê       devoid of re-birth
¬ùõР      are not
 
Liberated   are   they   who   are   free  from  desire;  not  they  who
hold   on   to   it   (365).
   
í¢ªàô   îêèÕ몠  í÷îä   øÕôéä        366
ô¢ªò¨çªç   îêèÕ몠  íôè
 
í¢ªàôÊ       fear of desire
ØÕ몠      to be understood (is desirable)
í÷îä       as right conduct
øÕôéä       one
ô¢ªò¨çªçÊ       duping
ØÕ몠      to be understood (is undesirable)
íôè       (is born out of) desire
 
Fear   of   desire   is   to   be   reckoned   as   right   conduct.Duping   one
is   undesirable   and   is   born   out   of   desire   (366).
 
 
íôèô¨éä   Í÷ª÷   í×çªç¨äª   êôèô¨éä        367
êèäªîôúªÌ   ëè÷ª÷è䪠  ôÕëª
 
íôèô¨éä       desire
Í÷ª÷       completely
í×çªç¨äª       if one destroys
êôè   ô¨éä       good results
êè䪠   îôúªÌ몠  Í÷ª÷è䪠      according to his own wishes
ôÕ몠      will ensue

He   who   roots   out   desire   will   attain     all   good
that   he   wishes     (367).

 
íôè  ¬ùªùèõÐæР æ¨ùªùèÆåР Êäªçëªíþ  Êúªîìùª   368
êôèíÊ   îëäªîëùª   ôÕëª
 
íôè       desire
¬ùªùèõÐæÐÆ       those who do not have
¬ùªÍÆ몠      will not there exist
Êäªç몠      misery
íþÊúªîìùª       if not
êôè   íÊ       without fail
îëäªîëùª       sufferings
ôÕ몠      in sequence
 
Suffering   will   not   come   to   him   who   renounces   desire,
and   never-ending   suffering   to   him   who   does   not   (368).
 
 
¬äªç몠  ¬éìá÷è   ê©úªÌ몠  íôèâôäªÄ몠    369
ÊäªçêÐÊóª   Êäªç§ª   âæïäª
 
¬äªç몠      happiness
¬éìá÷èÊ       continually
¼úªÌ몠      in this world
íôèâôäªÄ몠      that which is known as desire
ÊäªçêÐÊóª       of all sorrows
Êäªç몠      sorrow
âæï䪠      if is destroyed

If   desire,   the   highest   of   sorrows,   is   destroyed,   there   will   be
unending   happiness   even   in   this   life   (369).
   
Íõè   ¬á÷ªéæ   íôèå©çªç¨äª   íåÐå¨éùîá     370
îçõè   ¬á÷ªéæ   êÕëª
 
Íõè    ¬á÷ªéæ       of the nature of nevergetting filled
íôè    å©çªç¨äª         if desire is removed
íåÐå¨éùîá       that state itself
îçõè    ¬á÷ªéæ       everlasting happiness
êÕ몠      will result
 
The   state   of   eternal   bliss   will   result   when   desire   that   is insatiable   is   conquered   (370).

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