THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 43 -

VERSION 421 TO 430
v 
í÷¨²éìéë     On  Wisdom
 
í÷¨ô÷ª÷몠  æèæÐÆ몠  æÕô¨   âò×ôèõÐæÐÆ몠 421
ãóªóȨæÐæ   ùèæè   í÷úª
 
í÷¨²                      wisdom
í÷ª÷몠                   till the end
æèæÐÆ몠   æÕô¨        protective equipment
âò×ôèõÐæÐÆ몠        fore adversaries also
ãóª                          inner
íȨæÐæùª    Íæè       impenetrable
í÷úª                      fortress

Wisdom   is   the   ultimate   defence,   the   inner   fortress   against
enemies,   viz   fortress   against   inner   enemies   (421).    
âòäª÷   ¬ìêÐêèùª   âòùô¨ìè   ê©âêèõ©¬   422
åäª÷¨äªçèùª   ãáªçªç   ê÷¨²
 
âòäª÷    ¬ìêÐêèùª       from going places
âòùô¨ìèÊ                 not allowing
ê©Ê   øõ©¬                   preventing from evil deeds
åäª÷¨äªçèùª                 towards the good
ãáªçªçÊ                      impels
í÷¨²                          is wisdom

Wisdom   is   that   which   prevents   the   mind   from   wandering,   shuts
out   the   bad,   and   takes   one   towards   the   good   (422).
 
 
öçªâçèÕóª   áèõÐáèõÐôèáªæР  îæìªç¨Ä몠 íçªâçèÕóª     423
âëáªçªâçèÕóª   æèúªç   ê÷¨²
 
öçªâçèÕóª             whatever
áèõÐáèõÐôè᪠         coming from whatever source
îæìªç¨Ä몠             is received
íçªâçèÕóª            that
âëáªçªâçèÕóª       the truth in it
æèúªçÊ                 discerning
í÷¨²                     is wisdom
 
That   is   wisdom   that   discerns     the   truth   in   whatever   comes from   any   source   (423).    
öúªâçèÕóª   ôèæòР  âòùòÐâòèùªù¨êР  êèäªç¨÷õÐôèá     424
  ÅúªâçèÕóª   æèúªç   ê÷¨²
 
öúªâçèÕó    Íæ       in a simple way
âòùòÐâòèùªù¨            speaking in an intelligible way
êè䪠   ç¨÷õÐôè᪠        whatever comes from others
ÅúªâçèÕóª               the deep import
æèúªçÊ                     discerning easily
í÷¨²                         is wisdom
 
Wisdom   lies   in   making   anything   easy   for   others   to   understand,
and   easily   understanding   what   others   say,   however   intricate   (424).    
ãùæ몠  êÈ©¬á   âêèìªç몠  ëùõÐêÙ몠  425
ÔëªçÙ몠  ¬ùªù   ê÷¨²
 
ãùæ몠             the learned
êÈ©¬áÊ          befriending
øìªç몠            is wisdom
ëùõÐêÙ몠       (initially) being enthused
ÔëªçÙ몠        (subsequently) being depressed
¬ùªùÊ           absence
í÷¨²              is wisdom
 
Wisdom   lies   in   befriending   the   learned.   Wisdom   also   lies   in  the   absence   of   initial   waxing   and   subsequent   waning   (425).    
öôªô   Êé÷ôÊ   ãùæ몠  ãùæêÐîêèÌ   426
íôªô   Êé÷ôÊ   í÷¨²
 
öôªôÊ               in what way
ãé÷ôÊ            behaving
ãùæ몠              the world (people)
ãùæêÐîêèÌ       with the world
íôªôÊ             in that way
ãé÷ôÊ            behaving
í÷¨²                is wisdom
 
It   is   wisdom   to   conform   to   the   ways   of   the   world   (426).  

 
í÷¨²éìáèõР  Íô   ê÷¨ôèõР  í÷¨ô¨ùèõР  427
íþê÷¨   æùªùè   êôõÐ
 
í÷¨²éìáèõР       the wise
ÍôÊ                     what is in store for future
í÷¨ôèõР                will know
í÷¨ô¨ùèõР            those otherwise
íþÊ                     that
í÷¨æùªùèêôõР      will not know
 
The   wise   can   anticipate   events,   but   those   without   wisdom   cannot.   (427)    
í¢ªàô   ꢪòèéë   îçéêéë   í¢ªàôÊ  428
í¢ªòùª   í÷¨ôèõР  âêèȨùª
 
í¢ªàôÊ         what is to be feared
í¢ªòèéë       not fearing
îçéêéë        is foolishness
í¢ªàôÊ        what is to be feared
í¢ªòùª          to fear
í÷¨ôèõР        the wise
âêèȨùª         is (their) nature
 
The   wise   will   fear   what   is   to   be   feared,   the   foolish   will   not   (428).    
öê¨õêèæР  æèæÐÆ몠  í÷¨ô¨äèõÐæР  æ¨ùªéù   429
íê¨õ   ôÕôîêèõР  îåèáª
 
öê¨õêèæР   æèæÐÆ몠        anticipating danger and taking preventives
í÷¨ô¨äèõÐæÐÆ               for the wise
¬ùªéù                        will not
íê¨õ                             terrifying
ôÕôÊ    ØõР  îåè᪠      any difficulty
 
The   wise   will   be   able   to   foresee   and   avert   oncoming   difficulty  (429).    
í÷¨²éìáèõР  öùªùè몠  ãéìáèõР  í÷¨ô¨ùèõР  430
öäªÄéìá   îõÄ몠  ¬ùõÐ
 
í÷¨²    ãéìáèõР             the wise
öùªùè몠                           all wealth
ãéìáèõР                         possess
í÷¨ô¨ùèõР                       those otherwise
ö䪠  ãéìáõР   ÖÄ몠      though blessed with all wealth
¬ùõР                               as good as having none
 
The   one   who   has   wisdom   has   every   thing;   the   one   who does   not,   has   nothing   (430).

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