THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 44 -

VERSION 431 TO 440
 
Æ÷ª÷§ªæïêùª     Avoidance   of   Wrongs
 
âòÕæÐÆ¢ª   ò¨äË몠  ò¨×éë±ëª   ¬ùªùèõР   431
âçÕæÐæ몠  âçÕë¨ê   å©õÐêÐÊ
 
âòÕæÐÆ몠               arrogance
ò¨äË몠                   anger
ò¨×éë±ëª               pettiness
¬ùªùèõР                  those who do not have
âçÕæÐæ몠                their wealth
âçÕë¨ê    å©õÐêÐÊ       is alone superior
 
Absence   of   arrogance,   anger   and   pettiness   makes the   wealth   of   one   worthwhile   (431).    
¬ô÷Ù몠  ëèúªç¨÷åÐê   ëèäË몠  ëèúè   432
ãôéæ±ëª   Öê몠  ¬é÷æÐÆ
 
¬ô÷Ù몠      miserliness
ëèúªµ           greatness
¬÷åÐê            without
ëèäË몠       stature
ëèúè            limitless
ãôéæ±ëª       joy
Öê몠              are faults
¬é÷æÐÆ         for the king
 
Miserliness,   lack   of   concern   for   the   good,   and   excessive   pleasure
seeking   are   serious   defects   in   a   ruler   (432).    
ê¨éäêÐÊéúá觪   Æ÷ª÷몠  ôõ¨Ä몠  çéäêÐÊéúáèæÐ     433
âæèóªôõР  çȨåèÑ   ôèõÐ
 
ê¨éäêÐÊéúáè몠      as small as the size of the grain `Tinai'
Æ÷ª÷몠   ôõ¨Ä몠         even if there is a defect
çéäêÐÊéúÍ            as tall as a palmyrah tree
âæèóªôõР                    reckon it
çȨ                              blame
åèÑôèõР                    would fear
 
He   who   fears   blame   will   see   even   a   grain-sized   fault   to   be
as   big   as   a   palm   tree   (433).    
Æ÷ª÷îë   æèæÐæ   âçèÕóèææР  Æ÷ª÷îë   434
í÷ª÷몠  êÕã몠  çéæ
 
Æ÷ª÷îë              the fault itself
æèæÐæ                  one should guard against
âçèÕóèæ         considering it important
Æ÷ª÷îë             one is not touched by faults
í÷ª÷몠              destruction
êÕã몠              capable of giving
çéæ                  enemy
 
The   ultimate   end   comes   from   faults   which   are   one's   own   enemies.
It   is   best   therefore   to   guard   against   faults   (434).    
ôÕËäªäõÐæР  æèôèêô䪠  ôèȪæÐéæ   öõ¨ËäªäõР 435
éôêÐêè×   îçèùæР  âæÌëª
 
ôÕËäªäõР      before it strikes
æèôèêô䪠      the one who does not prevent
ôèȪæÐéæ         his life
öõ¨ËäªäõР      in the face of fire
éôêÐêè×        haystack
îçèù              like
âæÌ몠            will be destroyed
 
The   one   who   does   not   guard   against   faults   will   be   consumed by   them   like   a   haystack   near   a   fire     (435).    
êäªÆ÷ª÷몠  å©æÐæ¨çª   ç¨÷õÐÆ÷ª÷몠  æèúªç¨÷ªç¨äª   436
öäªÆ÷ª÷   ëèÆ몠  ¬é÷æÐÆ
 
ê䪠  Æ÷ª÷몠        one's own faults
å©æÐ樠                   having cured
ç¨÷õР   Æ÷ª÷몠      the faults of others
æèúªç¨äª             if he would consider
ç¨äª                     later on
ö䪠                     what ?
Æ÷ª÷ëèÆ몠         defect there will be
¬é÷æÐÆ              for the ruler
 
What   fault   can   be   in   a   king   who   corrects   his   own   faults before   finding   fault   with   others   ?   (436)    
âòá÷ªçèù   âòáªáè   ê¨ô÷¨áè䪠  âòùªô몠  437
ãá÷ªçèù   êäª÷¨æР  âæÌëª
 
âòá÷ªçèù        that which should be done
âòáªáèÊ          without doing
¬ô÷¨áè䪠      for the miser
âòùªô몠          wealth
ãá÷ªçèùÊ       steady
íäª÷¨               not being steady
âæÌ몠              will be destroyed
 
The   miser   who   accumulates   his   wealth   without   putting   it   to   use,
will   soon   find   it   gone   (437).    
ç÷ª×óªó몠  öäªÄ몠  ¬ô÷äªéë   ö÷ª×óªÓ몠  438
öúªú窠  çÌôâêè䪠  ÷äª×
 
ç÷ª×óªó몠              avarice
öäªÄ몠                  the one known as
¬ô÷äªéë              miserliness
ö÷ª×óªÓ몠             like all wrongs
öúªúçªçÌôÊ        being considered
øäª×                       one
íäª×                      not
 
The   avarice   that   precludes   all   charity     is   not   just   one   of   many
failings;   it   is   the   worst   (438).    
ô¨áô÷ªæ   ö¢ª¢èäª×몠  êäªéä   åáô÷ªæ   439
åäª÷¨   çáôè   ô¨éä
 
ô¨áô÷ªæ              not engaging in vain boastfulness
ö¢ª¢èäª×몠      at all times
êäªéä                oneself
åáô÷ªæ               not even think of
åäª÷¨                   good
çáôè                 will not bestow
ô¨éä                  acts
 
Never   engage   in   vain   self-praise.   Never   even   think   of   acts  that   produce   no   good   (439).    
æèêù   æèêùª   í÷¨áèéë   ãáªæÐæ¨÷ªç¨äª    440
Öê¨ù   Öê¨ùèõР  ¿ùª
 
æèêù                 that one covets
æèêùª                 one's desire
í÷¨áèéë         (others) not knowing
ãáªæÐæ¨÷ªç¨äª       if capable of enjoying
Öê¨ù                  will be in vain
Öê¨ùèõР             of the enemies
¿ùª                   fraudulence
 
When   one's   enemies   do   not   know   what   one   enjoys,   their   inimical
plans   will   be   in   vain   (440)
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