THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION-54-

VERSES 531 TO 540
 
âçèòÐòèôèéë     Avoidance   of   Forgetfulness,   Thoughtlessness

 
¬÷åÐê   âôÆó¨á¨äª   ê©îê   ò¨÷åÐê          531
ãôéæ   ëæ¨ÈªòÐò¨á¨÷ª   îòèõв
 
¬÷åÐê    âôÆó¨á¨äª       more than intense anger
ê©îê                               is worse
ò¨÷åÐê                             excessive
ãôéæ                            pleasure
ëæ¨ÈªòÐò¨á¨ùª                   indulging in
îòèõв                           the resulting inattention
 
Worse   than   excessive   anger   is   inattention   that   follows
excessive   pleasure   (531).

 
âçèòÐòè窵æР  âæèùªÙ몠  µæéÈ í÷¨ô¨éä      532 
å¨òÐò   å¨õ窵æÐâæè䪠  ÷觪Æ
 
âçèòÐòè窵              forgetfulness
âæèùªÙ몠               will destroy
æéÈ                        repute
í÷¨ô¨éä                wisdom
å¨òÐò    å¨õ窵             constant want
âæèäª×    ͧªÆ       just as crushes
 
Just   as   constant   want   crushes     the   intellect,   forgetfulness
kills   repute   (532).
   
âçèòÐòèçªçèõÐæÐÆ  ¬ùªéù  µæȪéë  íʲùæêÐÊ   533
öçªçèùª¿   îùèõÐæÐÆ몠  Êú¨²
 
âçèòÐòèçªçèõÐæÐÆ                one with thoughtless behaviour
¬ùªéù    µæȪéë               no repute
íÊ                                     that truth
ãùæêÐÊ                               of the world
öçªçèùª¿    îùèõÐæÐÆ몠      all those learned in sacred books
Êú¨²                                 concur in opinion

Thoughtlessness   never   brings   repute-   that   is   the   teaching
of   all   those   learned   in   the   sacred   books   of   the   world   (533).
   
íòÐò   ËéìáèõÐæÐÆ   íõú¨ùªéù   ͧªæ¨ùªéù   534
âçèòÐòè窠  µéìáèõÐæÐÆ   åäªÆ
 
íòÐò몠   ãéìáèõÐæÐÆ         for those who are afraid
íõúª                                 fortress (protection)
¬ùªéù                              is of no use
ͧªÆ                                 likewise
¬ùªéù                              is not
âçèòÐòè窵éìáèõÐæÐÆ       for the forgetful
åäªÆ                                  the use of wealth
 
Even   as   a   fortress   is   of   no   use   where   there   is   fear,   so   too
wealth   is   of   no   use   when   there   is   thoughtlessness   (534).
   
ËäªÄ÷æР  æèôèÊ   ¬ÇæÐæ¨áè䪠   êäªç¨éÈ     535
ç¨äªÛ×   ¬õ§ªæ¨   ô¨Ìëª
 
Ëäªã÷               anticipate difficulties
æèôèÊ               and protecting oneself
¬ÇæÐæ¨áè䪠      one who is thoughtless
êäªç¨éÈ             one's own remiss
ç¨äªÃ×              subssequent sufferings
¬õ§ªæ¨ô¨Ì몠      will regret
 
The   thoughtless   man   who   does   not   anticipate   difficulties
will   be   regretful   when   besieged   by   difficulty   (535).
   
¬ÇæÐæèéë  áèõÐëèìªÌ몠 öäª×몠 ôÇæÐæèéë  536
ôèá¨äª   íÊâôèçªçÊ   ¬ùª
 
¬ÇæÐæèéë               not being forgetful
áèõÐëèìªÌ몠             in anyone
öäª×몠                     always
ôÇæÐæèéë               without exception
ôèá¨äª                      if present
íÊøçªçÊ    ¬ùª       there is nothing to match it
   
That   quality   is   matchless   when   one   is   never   forgetful   (at
any   place   or   time   or   in   respect   of   others)   (536).    
íõ¨áöäª×   Íæèê  ¬ùªéùâçèòÐòèôèæР   537
æÕô¨áèùª   îçè÷ª÷¨òР  âòá¨äª
 
íõ¨á                 rare (difficult)
öäª×                 that which is considered
Íæèê                impossible
¬ùªéù             there does not exist
âçèòÐòèôè       not being forgetful
æÕô¨áèùª         instrument (mind)
îçè÷ª÷¨             having analysed
âòá¨äª              if one engages in action
 
One   who   is   never   forgetful   and   engages   so   in   action,
will   have   nothing   beyond   accomplishment   (537).
     
µæȪåÐêéô  îçè÷ª÷¨òР âòáùªîôúªÌ몠 âòáªáèÊ    538
¬æȪåÐêèõÐæÐÆ   öÇéë±ëª   ¬ùª
 
 
îçè÷ª÷¨                    with reverence
âòáùªîôúªÌ몠      one should engage in
âòáªáèÊ                 if thery are not done
¬æȪåÐêèõÐæÐÆ          for those without thought
öÇéë±ëª               even in seven births
¬ùª                         they have no rdemption
 
 
One   should   always   live   by   the   teachings   of   the   wise;   the one   who   forgets   will   have   no   redemption   even   in   seven   births   (538). 
 
¬æȪòÐò¨á¨äª   âæìªìèéõ   ãóªÓæ   êèåÐê몠  539
ëæ¨ÈªòÐò¨á¨äª   éëåÐÊ×몠  îçèȪÊ
 
¬æȪòÐò¨á¨äª                   due to forgetfulness
âæìªìèéõ                     those who had come to grief
ãóªÓæ                           remember and recall
êèëªê몠                          in one's own
ëæ¨ÈªòÐò¨á¨äª                   times of elation
éëåÐÊã×몠   îçèÊ       when one swells with pride

 
Pride   resultant   from   pleasure   brings   neglect.   At   such   times   one
should   remember  those  who  were  ruined  through  thoughtlessness  (539).  
ãóªó¨áÊ   öáªêùª   öó¨Êë䪠  ë÷ª×åÐêè䪠       540
ãóªó¨áÊ   ãóªó窠  âç÷¨äª
ãóªó¨áÊ                     what one intends
öáªêùª                        obtaining
öó¨Êë䪠                   is easy of accomplishment
ë÷ª×ëªêè䪠               one by himself
ãóªó¨áÊ                    what he intends
ãóªó窠   âç÷¨äª        if he keeps in mind
 
One   can   accomplish   whatever   one   wants   provided   one   keep
the   objective   constantly   in   mind   (540).
 

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