THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 6

VERSES 51 TO 60

ôèÈŠæ‡éæê‡   ÊéÚåùëŠ    Value of the wife
 
ëéäê‡êæ‡æ ëèÚˆµéìáóŠ Íæ¨ê‡ê÷Š âæèÚˆìèäŠ   51
ôóê‡êæ‡æèóŠ    ôèÈŠæ‡éæê‡    ÊéÚ  
 
ëéäê‡êæ‡æ   befitting a family life
ëèÚˆµ  ãéìáôóŠ  Íæ¨   with good qualities
êäŠ   âæèÚˆìèäŠ   to whom wedded
ôóëŠ  êæ‡æèóŠ   who spends within their means
ôèÈŠæ‡éæê‡  ÊéÚ   is a good wife
 
She   is   a   good   wife   who   has   the   qualities   befitting   a   family 
 life   and   spends   within   the   means of   the   one   to   whom   she   is   wedded.
   

ëéäëèì‡ò¨ ¬ùŠùèóŠæÚˆ ¬ùŠùèá¨äŠ ôèÈŠæ‡éæ    52
öéäëèì‡ò¨ê‡    êèá¨ÄëŠ    ¬ùŠ  
 
ëéä  ëèì‡ò¨   qualities befitting a family life
¬ùŠùèóŠæÚˆ   if the wife
¬ùŠùèá¨äŠ   does not possess
ôèÈŠæ‡éæ   that life
öéä   how ever
ëèì‡ò¨ê‡Ê  Íá¨ÄëŠ   prosperous
¬ùŠ   is not praiseworthy
 
If   the   wife   does   not   possess   qualities   befitting a family   life, that 
 life   however   prosperous   is not   praiseworthy.
   

¬ùŠùâêäŠ ¬ùŠùôóŠ ëèÚˆçèäèùŠ ãóŠóâêäŠ     53
¬ùŠùôóŠ    ëèÚèæ‡    æéì  
 
¬ùŠùÊ  öäŠ   what doesn't he possess
¬ùŠùôóŠ   with a wife
ëèÚˆµ  ÍäèùŠ   who has good qualities
ãóŠóÊ  öäŠ   what does he have
¬ùŠùôóŠ   with a wife
ëèÚèæ‡  æéì   without good qualities
 
With   a   wife   of   good   qualities,  life   will   have  nothing  wanting. 
 Without   such   a   wife,  life will   have   nothing   of   value.
   

âçÚˆÚ¨÷Š    âçÕå‡êæ‡æ    áè²ó    æ÷ŠâçäŠÄëŠ     54
ê¨Úˆéë±Úˆ    ìèæç‡    âç÷¨äŠ  

âçÚˆÚ¨äŠ than the wife
âçÕëŠêæ‡æ   greater wealth
áè   ãó   where exists
æ÷ŠµöäŠÄëŠ   who is chaste
ê¨Úˆéë   strength
ãÚˆìèæ  âç÷¨äŠ   in her life
 
What   greater   wealth   could   there   be   than   a   chaste   wife.    

âêáŠôå‡ âêèÈèíóŠ âæèÇåäŠ âêèÇâêÇôèóŠ      55
âçáŠâáäç‡    âçáŠ±ëŠ    ëéÈ  
 
âêáôëŠ  âêèÈèíóŠ   other than gods
âæèÇåäŠ   husband
âêèÇÊ   whom she worships
öÇôèóŠ   lives by
âçአ öä   she asks for rain
âçáŠ±ëŠ  ëéÈ   and it rains
 
The   rains   will   come   at   the   bidding   of   a   wife   who   lives   in 
 worship   of   her   husband   rather than   of   the   gods.

   
ê÷Šæèê‡Êê‡ ê÷ŠâæèÚˆìè÷Š îçÚ¨ê‡ êéæòèäŠ÷     56
âòè÷Šæèê‡Êò‹    îòèõ‡ô¨ùèóŠ    âçÚˆ  
 
êäŠæèê‡Ê   protecting her virtues
êäŠ   âæèÚˆìèäŠ  îçÚ¨   and her husband
êéæ  òèäŠ÷   and their reputation
âòèùŠ  æèê‡Ê   in a praiseworthy manner
îòèõ‡²  ¬ùèóŠ   tirelessly
âçÚˆ   is a good wife
 
She   is   a   good   wife   who   tirelessly   protects   herself,   her   husband 
 and   their   reputation   in   a praiseworthy   manner.

   
ò¨é÷æèæ‡Æ§‡    æè燵öôäŠ    âòáŠ±ëŠ    ëæó¨õ‡         57
å¨é÷æèæ‡Æ§‡    æèç‡îç    êéù  
 
ò¨é÷   in prison
æèæ‡ÆëŠ   to protect
æè燵   and safeguard
öäŠ   âòáŠ±ëŠ   of what use
ëæó¨õ‡   if women
å¨é÷   honour
æèæ‡ÆëŠ   protect one's own
æèç‡îç   and safeguard
êéù   is the best
 
One's   own   honour   is   the   better   form   of   protection   than   any   physical   safeguard.    

âç÷Š÷è÷Š âç÷¨äŠâç×ôõ‡ âçÚˆïõ‡ âçÕ¢‰ò¨÷ç‡µç‡    58
ê‡îêó¨õ‡    ôèÇëŠ    ãùÆ  
 
âç÷Š÷èäŠ   those to whom wedded
âç÷¨äŠ   if they revere
âç×ôõ‡   will attain
âçÚˆïõ‡   those women
âçÕëŠ  ò¨÷燵   attain glory
µê‡îêó¨õ‡   among the gods
ôèÇëŠ  ãùÆ   residing in heaven

Women   who   revere   those   to   whom   they   are   wedded   attain
glory   among   the   gods   in   heaven.    

µæÈŠµõ¨å‡ê ¬ùŠù¨îùèõ‡æ‡Æ   ¬ùŠéù ¬æÈŠôèõ‡ËäŠ    59
Ö×îçèùŠ    ç©Ì    åéì  
 
µæÈŠ   reputation
µõ¨å‡ê   strive to protect
¬ùŠ   ¬îùèõ‡æ‡Æ   wife does not possess
¬ùŠéù   not possible
¬æÈŠôèõ‡  ËäŠ   in front of people who criticise
Ö×îçèùŠ   lionlike
ç©Ì  åéì   stately stride
 
He   whose   wife   does   not   strive   to   protect   her   reputation   cannot 
 walk   with   dignity in   front   of   people   who   are   critical.
   

맇æùëŠ    öäŠç    ëéäëèì‡ò¨    ë÷Š×íêäŠ           60
åäŠæùëŠ    åäŠëæ‡æì‡    îç×  
 
맇æùëŠ  öäŠç   said to be auspicious
ëéäëèì‡ò¨   virtuous qualities of the wife
ë÷Š×íêäŠ   of the same
åäŠ   æùëŠ   jewels
åäŠ   ëæ‡æóŠ   îç×   good children
 
The   virtuous   qualities   of   the   wife   are   auspicious   and   good   children   are   like   her   jewels.    

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