THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 61 -

VERSES 601 TO 610

ëïá¨äªéë      Sloth
 
ÆïöäªÄ몠  Æäª÷è   ô¨óæÐæ몠  ëïâáäªÄ몠                 601
ëèÎõ   ëèáªåÐÊ   âæÌëª
 
Æï   öäªÄ몠      the life of one
Æäª÷è       without getting extinguished
ô¨óæÐæ몠      (said to be) a lamp
ëïâáäªÄ몠      through laziness
ëèà   Ãõ       gathering darkness
ëèáªåÐÊ       will fade
âæÌ몠      and get put out
   
The   bright   lamp   of   one's   existence   will   be   enveloped   by   darkness   and   extinguished   by   one's   sloth   (601).
   
ëïéá   ëïáè   øÇæùª   ÆïéáæР                                    602
Æïáèæ   îôúªÌ   çôõÐ
 
ëïéá       laziness
ëïáè       as laziness
øÇæùª       should live with effort
Æïéá       one's life
Æïáèæ       to improve its quality
îôúªÌçôõР      those desirous

Those   who   seek   to   elevate   their   family   repute   must   recognise sloth   for   what   it   is   and   shun   it   (602).
   
ëïëïæР  âæèúªâìèÇÆ몠  îçéê   ç¨÷åÐê                         603
Æïëï±ëª   êäªä¨Ä몠  ËåÐÊ
 
ëïëï       the laziness that is fit to be destroyed
âæèúªâìèÇÆ몠      living with such a quality
îçéê       the ignorant
ç¨÷åÐê    Æï       one's family
ëï±ëª       wil be destroyed
êäªä¨Ä몠      even him
ËåÐÊ       before
   
He   who   nourishes   sloth   will   see   his   family   reputewither   away   in   his   own   time   (603).
 
 
ÆïëïåÐÊ   Æ÷ª÷몠  âçÕÆ몠  ëïëïåÐÊ                               604
ëèúªì   ã¢÷ª÷¨   ùôõÐæÐÆ
 
ÆïëïåÐÊ       the family being destroyed
Æ÷ª÷몠   âçÕÆ몠      offences would increase
ëïëïåÐÊ       drowned in laziness
ëèúªì       glorious acts
ã¢÷ª÷¨ùôõÐæÐÆ       for those who do not perform

Making   no   effort   towards   glorious   acts   and   yielding   to   sloth   will   lead   to increase   of   crime   and   suffering   of   the   people   (604).
 
 
âåÌå©õР  ë÷ô¨   ëïÊá¨ùª   åèäªÆ몠                                      605
âæÌå©õèõР  æèëæР  æùäª
 
âåÌå©õР      procrastination
ë÷ô¨       forgetfulness
ëï       sloth
Êá¨ùª       slumber
åèäªÆ몠      (these) four
âæÌå©õèõР      those whose wont is ruin
æèëæР   æù䪠      pleasure boats
 
Delay,   forgetfulness,   sloth   and   slumber   are   the four   qualities,   that   like   the   pleasure   boats,   send one   to   one's   ruin   (605).
   
çï±éìáèõР  ç÷ª×íéëåÐêæР  æúªÑ몠  ëï±éìáèõР    606
ëèúªçá䪠  öáªêùª   íõ¨Ê
 
çï±éìáèõР      the king's
ç÷ª×       wealth
íéëåÐêæР   æúªÑ몠      even if it comes on its own
ëï±éìáèõР      the lazy
ëèúªìá䪠      great benefit
öáªêùª       attaining
íõ¨Ê       is rare
 
Even   to   him   to   whom   wealth   has   come   of   itself,   its   benefit will   be   lost,   if   he   is   slothful   (606).
   
¬ïµõ¨åÐÊ   öóªÓ¢ªâòèùª   îæìªçõР  ëïµõ¨åÐÊ                   607
ëèúªì   ã¢÷ª×   ¬ùôõÐ
 
¬ïµõ¨åÐÊ       friends decrying
öóªÓ몠   âòèùª       disparaging words
îæìªçõР      will be obliged to hear
ëïµõ¨åÐÊ       giving in to sloth
ëèúªì       higher efforts
ã¢÷ª÷¨ùôõР      those who do not engage in

He   who   fails   to   pursue   higher   efforts,   but   gives   in   to   sloth, will   have   to   bear   the   rebuke   and   contempt   of   others   (607).  
ëïéë   ÆïéëæÐæúª   ꧪæ¨äªê䪠  øäªäèõÐæÐÆ             608
íïéë   µÆêÐꨠ  ô¨Ìëª
 
ëïéë       sloth
ÆïéëæÐæúª       in the one born in good clan
ꧪæ¨äª       if is there
ê䪠      one's
øäªäèõÐæÐÆ       enemies
íïéë    µÆêÐꨠ  ô¨Ì몠      will enslave
 
He   who   gives   in   to   sloth   will   soon   be   enslaved   by his   enemies   (608).
   
Æïáèúªéë   ±óªôåÐê   Æ÷ª÷몠  øÕô䪠                        609
ëïáèúªéë   ëè÷ª÷æР  âæÌëª
 
Æïáèúªéë       in his family and his personal efforts
ãóª   ôåÐê       arising
Æ÷ª÷몠        defects
øÕô䪠      he who
ëïáèúªéë       the nature of being lazy
ëè÷ª÷       if he would overcome
âæÌ몠      will be dissipated
 
He   who   has   inherited   failings   from   his   family   can overcome   them   by   industry   (609).
   
ëïá¨ùè   ëäªäô䪠  öáªÊ몠  íïáóåÐêè䪠                  610
êèíáÊ   öùªùè몠  øÕ§ªÆ
 
ëïá¨ùè       free from sloth
ëäªäô䪠      the king
öáªÊ몠      will achieve
íï       wih his foot
íóåÐêè䪠      the one who measured (the universe)
êèíáÊ    öùªùè몠      the entire earth which was covered
øÕ§ªÆ       together

The   king   who   is   free   from   sloth   can   gain   the   whole   world   that   the   Lord   traversed   in   three   steps   (610).
 
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