THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 72 -

    VERSES 711 - 720
    
íéôá÷¨êùª     The   Knowledge   of   the   Council   Chamber
 
 
íéôá÷¨åÐÊ   ÍõèáªåÐÊ  âòèùªÙæ  âòèùªù¨äª     711
âêèéæá÷¨åÐê   ­áªéë   áôõÐ
 
íéôá÷¨åÐÊ       assessing the receptivity of the audience
ÍõèáªåÐÊ       after carefully choosing
âòèùªÙæ       should utter the words
âòèùªù¨äª         of the speech
âêèéæá÷¨åÐê       one who knows the impact of the utterances
­áªéë    áôõР      the knowledgeable
 
Those   given   to   cogent   speech     will   carefully   choose   their   words
after   assessing   receptivity   of   the   audience   (711).
   
¬éìâêõ¨åÐÊ  åäªÆúõÐåÐÊ  âòèùªÙæ  âòèùªù¨äª    712
åéìâêõ¨åÐê   åäªéë   áôõÐ
 
¬éìâêõ¨åÐÊ       knowing the mood (of the assembly)
åäªÆ    ãúõÐåÐÊ       having thought out well
âòèùªÙæ       one should speak
âòèùªù¨äª         of the words
åéì       import
âêõ¨åÐê       one who knows
åäªéëáôõР      the competent
 
The   style   and   content   of   a   speech   should   be   in   tune   with   the
mood   and   atmosphere   of   the   assembly   (712).
   
íéôá÷¨áèõÐ âòèùªùùªîë÷ª âæèóªçôõÐ âòèùªù¨äª  713
ôéæá÷¨áèõР  ôùªù­ã몠  ¬ùª
 
íéôá÷¨áèõР      not knowing the mood of the assembly
âòèùªùùª       speaking
îë÷ª    âæèóªçôõР      those who indulge in
âòèùªù¨äª           of the words
ôéæá÷¨áèõР      are ignorant of their import
ôùªù­ã몠      anything else
¬ùª       not (aware of)
   
They   who   address   an   assembly   without   judging   its   mood   are
not   good   at   the   art   of   speaking,   or   of   anything   else   (713).
 

øó¨áèõÐË䪠  øóªó¨áõР  Íêùª   âôó¨áèõÐË䪠      714
ôèäªàéê   ôúªú몠  âæèóùª
 
øó¨áèõÐË䪠      in the midst of the learned
øóªó¨áõР      as learned
Íêùª       one should conduct
âôó¨áèõÐË䪠      in the midst of the unlearned
ôèäªàéê       slaked lime
ôúªú몠      white colour (innocence or ignorance)
âæèóùª       should assume
 
One   must   adapt   one's   speech   to   the   level   of   the   audience,
erudite   or   simple   as   the   case   may   be   (714).
   
åäª×öäª÷   ô÷ª×óªÓ몠  åäªî÷   ËÊôÕóª      715
ËåÐÊ   æ¨óôèòР  âò÷¨²
 
åäª×       good
öäª÷ô÷ª×óªÓ몠      among those known as
åäªî÷       is good
ËÊôÕóª         mature wisdom
ËåÐÊ       voluntarily
æ¨óôè       not speaking
âò÷¨²       restraint
 
It   is   better   to   be   modest   and   exercise   restraint   in   speaking
ahead   of   or   in   the   presence   of   elders   or   the   more   learned   (715).
   
Í÷ª÷¨äª   å¨éùêóõÐåР  ê÷ªî÷   ô¨á䪵ù몠        716
ö÷ª×úõÐôèõР  ËäªäõР  ¬ÇæÐÆ
 
Í÷ª÷¨äª       from the correct path
å¨éù       stance
êóõÐåÐÊ       losing
í÷ªî÷       like that
ô¨á䪵ù몠      books of wide and deep knowledge
Ö÷ª×       having mastered
ãúõÐôèõР      those who have digested
ËäªäõР      in the presence of
¬ÇæÐÆ       is disgraceful

Deviating   from   the   right   in   the   presence   of   the   wise   in   an
assembly   will   bring   about   disgrace   (716).
   
æ÷ª÷÷¨åÐêèõР  æùªô¨   ô¨ó§ªÆ몠  æòì÷òР    717
âòèùªâêõ¨êùª   ôùªùè   õæêÐÊ
 
æ÷ª÷÷¨åÐêèõР      those who have mastered the classics
æùªô¨       knowledge
ô¨ó§ªÆ몠      will shine
æòÌ    í÷         without any defect
âòèùªâêõ¨êùª       speaking after due deliberation
ôùªùèõР      of the wise
íæêÐÊ       assembly
 
The   faultless   use   of   words   will   be   appreciated     best   in   an
assembly   of   learned   people   (717).
   
ãúõÐô   ÊéìáèõÐË䪠  âòèùªùùª   ôóõÐôê䪠  718
çèêÐꨱ󪠠 å©õÐâòèõ¨åР  ê÷ª×
 
ãúõÐôÊ       making clear
ãéìáèõÐË䪠      in the assembly of the learned
âòèùªùùª       by exposition
ôóõÐôê䪠        growing (on its own)
çèêÐꨱ󪠠     on a tract of land
å©õÐâòèõ¨åÐÊ       to water
í÷ª×       like
 
The   words   of   a   discerning   person   in   an   assembly   of   the   learned
is   like   taking   water   to   the   crops   (718).
     
µùªùéô±óª âçèòÐòèåÐÊ몠 âòèùªù÷ªæ  åùªùéô±óª  719
åäªÆ   âòùòÐâòèùªÙ   ôèõÐ
 
 
âçèòÐòèåÐÊ몠      even inadvertently
âòèùªù÷ªæ       should not utter
åùª       the learned
íéô±óª       in the assembly of
åäªÆ       speak of good things
âòùòÐâòèùªÙ    ôèõР      those capable of speaking in an impressive way

Those   who   can   speak   well   in   an   assembly   of   the   learned
will   not,   even   by   mistake,   waste   their   words   on   an
ignorant   audience     (719).
   
í§ªæúêÐÊóª  ãæÐæ  íë¨Èªê÷ª÷ùª  ꧪæúêÐêèõР  720
íùªùèõÐË䪠  îæèìªï   âæèóùª
 
í§ªæúêÐÊóª       into the drain
ãæÐæ       pouring
íë¨ÈªÊ       nectar
í÷ª÷èùª       (it is) like
ꧪæúêÐêõР      of one's own class and standard
íùªùèõÐË䪠      amidst those other than
îæèìªï    âæèóùª       should not utter (and if done)
 
It   is   best   not   to   waste   words   on   an   assembly   of   those   who
are   not   your   intellectual   equals,   for   that   will   be   like   pouring
nectar   into   a   drain   (720).
 

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