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 |
âêèéæá÷¨åÐê
| one who knows
the impact of the utterances |
áªéë
áôõÐ |
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 |
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÷¨áèõÐ
ôùªùãëª ¬ùª
íéôá÷¨áèõÐ
| not knowing the
mood of the assembly |
îë÷ª
âæèóªçôõÐ
| those who indulge
in |
ôéæá÷¨áèõÐ
| are ignorant
of their import |
They who address
an assembly without judging
its mood are
not good at
the art of speaking, or
of anything else (713).
øó¨áèõÐËäª
øóªó¨áõÐ Íêùª
âôó¨áèõÐËäª
714
ôèäªàéê ôúªúëª
âæèóùª
øó¨áèõÐËäª
| in the midst
of the learned |
âôó¨áèõÐËäª
| in the midst
of the unlearned |
ôúªúëª
| white colour
(innocence or ignorance) |
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×óªÓëª
åäªî÷ ËÊôÕóª
715
ËåÐÊ æ¨óôèòÐ
âò÷¨²
öäª÷ô÷ª×óªÓëª
| among those known
as |
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¨éùêóõÐåÐ
ê÷ªî÷ ô¨á䪵ùëª
716
ö÷ª×úõÐôèõÐ
ËäªäõÐ ¬ÇæÐÆ
Í÷ª÷¨äª
| from the correct
path |
ô¨á䪵ùëª
| books of wide
and deep knowledge |
ãúõÐôèõÐ
| those who have
digested |
ËäªäõÐ
| in the presence
of |
Deviating from
the right in the presence
of the wise in an
assembly will
bring about disgrace (716).
æ÷ª÷÷¨åÐêèõÐ
æùªô¨ ô¨ó§ªÆëª
æòì÷òÐ 717
âòèùªâêõ¨êùª
ôùªùè õæêÐÊ
æ÷ª÷÷¨åÐêèõÐ
| those who have
mastered the classics |
æòÌ
í÷ |
without any defect |
âòèùªâêõ¨êùª
| speaking after
due deliberation |
The faultless
use of words will be
appreciated best in an
assembly of
learned people (717).
ãúõÐô ÊéìáèõÐËäª
âòèùªùùª
ôóõÐôêäª 718
çèêÐꨱóª
å©õÐâòèõ¨åÐ
ê÷ª×
ãéìáèõÐËäª
| in the assembly
of the learned |
ôóõÐôêäª
| growing (on its
own) |
çèêÐꨱóª
| on a tract
of land |
The words of
a discerning person in an
assembly of the learned
is like taking
water to the crops (718).
µùªùéô±óª âçèòÐòèåÐÊëª
âòèùªù÷ªæ
åùªùéô±óª
719
åäªÆ âòùòÐâòèùªÙ
ôèõÐ
âçèòÐòèåÐÊëª
| even inadvertently |
âòèùªù÷ªæ
| should not utter |
íéô±óª
| in the assembly
of |
åäªÆ
| speak of good
things |
âòùòÐâòèùªÙ
ôèõÐ |
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
ꧪæúêÐêèõÐ
720
íùªùèõÐËäª
îæèìªï âæèóùª
í§ªæúêÐÊóª
| into the
drain |
ꧪæúêÐêõÐ
| of one's own
class and standard |
íùªùèõÐËäª
| 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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