THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 73 -

VERSES 721 TO 730
    
íéôᢪòèéë     Self-confidence   in   facing   an   Assembly
 
 
ôéæá÷¨åÐÊ   ôùªùéô   ôèáªîòèõèõР  âòèùªù¨äª    721
âêèéæá÷¨åÐê   ­áªéë   áôõÐ
 
ôéæá÷¨åÐÊ       having in mind the level of the audience
ôùªùéô       appropriate to the listeners
ôèáªîòèõèõР      will speak without fault
âòèùªù¨äª       of the words
âêèéæá÷¨åÐê       those who know the import
­áªéë    áôõР      the learned
   
Those   who   are   skilled   in   speaking   will   never   falter
in   a   cogent   presentation,   appropriate   to   the   audience   (721).    
æ÷ª÷èÕóª   æ÷ª÷èõР  öäçªçÌôõР  æ÷ª÷èõÐË䪠   722
æ÷ª÷âòùòР  âòèùªÙ   ôèõÐ
 
æ÷ª÷èÕóª       among the learned
æ÷ª÷èõР      the learned
öäçªçÌôõР      considered as
æ÷ª÷èõÐË䪠        in the assembly of the learned
æ÷ª÷       whatever one has mastered
âòùòР   âòèùªÙ   ôèõР      speaking in an impressive way

They   who   can   address   an   assembly   of   the   learned   convincingly
will   be   proclaimed   as   really   learned     (722).
   
çéæíæêÐÊòР  òèôèõР  öó¨áõР  íõ¨áõР           723
íéôáæêÐÊ   í¢ªòè   êôõÐ
 
çéæíæêÐÊ       in the battle against enemies
òèôèõР      will die
öó¨áõР      the ordinary ones (many)
íõ¨áõР      rare are they (few)
íéôáæêÐÊ       in the assembly
í¢ªòè    êôõР      those who do not lack courage
   
Many   are   those   who   die   at   the   hands   of   the   enemy,
but   only   few   have   the   courage   to   face   an   assembly   (723).    
æ÷ª÷èõÐË䪠  æ÷ª÷   âòùòÐâòèùªù¨êР  êèëªæ÷ª÷  724
ë¨æÐæèÕóª   ë¨æÐæ   âæèóùª
 
æ÷ª÷èõÐË䪠      amidst the learned
æ÷ª÷       whatever one has learnt
âòùòÐâòèùªù¨       speaking convincingly
êèëªæ÷ª÷       more than what one has learnt
ë¨æÐæèÕóª       from those who are more learned
ë¨æÐæ       more
âæèóùª       one should absorb
   
One   should   speak   knowledgeably   in   an   assembly   of   the   learned,
but   also   be   ready   to   listen   to   those   who   know   more   (724).
   
Í÷ª÷¨äª   íóô÷¨åÐÊ   æ÷ªæ   íéôí¢ªòè      725
ëè÷ª÷몠  âæèÌêÐê÷ª   âçèÕìªÌ
 
Í÷ª÷¨äª       on the path of learning
íó²    í÷¨åÐÊ       mastering texts on logic and reasoning
æ÷ªæ       one should digest
íéô       in the assembly
í¢ªòè       without hesitation
ëè÷ª÷몠      suitable replies
âæèÌêÐê÷ª    âçèÕìªÌ       for giving
   
In   meeting   arguments   in   an   assembly   without   fear,   one
needs   to   be   adept   in   logic   and   reasoning   (725).    
ôèâóèÌö䪠 ôäªæúªúõР íùªùèõÐæÐÆ  ¿âùèÌö䪠 726
Åúª úéô   í¢ªà   çôõÐæÐÆ
 
ôèâóèÌ       with the sword
ö䪠      of what avail
ôäªæúªúõР      valorous
íùªùèõÐæÐÆ       who are not
¿âùèÌ       with texts of knowledge
ö䪠      of what avail
Åúªúéô       an assembly of the wise
í¢ªàçôõÐæÐÆ       who are unnerved
 
Without   courage   to   face   an   assembly,   one's   learning   is   of   no   use
in   the   hands   of   one   who   has   fear   (726).
   
çéæáæêÐÊ窠 îçïéæ   øóªôèóª   íéôáæêÐÊ   727
í¢ªà   ëôäªæ÷ª÷   ¿ùª
 
çéæíæêÐÊ       while confronting the enemy in the battlefield
îçïéæ       for a weakling
øóªôèóª       a shining sword
íéôíæêÐÊ       in an assembly
í¢ªà몠      terrified
íô䪠      if he is
æ÷ª÷    ¿ùª       the knowledge he has gathered from books
 
The   learned   man   who   fears   facing   an   assembly   is   like   a   weakling,
holding   a   sword   in   his   hand   against   an   enemy   (727).
 
 
çùªùéô   æ÷ª×몠  çáë¨ùîõ   åùªùéô±óª   728
åäªÆ   âòùòÐâòèùªùè   êèõÐ
 
çùªùéô       many texts
æ÷ª×몠      having mastered
çá몠   ¬ùõР  Ö       O! will be of no use (to the world)ld)
åùª       full of the learned
íéô±óª       in an assembly
åäªÆ       well
âòùòÐâòèùªùè    êèõР      not speak convincingly

All   of   one's   learning   is   of   no   use   unless   it   can   be   purposefully
used   to   secure   acceptance   of   an   assembly   (728).
 

æùªùè   êôõ¨äª   æéìöäªç   æ÷ª÷÷¨åÐÊ몠    729
åùªùè   õéôí¢ªà   ôèõÐ
 
æùªùèêôõ¨äª       than the ignorant
æéì       worse
öäªç       it is said
æ÷ª÷÷¨åÐÊ몠      having learnt a lot
åùªùèõР      of scholars
íéô       in the assembly
í¢ªàôèõР      who would fear (to face)
 
Learned   persons   who   are   afraid   to   face   an   assembly   will   be
considered   worse   than   the   ignorant   (729).
   
ãóâõä¨Ä몠  ¬ùªùèîõèÌ   øçªçõР  æó䢪ò¨æР    730
æ÷ª÷âòùòР  âòèùªùè   êèõÐ
 
ãóõР      living
öä¨Ä몠      although
¬ùªùèîõèÌ       with the dead
øçªçõР      will be comparable
æó䪠      assembly
í¢ªò¨       fearing
æ÷ª÷       all that one has learnt
âòùòР   âòèùªùè   êèõР      (if) not speaking convincingly
 
The   learned   who   are   afraid   to   face   an   assembly,   will   be
considered   to   be   dead   for   all   purposes   (730).
 

PROCEED TO THE NEXT KURAL - SECTION 74 -
RETURN TO THE INDEX OF KURAL PRESENTATIONS