THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 82 -

VERSES 811 TO 820

ê©   å쪵      Friendship   of   the   Bad

 
çÕÆôèõР  îçèù¨Ä몠  çúªç¨ùèõР  îæúªéë         811
âçÕæù¨÷ª   Æäª÷   ù¨ä¨Ê
 
çÕÆôèõР        consumed with desire
îçèù¨Ä몠        though appearing to be
çúªµ       virtue
¬ùèõР      those lacking in
îæúªéë       friendship
âçÕæù¨äª         rather than growing
Æäª÷ùª       dissipation
¬ä¨Ê       is preferable
 
Even   if   they   appear   to   thirst   for   friendship,   it   is   better   to
give   up   rather   than   retain   friends   lacking   in   virtue   (811).
 
ã÷¨ä쪠  ì÷¨âäè¥ã몠  øçªç¨ùèõР  îæúªéë         812
âç÷¨Ä몠  ¬Èçªç¨Ä   âëäª
 
ã÷¨äª         when there is advantage
å쪠  Ì         to show friendship
í÷¨äª       when there is no advantage
ø¥ã몠        to drop friendship
øçªç¨ùèõР        who are unique
îæúªéë         friendship
âç÷¨Ä몠      even if acquired
¬Èçªç¨Ä몠      even if lost
ö䪠      of what difference it is
   
Of   what   consequence   is   a   friendship   which   comes   and   goes
according   to   convenience   ?   (812)
 

ã×ôÊ   ò©õЭæÐÆ몠  å쪵몠  âç×ôÊ               813
âæèóªôèÕ§ª   æóªôÕ몠  îåõÐ
 
ã×ôÊ         advantages
ò©õЭæÐÆ몠      those who calculate
å쪵몠        friendship
âç×ôÊ       to gain
âæèóªôèÕ몠        harlots
æóªôÕ몠      thieves
îåõР        are alike
 
Those   seeking   only   the   gains   from   a   friendship   are   of   the   same
breed   as   harlots   and   thieves   (813).
   
íëõæêР  êè÷ª÷×æÐƧª   æùªùèëè   íäªäèõР            814
êëõ¨äª   êä¨éë   êéù
 
íëõР        battle
íæêÐÊ         in the midst of
Í÷ª×         throw off
í×æÐÆ몠        and bolting away
æùªùè         the unlettered (not true friends)
ëè   íäªäèõР        war horse
êëõ¨äª         than the friendship
êä¨éë       alone (without friends)
êéù         better
   
It   is   better   to   be   without   friends   who   are   like   the   untrained
horse   that   desert   the   rider   on   the   battlefield   (814).
 
 
âòáªîê뢪   òèõèòР  ò¨÷¨áôõР  µäªîæúªéë             815
öáªêù¨äª   öáªêèéë   åäª×
 
âòáªÊ         (a good turn) done
Öë몠   òèõè         which is not cherished
ò¨÷¨áôõР        petty minded people
äªîæúªéë       bad fiendship
öáªêù¨äª           than attaining
öáªêèéë         non-attainment
åäª×         better
 
The   friendship   which   does   not   cherish   a   good     turn   done,
is   best   not   acquired   at   all   (815).
îçéê   âçÕ§ªâæÈ©¬   åìªç¨äª   í÷¨²éìáèõР        816
Öê¨äªéë   îæèï   ±×ëª
   
îçéê       ignorant
âçÕëªâæÈ©¬         than the very thick
åìªç¨äª         friendship
í÷¨²éìáèõР        of the wise
Öê¨äªéë         enmity
îæèï    ã×몠      (is) a million times (better)

 
The   enmity   of   a   wise   man   is   a   million   times   better
than   the   friendship   of   a   fool   (816).
   
åéæôéæá   õèæ¨á   åìªç¨÷ª   çéæôõè÷ª                   817
çêÐêÌêÐê   îæèï   ±×ëª
 
åéæôéæáõР        the one of smiling face (a hypocrite)
Íæ¨á         one who is
åìªç¨äª         than his friendship
çéæôõèùª       by the enemy
çêÐÊ    íÌêÐê         ten times
îæèï         million
ã×몠        will result

The   harm   from   an   enemy   is   ten   million   times   better   than
the   friendship   of   a   hypocrite   (817).
   
øùªÙ§ª   æÕë몠  ãì÷ª×   çôõÐîæúªéë              818
âòèùªùèìèõР  îòèõ   ô¨ìùª
 
øùªÙ몠        what could be done
æÕë몠      task
ãì÷ª×    çôõР        who would not do
îæúªéë       (their) friendship
âòèùªùèìèõР        quietly
îòèõ    ô¨ìùª         may be given up
 
Friends   who   are   unwilling   to   undertake   even   easy   tasks   for   you,
are   best   given   up   quietly   (818).    
æäô¨Ä몠  ¬äªäèÊ   ëäªîäè   ô¨éäîô×         819
âòèùªîô×   çìªìèõР  âêèìõе
 
æäô¨Ä몠      even in a dream
¬äªäèÊ         (will be) harmful
ë䪠  Ø           O!
ô¨éäîô×         acts being different
âòèùªîô×         (and) words being different
çìªìèõР        those who have this quality
âêèìõе       connection (friendship)

The   friendship   of   one   whose   actions   and   words   are   at   variance
should   not   be   contemplated   even   in   a   dream   (819).
   
öéäêÐʧª   Æ×Æêùª   Øëªçùª   ëéäæÐâæÈ©¬     820
ëäª÷¨ùª   çȨçªçèõР  âêèìõе
 
öéäêÐÊ몠        however small
Æ×Æêùª         approaching
Øëªçùª         to be avoided
ëéäæÐâæÈ©¬       praising privately
ëäª÷¨ùª       in public
çȨçªçèõР        deride
âêèìõе         friendship
   
Friends   who   profess   attachment   to   you   in   private   but   deride
ypu   in   public   are   best   avoided   (820).
 

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