THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 83 -

VERSES 821 TO 830
    
Ôìè   å쪵     Undesirable   Friendship
 
ò©õ¨ì몠  æèú¨äª   ö÷¨ê÷ªÆ窠  çìªìéì                 821
îåõè   å¨õåÐêôõР  å쪵
 
ò©õ¨ì몠        the occasion
æèú¨äª         when arises
ö÷¨ê÷ªÆ       helping to destroy
çìªìéì       anvil
îåõè           insincere (inimical)
å¨õåÐêôõР          hypocritical
å쪵             friendship
 
To   the   enemy   who   poses   as   a   friend,   you   are   but   an   anvil
for   him   to   strike   when   the   occasion   arises   (821).  
¬äëªîçè䪠  ÷¨äëùªùèõР  îæúªéë   ëæó¨õР    822
ëäëªîçèù   îô×   çÌëª
 
¬ä몠        a sense of belonging
îçèäª×         showing outwardly
¬ä몠   íùªùèõР        not sincere
îæúªéë       friendship
ëæó¨õР        a (fickle) woman
ëäëªîçèù         like the mind of
îô×    çÌ몠      will waver
 
The   friendship   of   an   unworthy   person   will   change
like   the   mind   of   a   (fickle)   woman   (822).  
çùåùªù   æ÷ª÷æР  æéìêÐÊ몠  ëäëªåùªùõР                823
ÍÆêùª   ëèúèõÐæР  æõ¨Ê
 
çùåùªù         various good (texts)
æ÷ª÷       learnt
æéìêÐÊ몠        even though
ëä몠   åùªùõР        a change of mind (for the good)
ÍÆêùª         attaining
ëèúèõÐæÐÆ       to the inimical
íõ¨Ê         rare
   
It   is   rare   for   learning   to   wean   the   mind   away   from
feelings   of   enmity   (823).
 
ËæêÐê¨äª   ¬ä¨á   åæèí   íæêÐê¨äªäè             824
ô¢ªòéõ   í¢ªò窠  çÌëª
 
ËæêÐê¨äª         on the face
¬ä¨á         sweet appearance
åæèí         smiling
íæêÐÊ         within
¬äªäè           evil designs
ô¢ªòéõ       the deceitful
í¢ªò窠   çÌ몠      are to be feared
 
Those   who   hide   inner   enmity   behind   a   smiling   face
are   to   be   feared   (824).
 
ëäêÐê¨äª   íéëáè   êôéõ   öéäêÐâêèäª×¢ª   825
âòèùªù¨äèùª   îê÷÷ªçè÷ª   ÷äª×
 
ëäêÐê¨äª           mind to mind
íéëáè    êôéõ         with those of different wavelength
öéäêÐâêèäª×몠      in whatever they do
âòèùªù¨äèùª         based on their words
îê÷ùª    çè÷ª×         believing
íäª×       not good
 
Those   who   are   not   one   with   you   in   their   thoughts
are   not   to   be   trusted   (825).
   
åìªìèõÐîçèùª åùªùéô âòèùªù¨Äëª øìªìèõÐâòèùª   826
øùªéù   ±úõ窠  çÌëª
 
åìªìèõÐîçèùª       like friends
åùªùéô         beneficial words
âòèùªù¨Ä몠      even if spoken
øìªìèõÐâòèùª         like the words of enemies
øùªéù         very soon
ãúõ窠   çÌ몠      will be known
   
Enmity   can   be   spotted   at   once   even   in   the   midst   of
friendly   expressions   (826).
   
âòèùªôúæÐæëª øäªäèõÐæúªâæèóªó÷ªæ ô¨ùªôúæÐæëª 827
ꩧªÆ   Æ÷¨êÐêéë   áèäª
 
 
âòèùªôúæÐæ몠        (apparent) courtesy in words
øäªäèõÐæúª         coming from enemies
âæèóªó÷ªæ         should not be believed
ô¨ùªôúæÐæ몠        like the bending of the bow
ꩧªÆ         harm
Æ÷¨êÐêéëáè䪠        is sure to give
 
An   enemy   bending   words   to   sound   like   a   friend,   is   like
bending   of   a     bow   to   harm     (827).
 
âêèÇêéæ   ±óªÓ몠  çéìâáȩ̀ªÆëª øäªäèõР    828
íÇêæúª   ú©Õ몠  íéäêÐÊ
 
âêèÇê         supplicated
éæ±óªÓ몠        within the palms
çéì    ø̧ªÆ몠      a weapon may lie concealed
øäªäèõР      of the enemies
íÇê         weeping
æúª   ú©Õ몠      tears
íéäêÐÊ         similarly (could be treacherous)

Just   as   the   palms   raised   in   salutation   may   conceal   a   weapon,
tears   can   also   conceal   enmity   (828).
   
ë¨æòÐâòáªÊ   êëªâëóªÓ   ôèéõ   åæòÐâòáªÊ          829
åìªç¨Äóª   òè窵ùªù÷ª   çè÷ª×
 
ë¨æòÐâòáªÊ         showing excessive respect
ê몠        within the mind
öóªÓ    ôèéõ         those who deride
åæòÐâòáªÊ           smiling (outwardly)
åìªç¨Äóª           pretending to be friendly
òè窵ùªùùª         not to have inward affection
çè÷ª×           is the right course

A   joyful   friendship   feigned   to   hide   inner   hatred   should   be
met   by   reciprocating   it   in   the   same   way   (829).
 
 
çéæåìªç觪   æèù몠  ôÕ§ªæèùª   ËæåìªÌ          830
íæå쪠  âçèõм   ô¨ìùª
 
çéæ         enemies
å쪵    Í몠  æèù몠          when they become friendly
ôÕ§ªæèùª           at that time
ËæåìªÌ         smiling externally
íæ몠        within (not having affection)
å쪵         friendship
øõ©¬           without
ô¨ìùª         should abandon (later, even this external pretence)
 
When   an   enemy   comes   feigning   friendship   with   you,   it   will
be   wise   to   responding   with   a   feigned   friendship   (830).
     
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