THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 9

VERSES 81 TO 90

                                                         
ô¨Õå‡îêèëŠçù Š     Care of  Guests    

¬Õå‡îêèëŠç¨ ¬ùŠôèÈŠô âêùŠùèëŠô¨Õå‡îêèëŠç¨    81
îôóèÚˆéë    âòáŠê÷Š    âçèÕì‡Ì
 
¬ùŠ  ¬Õå‡Ê   home
ØëŠç¨   is to care and protect
ôèÈŠôÊ  öùŠùèëŠ   and lead a life
ô¨Õå‡Ê   guests
ØëŠç¨   to serve
îôóèÚˆéë   and to help
âòáŠê÷Š   the purpose
                                                         
  The purpose of a good home is to care , protect and lead a life of service
and help to guests.    

ô¨Õå‡Ê    µ÷ê‡êêèê‡    êèÄÚˆìùŠ    òèôè            82
ëÕå‡âêä¨ÄëŠ    îôÚˆì÷Šçè÷Š×    íäŠ×
 
ô¨Õå‡Ê   guests
µ÷ê‡êêè   kept outside
êèäŠ   one
ãÚˆìùŠ   eats
òèôè   of immortality
ëÕå‡Ê   food
öä¨ÄëŠ   even if
îôÚˆì÷Šçè÷Š  ÷äŠ×   it is not right
 
 To eat while keeping a guest waiting outside is not right even if one were
eating the food of immortality.    
ôÕô¨Õå‡Ê    éôæÙëŠ    Ø늵ôèäŠ    ôèÈŠæ‡éæ        83
çÕôå‡Ê    çèÈŠçÌêùŠ    ¬äŠ×  
 
ôÕô¨Õå‡Ê   guests
éôæÙëŠ   always
Ø늵ôèäŠ   takes care
ôèÈŠæ‡éæ   his life
çÕôå‡Ê   poverty
çèÈŠçÌêùŠ   befall
¬äŠ×   does not
 
Poverty does not befall  him  who always takes care of his guests .  
íæäëõ‡å‡Ê    âòáŠáèóŠ    ãé÷±ëŠ    Ëæäëõ‡å‡Ê      84
åùŠô¨Õå‡Ê    Ø늵ôèäŠ    ¬ùŠ
 
íæä  íëõ‡å‡Ê   a pleased
âòáŠáèóŠ   Goddess Lakshmi
ãé÷±ëŠ   will remain
Ëæä  íëõ‡å‡Ê   with a pleasant demeanour
åùŠô¨Õå‡Ê   guests
Ø늵ôèäŠ   who takes care
¬ùŠ   in his house
 
The Goddess Lakshmi (goddess of prosperity) will remain in his house 
who takes care of  his guests with a pleasant demeanour.
   
ô¨ê‡ÊëŠ ¬ìùŠîôÚˆÌëŠ âæèùŠîùè ô¨Õå‡îêèëŠç¨     85
ë¨ò‹ò¨ùŠ    ë¨éòôèäŠ    µùëŠ  
 
ô¨ê‡ÊëŠ   seeds
¬ìùŠîôÚˆÌëŠ  âæèùŠîùè   is there a need to sow ?
ô¨Õå‡Ê  ØëŠç¨   after serving guests
ë¨ò‹ò¨ùŠ   food
ë¨éòôèäŠ   one who eats
µùëŠ   field
 
Does he need to sow seeds in the field, who eats after serving his guests ?    
âòùŠô¨Õå‡Ê    ØëŠç¨    ôÕô¨Õå‡Ê    çèõ‡ê‡ê¨Õç‡çèäŠ      86
åùŠô¨Õå‡Ê    ôèäê‡    êôõ‡æ‡Æ  
âòùŠô¨Õå‡Ê   guests who come
ØëŠç¨   taking care of
ôÕô¨Õå‡Ê   guests who may come
çèõ‡ê‡Ê  ¬Õç‡çèäŠ   and looking forward to
åùŠô¨Õå‡Ê   will be a welcome guest
ôèäê‡  êôõ‡æ‡Æ   gods in heaven

 One who takes care of guests who have come and looks forward to guests
who may  come later  will himself be a welcome guest to the gods in heaven.    
¬éäê‡ÊéÚê‡ âêäŠçâêèäŠ ÷¨ùŠéù ô¨Õå‡ê¨äŠ   87
ÊéÚê‡ÊéÚ    îôóŠô¨ç‡    çáäŠ  
¬éäê‡ÊéÚê‡Ê   in itself
öäŠçÊ  øäŠ×   ¬ùŠéù   has no measure
ô¨Õå‡ê¨äŠ guest
ÊéÚ the worthy
ÊéÚ is the only measure
îôóŠô¨ç‡  çáäŠ   hospitality
Hospitality in itself has no measure beyond its being extended to a worthy guest.    

çõ¨å‡îêèëŠç¨ç‡    ç÷Š÷÷Šî÷ëŠ    öäŠçõ‡    ô¨Õå‡îêèëŠç¨      88
îôóŠô¨    êéùç‡çìè    êèõ‡  
 
çõ¨å‡Ê  ØëŠç¨   after losing wealth
ç÷Š×  í÷Šî÷ëŠ   have no desires
öäŠçõ‡   will claim
ô¨Õå‡Ê  ØëŠç¨   hospitality
îôóŠô¨   in the act of
êéùç‡çìè  êèõ‡   those who do not engage
 
Those who are not hospitable are those who claim to have no desires after losing their wealth.

 
ãéìéë±óŠ    ¬äŠéë    ô¨Õå‡îêèëŠçùŠ    ØëŠçè      89
ëìéë    ëìôèõ‡æÚˆ    ãÚˆÌ

ãéìéë±óŠ in the midst of wealth
¬äŠéë   is said to be poor
ô¨Õå‡Ê  ØëŠçùŠ   to exercise hospitality
ØëŠçè   those who don't want
ëìéë   This foolishness
ëìôèõ‡æÚˆ   by stupid people
ãÚˆÌ   is practised

 He is poor in the midst of wealth, who is not hospitable. Such foolishness
is the mark of stupid people.

  îëèç‡çæ‡    ÆéÈ±ëŠ    íä¨ò‹òëŠ    Ëæå‡ê¨õ¨å‡Ê         90
îåèæ‡ææ‡    ÆéÈ±ëŠ    ô¨Õå‡Ê
 
îëèç‡çæ‡   when smelt
ÆéÈ±ëŠ   fades
íä¨ò‹òëŠ   Anicha flower
Ëæå‡ê¨õ¨å‡Ê   indifference
îåèæ‡ææ‡   at seeing
ÆéÈ±ëŠ   is dejected
ô¨Õå‡Ê   Guests
 
Just as the Anicha flower fades when smelt so does the guest feel
dejected by an indifferent host.   

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