THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 90 -

VERSES 891 TO 900

âçõ¨áèéõ窠  ç¨éÈáèéë     Not   Offending   the   Great
 
Í÷ª×ôèõР  Í÷ª÷ùª   ¬æÈèéë   îçè÷ª×ôèõР    891
îçè÷ª÷Ùóª   öùªùè몠  êéù
 
Í÷ª×ôèõР        of those who will achieve
Í÷ª÷ùª         their capacity
¬æÈèéë         the one who will not deride
îçè÷ª×ôèõР      of the one desirous of selfprotection
îçè÷ª÷Ùóª         of protections
öùªùè몠        of all
êéù       the greatest
 
The   greatest   protection   of   one   lies   in   guarding against   deriding   those   who   have   the   capacity   to   achieve   things   (891).    
âçõ¨áèéõ窠  îçúèÊ   øÇæ¨äª   âçõ¨áèõèùª     892
îçõè   ¬Ìëªéç   êÕëª
 
âçõ¨áèéõ           the great
îçúèÊ         not respecting
øÇæ¨äª         if one conducts himself
âçõ¨áèõèùª       (that behaviour) towards the great
îçõè         ever lasting
¬Ìëªéç         suffering
êÕ몠      will bring
 
Where   great   people   are   not   respected,endless   troubles   will follow   (892).  
âæìùªîôúªï䪠  îæóèÊ   âòáªæ   íìùªîôúªï䪠  893
Í÷ª×   çôõÐæúª   ¬ÇæÐÆ
 
âæìùª       bring ruin (upon himself)
îôúªï䪠        if one desires to
îæóèÊ         without heeding good advice
âòáªæ         perform (evil acts)
íìùªîôúªï䪠        if one wants to be routed by the enemy
Í÷ª×çôõÐæúª         to great people
¬ÇæÐÆ       do wrong
 
Ruin   will   follow   giving   offence   to   great   people   as   surely   as
when   good   advice   is   ignored   (893).    
Ô÷ª÷êÐéêæР  éæáèùª   ô¨ó¨êÐê÷ª÷èùª   Í÷ª×ôèõÐæÐÆ   894
Í÷ª÷èêèõР  ¬äªäè   âòáùª
 
Ô÷ª÷êÐéê         the god of death
éæáèùª         with the hand
ô¨ó¨êÐÊ       beckoning
í÷ª×         is like
Íùª         O!
Í÷ª×ôèõÐæÐÆ       to the competent
Í÷ª÷èêèõР        the incapable
¬äªäè    âòáùª         giving offence
   
The   weak   offending   the   strong   is   like   beckoning   to   death   (894).  
áèúªÌòÐâòäª×   áèúªÌ몠  ãóõèæèõР  âôåÐÊçªç¨äª
îôåÐÊ   âò÷çªç쪠  ìôõÐ   895
 
áèúªÌòÐâòäª×         wherever he seeks refuge
áèúªÌ몠        at no place
ãóõР   ÍæèõР        will escape
âô몠   Êçªç¨äª         of great might
îôåÐÊ         king
âò÷çªç쪠   ìôõР        if the subject of the anger of
 
One   who   offends   a   powerful   king   will   have   no   escape   anywhere   (895).  
öõ¨áè÷ª   àìçªçïÄ몠  ã᪲úªìè몠  ãáªáèõР        896
âçõ¨áèõÐ窠  ç¨éÈêÐâêèÇÆ   ôèõÐ
 
öõ¨áèùª       by fire
àìçªçïÄ몠        even if burnt
ã᪲    ãúªìè몠        there is scope for survival
ãáªáèõР        will not survive
âçõ¨áèõР        the great
ç¨éÈêÐÊ       offending
øÇÆôèõР        behaviour of
 
One   may   survive   a   forest   fire,   but   not   the   consequences of   offending     the   great   (896).  
ôéæëèúªì   ôèȪæÐéæ±ëª   ôèäªâçèÕÓëª
öäªäè몠  897
êéæëèúªì   êæÐæèõР  âò÷¨äª
 
ôéæ       several types of wealth
ëèúªì         endowed with
ôèȪæÐéæ±ëª         life
ôèäªâçèÕÓ몠        abundant riches
ö䪠  Í몠      of what use
êéæëèúªì         of noble disposition
êæÐæèõР        great men
âò÷¨äª         if (they) incur the wrath of
 
Of   what   avail   is   a   person's   standing   and   wealth   when   he has   incurred   the   anger   of   the   great   ?   (897)  
Æäª÷äªäèõР  Æäª÷   ëê¨çªç¨äª   ÆïâáèÌ     898
å¨äª÷äªäèõР  ëèáªôõР  å¨ùêÐÊ
 
Æäª×    íäªäèõР        those lofty as the mountain
Æäª÷       slighting
ëê¨çªç¨äª       if one entertains such a thought
ÆïâáèÌ         with all his kith and kin
å¨äª÷    íäªäèõР      well established people
ëèáªôõР        will be ruined
å¨ùêÐÊ       in this world
   
Offence   to   the   great   will   bring   instant   total   destruction of   even   those   well   established   (898).

ÖåÐê¨á   âæèóªéæáèõР  ò©÷¨äª   ¬éìËõ¨åÐÊ      899
îôåÐêÄ몠  âôåÐÊ   âæÌëª
 
ÖåÐê¨á         high
âæèóªéæáèõР        principled persons
ò©÷¨äª         if their anger is aroused
¬éìËõ¨åÐÊ       in the middle of his life
îôåÐêÄ몠      even Lord Indra (a mighty person)
âôåÐÊ       suffer
âæÌ몠      and be destroyed
 
The   anger   of   a   lofty   person   can   destroy   even   the   mightiest   of     kings   (899).  
¬÷åÐêéëåÐê   òèõеéìá   õèá¨Ä몠  ãáªáèõР     900
ò¨÷åÐêéëåÐê   ò©õèõР  âò÷¨äª
 
¬÷åÐÊ    íéëåÐê       exceedingly powerful
òèõеéìáõР      support
Íá¨Ä몠      even though
ãáªáèõР      will not survive
ò¨÷åÐÊ    íéëåÐê       a lofty
ò©õèõР        person of high ethical values
âò÷¨äª       if angered
 
No   one,   having   support,   however   powerful,   can   escape   the   anger   of
a   lofty   person   (900).  


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