kl92

THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 92-

VERSES 911 TO 920
    
ôéõô¨äª ëæó¨õÐ      On Harlots
 
íäªç¨äª ô¨éÈáèõÐ âçèÕóªô¨éÈ±ëª ÍáªâêèïáèõÐ 911
¬äªâòèùª ¬ÇæÐÆêÐ êÕëª

íäªç¨äª  ô¨éÈáèõÐ  without real affection
âçèÕóªô¨éȱ몠  only after wealth
ÍáªâêèïáèõР  the bejewelled women
¬äªâòèùª   sweet talk
¬ÇæÐÆ   ruin
êÕëª   will bring

 
The sweet talk of bejewelled women, not out of love,
but for money, will only bring ruin (911).  


çá䪭æÐæ¨çª çúªµéõæÐÆëª çúªç¨ùª ëæó¨õÐ 912
åá䪭æÐæ¨ åóªóè ô¨ìùª


çá䪭æÐ樠  in proportion to gain
çúªµ ãéõæÐÆ몠  speaking sweetly
çúªµ ¬ùª   devoid of attributes
ëæó¨õР  of the women
åá䪭æÐ樠  assessing
åóªóè  ô¨ìùª  avoid their company


It is best to assess women who use words of love for
gain and avoid them (912).  


âçèÕìªâçúªïõÐ âçèáªëªéë ËáæÐæëª ¬Õìªìé÷á¨ùª 913
Öê¨ùª ç¨úåÐêÈ©¬ á÷ª×


 
âçèáªëªéë   false
ËáæÐæ몠  embrace
¬ÕìªÌ íé÷á¨ùª   in a dark room
Öê¨ùª   unknown
ç¨úëª   corpse
êÈ©¬   embracing
í÷ª×   is like
 
Embracing a woman who sells her body for gain is like,
without knowing, embracing a corpse in a dark room (913).


 
âçèÕìªâçèÕóèõÐ µäªäùëª îêèáèõÐ íÕìªâçèÕóª 914
Í±ëª í÷¨ô¨ äôõÐ


âçèÕóªâçèÕóèõР  of the harlots who consider wealth above
µùª åù몠  low pleasures
îêèáèõР  will not seek
íÕóªâçèÕóª   wealth through righteous means
Í±ëª   those who analyse (and earn)
í÷¨ô¨äôõР  the wise

The wise, who understand true value, will shun the
low pleasures offered by a woman for gain (914).

 
âçèÊåùêÐêèõÐ µäªäùëª îêèáèõÐ ëê¨åùêÐê¨äª 915
ëèúªì í÷¨ô¨ äôõÐ

âçèÊåùêÐêèõР  of the harlots
µùª åù몠  mean pleasures
îêèáèõР  will not seek
ëê¨åùêÐê¨äª   by virtue of discernment
ëèúªì   endowed with
í÷¨ô¨äôõР  the wise

Men of learning and repute will shun the pleasures
offered by low women (915).
 
êåÐåùëª çèõ¨çªçèõÐ îêèáèõÐ êéæâòÕæÐæ¨çª 916
µäªäùëª çèõ¨çªçèõÐ îêèóª

êåÐåù몠  their repute
çèõ¨çªçèõР  those who value
îêèáèõР  will not seek
êéæ  endowed with charms
âòÕæÐ樠  showy
µùª åù몠  low pleasures
çèõ¨çªçèõР  who would spread their wares
îêèóª   shoulder (company)

Men of virtue who value their repute will not yield to
the charms offered by low women (916).

å¨é÷â墪òëª ¬ùªùôõÐ îêèáªôõÐ ç¨÷â墪ò¨÷ª 917
îçú¨çª µúõÐçôõÐ îêèóª

å¨é÷   resolute
â墪ò몠  mind
¬ùªùôõР  without
îêèáªôõР  will seek
ç¨÷  other
â墪ò¨äª   mentally
îçú¨   desiring
µúõÐçôõР  the harlots'
îêèóª   company

Only men who lack resoluteness of mind will seek
the embrace of thewoman who offers her body
for gain (917).

 
Í±ëª í÷¨ô¨äõÐ íùªùèõÐæÐÆ íú§ªâæäªç 918
ëèá ëæó¨õÐ ËáæÐÆ
 
Í±ëª   one who considers
í÷¨ô¨äõР  the ability
íùªùèõÐæÐÆ   those who do not have
íú§ªÆ   the divine nymph
öäªç   it is said
ëèá ëæó¨õР  the wily harlot
ËáæÐÆ   company

It is only a thoughtless person who will be taken in by the charms of a low woman and consider her to be
a divine nymph (918).

ôéõô¨ùè ëèú¨éÈáèõÐ âëäªî÷èóª µéõá¨ùèçª 919
·õ¨áõÐæóª ÍÇëª íó×

ôéõ² ¬ùè   those (harlots) who sell their body for money
ëèúª ¬éÈáèõР  well-decked harlots
âëùª îêèóª   delicate person
µéõ  ability to discern foolishness
¬ùè  without
·õ¨áõÐæóª   the lowly
ÍÇëª   sinking
íó×  hell-hole


Those who delight in the harlot's charms are fools
who do not realise that they are sinking into a hell-hole (919).
 

¬Õëäçª âçúªïÕëª æóªÓëª æô×ëª 920
ê¨Õå©æÐæçª çìªìèõÐ âêèìõе

¬Õëä窠 âçúªïÕëª  women of divided affection
æóªÓ몠  wine
æô×ëª   deceit
ê¨Õ  by the goddess of wealth
å©æÐæ窠 çìªìèõÐ  abandoned
âêèìõе   company

Those who have been ruined, often owe it to wine, women and gambling (920).  


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