THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 100 -

VERSES 991 TO 1000
    
çúªµéìéë      Courtesy (Culture)

öúªçêêÐêèùª öáªêùª öó¨âêäªç áèõÐëèìªÌëª 991
çúªµéìéë âáäªÄëª ôÈæÐÆ

öúªçêêÐêèùª   if easily accessible
öáªêùª   to acquire
öó¨Ê   easy
öäªç   it is said
áèõÐëèìªÌ몠  towards anyone
çúªµ ãéìéë   culture
öäªÄ몠  named
ôÈæÐÆ   the good trait

Courtesy comes with natural ease to a person (of culture)
who is easily accessible to all (991).

í䪵éìéë Íäª÷ Æïçªç¨÷êÐêùª ¬ôªô¨õúªÌëª 992
çúªµéìéë âáäªÄëª ôÈæÐÆ

í䪵 ãéìéë   loving nature
Íäª÷   of good
Æïçªç¨÷êÐêùª   family background
¬ôªô¨õúªÌ몠  these two
çúªµéìéë   good culture
öäªÄ몠  known as
ôÈæÐÆ   the good trait

Love and good family background make for
good culture (992).

ã×çªâçèêÐêùª ëæÐæâóèçª çäª÷èùª âô×êÐêæÐæ 993
çúªâçèêÐêùª øçªçêèëª ø窵.

ã×窵  øêÐêùª  physical similarity
ëæÐæóª  ø窵  greatness of a person
íäª×   is not
Íùª  O!
âô×êÐêæÐæ   desirable
çúªµ øêÐêùª   cultural similarity
øçªçêè몠  correspondence in
ø窵   similarity
 
Greatness comes not from physical but from cultural
similarity with the great (993).

åáâäèÌ åäª÷¨ µõ¨åÐê çáÄéìáèõÐ 994
çúªµçè õèìªÌëª ãùÆ.

åáâäèÌ   with justice
åäª÷¨   righteousness
µõ¨åÐê   desiring
çáäª ãéìáèõР  people who serve others
çúªµ   culture
çèõèìªÌ몠  will commend
ãùÆ  the world
 
He who follows virtue and justice in the service of others, will
be ranked with those of culture (994).

åéæ±óªÓëª ¬äªäè ê¨æȪòÐò¨ çéæ±óªÓëª 995
çúªµó çèì÷¨ôèõÐ ëèìªÌ

åéæ±óªÓ몠  even in jest
¬äªäèÊ   gives pain
¬æȪòÐò¨   derisive words
çéæ ãóªÓ몠  even when inimical
çúªµ ãó   are courteous
çèÌ í÷¨ôèõР  those who respect others
ëèìªÌ   with them

When derisive words,even in jest, can offend friends, one
must observe courtesy even to enemies (995).

çúªµéìáèõÐçª çìªÌúª Ìùæëª íʬäªî÷ùª 996
ëúªµæÐÆ ëèáªôÊ ëäª

çúªµ ãéìáèõР  men of culture
çìªÌ   because of their goodness
ãúªÌ   exists
ãùæ몠  the world
íÊ  that
¬äªî÷ùª   if not
ëúª  rubble
µæÐÆ   reduced to
ëèáªôÊ   and disappear
ëäª  O! (is it not so ?)
 


The world exists because of men of culture; but for them,
the world would be reduced to rubble (996).

íõëªîçèÙ§ª ÔõÐéëá îõÄëª ëõëªîçèùªôõÐ 997
ëæÐæìªçúª ç¨ùªùè êôõÐ

íõëªîçèÙ몠  - like the file
ÔõÐéëá  îõÄëª  even if sharp
ëõëª   tree
îçèùªôõР  are like
ëæÐæóª   of the people
çúªµ   culture
¬ùªùèêôõР  those without

  Those without culture, even if endowed with the sharpness
of a file, are like blocks of wood (997).

åúªçè÷ª÷è õèæ¨ åáë¨ù âòáªôèõÐæÐÆëª 998
çúªçè÷ª÷è õèêùª æéì

åúªµ   friendship
Í÷ª÷èõР  without displaying (inimical)
Íæ¨  becoming
åáëª ¬ù   harm
âòáªôèõÐæÐÆ몠  even those who do
çúªµ Í÷ª÷èõР  without culture
Íêùª   behaving
æéì  is lowly conduct (is wrong)

Discourtesy is a fault, even when shown to an enemy (998).

åæùªôùªùõÐ íùªùèõÐæÐÆ ëèá¨Õ ¢èùëª 999
çæÙëªçè÷ª çìªìäª ÷¨Õóª

åæùªôùªùõР  being sociable
íùªùèõÐæÐÆ   who are not
ëèá¨Õ   this big
¢èùëª   world
çæÙ몠  even the day
çèùª   with
çìªìäª×   appears (like the night)
¬Õóª   darkness

For him who does not find joy in the world around him,
even bright days will appear dark (999).

çúªç¨ùèäª âç÷ª÷ âçÕ¢ªâòùªôëª åäªçèùª 1000
æùåÐê©éë áèùªê¨õ¨åÐ ê÷ª×

çúªµ ¬ùè䪠  a person without culture
âç÷ª÷   acquired by
âçÕ몠 âòùªôëª  great wealth
åäªçèùª   good milk
æùëª   vessel
ê©éëáèùª   because of the defect in it
ê¨õ¨åÐÊ   curdle (turned sour)
í÷ª×   is like
 


Great wealth in the hands of one without culture is like
milk in a dirty (defective) vessel that has turned sour (1000).

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