THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 46 -

VERSION 451 TO 460
 
ò¨÷ª÷¨ä몠  îòõèéë     Avoiding  Bad   Company
 
ò¨÷ª÷¨ä몠  í¢ªà몠  âçÕéë   ò¨×éëêè䪠    451
à÷ª÷ëèòР  ÎȪåÐÊ   ô¨Ìëª
 
ò¨÷ª÷¨ä몠               on seeing bad company
í¢ªà몠                avoidance
âçÕéë                is the quality of the great
ò¨×éëêè䪠          (but) the quality of the lowly (is)
à÷ª÷ëè                  as their kin
ÎȪåÐÊ    ô¨Ì몠      taking them
 
Those   of   worth   avoid   association   with   the   bad   while the   low   take   them   as   their   kin   (451).    
å¨ùêÐê¨áùªçèùª   å©õÐê¨õ¨åР  ê÷ª÷èÆ몠  ëèåÐêõÐæÐÆ   452
¬äêÐê¨áùªç   êèÆ몠  í÷¨²
 
 
å¨ùêÐÊ                  of the land
¬áùªçèùª            because of the quality
å©õР                        (of) water
ê¨õ¨åÐÊ                   change
í÷ª×    ÍÆ몠      will undergo
ëèåÐêõÐæÐÆ            for humans
¬äêÐÊ                associates
¬áùªµ                nature
íÊ                     that
ÍÆ몠                 will result
í÷¨²                  thoughts
 
Even   as   water   absorbs   the   qualities   of   the   soil   it   flows through,   so   too   do   people   absorb   the   character   of   those they   associate   with  (452).    
ëäêÐêèäè몠  ëèåÐêõÐæР  ÆúõÐòÐò¨   ¬äêÐêèäè몠  453
¬äªäè䪠  öäçªçÌ¢ª   âòèùª
 
ëäêÐêè䪠   Í몠          resulting from thoughts
ëèåÐêõÐæÐÆ                   for humans
ãúõÐòÐò¨                      perception
¬äêÐêèäªÍ몠            resulting from associations
¬äªäè䪠                   who is who
öäçªçÌ몠   âòèùª       this description through words
 
One's   perceptions   come   from   one's   mind   but   his   repute comes   from   his   associations   (453).    
ëäêÐÊ   óÊîçèùæР  æèìªï   øÕô÷ªÆ    454
¬äêÐÊãóÊ   ÍÆ몠  í÷¨²
 
ëäêÐÊ                in the mind
ãóÊ                  what exists
îçèù                 like
æèìªï                 revealing (oneself)
øÕô÷ªÆ              for one
¬äêÐÊ                the company (one keeps)
ãóÊ   ÍÆ몠      but will result
í÷¨²                  special perceptions
 
One's   special   perceptions   seem   to   come   from   one's     mind, but   are   (really)   determined   by   the   company   one   keeps   (454).    
ëäåÐÊ­áªéë   âòáªô¨éä   ­áªéë   ¬õúªÌ몠  455
¬äåЭáªéë   ­ôè   ôÕëª
 
ëä몠                mental
Ê­áªéë              purity
âòáªô¨éä         (in) action
­áªéë              purity
¬õúªÌ몠          these two
¬ä몠               one's associations
­áªéë              purity
­ôè                  supported
ôÕ몠                 will result
 
Purity   of   thought   and   purity   of   action   are   determined   by the   purity   of   one's   associations   (455).    
ëäåÐÊ­áèõÐæР  âæòÐòëªå䪠  ÷èÆ몠  ¬äåÐÊ­áèõÐæÐÆ  456
¬ùªéù   åäª÷èæè   ô¨éä
 
ëä몠                  mind
Ê­áèõÐæÐÆ             of those who have purity of
öòÐò몠                 progeny
åäª×    ÍÆ몠      will be good
¬ä몠                 association
Ê­áèõÐæÐÆ             of those who have purity of
¬ùªéù               will never
åäª×    Íæè         that which will not be good
ô¨éä                  acts
 
Adherence   to   virtue   comes   from   a     clean   mind,   and     wrong         ???
acts   will   never   come   from   those   who   keep   clean   company   (456).    
ëäåù몠  ëäªÄá¨õÐæР  æèæÐæ몠  ¬äåù몠     457
öùªùè窠  µæÇ몠  êÕëª
 
ëä                            of mind
åù몠                         goodness
ëäªãá¨õÐæÐÆ               for all beings
ÍæÐæ몠                      (will give) strong support (in life)
¬ä                           of the association
åù몠                         goodness
öùªùè窠   µæÇ몠      all fame
êÕ몠                         will give

A   clean   and   stable   mind   will   bring   wealth,   but   clean   associations
will   bring   repute   as   well   (457).    
ëäåù몠  åäªÆéìá   õèá¨Ä몠  òèäªî÷èõÐæÐÆ   458
¬äåù몠  Öëè窠  µéìêÐÊ
 
ëäåù몠                     goodness of mind
åäªÆ                            in plenty
ãéìáõР   Íá¨Ä몠      though one has
òèäªî÷èõÐæÐÆ                for the great
¬äåù몠                     the goodness of association
Öëè窵                        of great strength
ãéìêÐÊ                       provides
 
Even   the   wise   of   pure   mind   need   the   strength   of   repute that   come   from   good   associationt (458).  
ëäåùêÐê¨äª   ÍÆ몠  ë×éëë÷ª   ÷þÊ몠  459
¬äåùêÐê¨äª   Öëè窠  µéìêÐÊ
 
ëäåùêÐê¨äª        through mental purity
ÍÆ몠                will ensue
ë×éë               bliss in the other world
ë÷ª×                  other
íþÊ몠             that bliss
¬äåùêÐê¨äª       through goodness of association
Öëè窵               strength
ãéìêÐÊ              begets
 
Even   if   purity   of   mind   leads   to   heaven,   the   need   for   the
protection   and   strength   that   comes   of   associations   are   necessary   (459).    
åùªù¨äêÐꨠ  Û§ªÆåР  Êéúá¨ùªéù   ê©á¨äêÐê¨äª    460
íùªù÷ª   çÌçªçÊ­ã몠  ¬ùª
 
åùªù¨äêÐê¨äª         good association
çªÆ몠               greater than
Êéúá¨ùªéù       no (better)support
ê©á¨äêÐê¨äª            than bad company
íùªùùª                sufferings
çÌçªçÊ­ã몠        which (bad company) is itself enmity
¬ùª                     is not (there)
 
There   is   no   greater   support   than   good   association,   no greater   enmity   than   that   of   bad   association   (460).
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