THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 7

VERSES 61 TO 70

                                                            
ëæ‡æì‡îç×     The value of the children  

âç×ë÷Š×óŠ    áèë÷¨ôÊ    ¬ùŠéù    í÷¨ô÷¨å‡ê        61
ëæ‡æì‡îç×    íùŠù    ç¨÷  
 
âç×ëŠ  íô÷Š×óŠ   among all acquisitions
áèëŠ  í÷¨ôÊ  ¬ùŠéù   we do not know
í÷¨²  í÷¨å‡ê   who are intelligent
ëæ‡æì‡îç×  íùŠù   other than children
ç¨÷   any other wealth
 
Of   all   our   acquisitions   we   know   of   nothing   of   greater   value
than   intelligent   children.
   
öÇç¨÷ç‡µëŠ    ê©áéô    ê©Úˆìè    çȨç¨÷§‡æèç‡      62
çÚˆµéì    ëæ‡æì‡    âç÷¨äŠ  
 
öÇç¨÷ç‡µëŠ   in seven lives
ê©áéô  ê©Úˆìè   will not be touched by harm
çȨç¨÷§‡æèç‡   free from blame
çÚˆµ  ãéì   with good qualities
ëæ‡æì‡  âç÷¨äŠ   have children
 
He   who   brings   up   blameless   children   of   good   qualities   will
not   be   touched   by   harm   in   even   seven   lives.
   
êëŠâçèÕóŠ    öäŠçêëŠ    ëæ‡æóŠ    íôõ‡âçèÕóŠ      63
êëŠêëŠ    ô¨éäáèäŠ    ôÕë Š  
 
êëŠâçèÕóŠ   one's wealth
öäŠç   said to be
êëŠ  ëæ‡æóŠ   one's children
íôõ‡âçèÕóŠ   their wealth
êëŠêëŠ  ô¨éäáèäŠ   their respective effort
ôÕëŠ   comes
 
One's   children   are   said   to   be   one's   wealth;   but   their   wealth
is   what   they   earn   by   their   effort.    

íë¨ÈŠê¨ÄëŠ    Í÷Š÷    ¬ä¨îêêëŠ    ëæ‡æóŠ           64
ò¨×éæ    íóèô¨á    ÔÈŠ  
 
íë¨ÈŠê¨ÄëŠ   than nectar
Í÷Š÷   much
¬ä¨îê   sweeter
êëŠ  ëæ‡æóŠ   one's child
ò¨×éæ   tiny hand
íóèô¨á   mixed
ÔÈŠ   food

The   food   mixed   by   the   tiny   hand   of   the   child   is   sweeter   than
nectar.    

ëæ‡æóŠâëአ  ê©ÚˆìùŠ   ãì÷Šæ¨äŠçëŠ   ë÷Š×íôõ‡     65
âòè÷Šîæì‡ìùŠ    ¬äŠçëŠ    âòô¨æ‡Æ
 
ëæ‡æóŠ   children
âëአ ê©ÚˆìùŠ   soft touch
ãì÷Šæ¨äŠçëŠ   soothing
ë÷Š×   and
íôõ‡  âòè÷Šîæì‡ìùŠ   hearing their voice
¬äŠçëŠ  âòô¨æ‡Æ   joy to the ears

 The soft touch of  children  is as soothing as listening to their voice.  

ÆÈùŠ¬ä¨Ê    áèÈŠ¬ä¨Ê    öäŠçêëŠ    ëæ‡æóŠ      66
ëÈéùò‹âòèùŠ    îæóè    êôõ‡
 
ÆÈùŠ¬ä¨Ê   flute is sweet
áèÈŠ¬ä¨Ê   the harp is sweet
öäŠçŠ   those who consider
êëŠ  ëæ‡æó          their children
ëÈéùò‹âòèùŠ   the lisp
îæóè  êôõ‡   have not heard

Those who say the flute and harp sound sweet are those who have not
heard the lisp of their children.  

êå‡éê    ëæ÷ŠÆÍ÷Š×ëŠ    åäŠ÷¨    íéôáê‡Ê          67
Ëå‡ê¨    á¨Õç‡çò‹    âòáùŠ  
 
êå‡éê   father
ëæ÷ŠÆ   for his child
Í÷Š×ëŠ   has to do
åäŠ÷¨   his duty
íéôáê‡Ê   among the learned
Ëå‡ê¨   excels
¬Õç‡ç   in the midst of
âòáùŠ   accomplish
              
The duty of the father to his child is to make him excel in the midst of the learned.      

êëŠë¨äŠêëŠ    ëæ‡æóŠ    í÷¨²éìéë    ëèå¨ùê‡Ê     68
ëäŠÄá¨õ‡æ‡    âæùŠùèëŠ    ¬ä¨Ê  
 
êëŠë¨äŠ  ¬ä¨Ê   our own joy
êëŠ   our
ëæ‡æóŠ   children's
í÷¨²éìéë intelligence
ëèå¨ùê‡Ê   in this wide world
ëäŠ   for the existing
ãá¨õ‡æ‡  âæùŠùèëŠ   people
¬ä¨Ê   joy
                
 Our children should possess intelligence that brings more joy to others in
this wide world than to ourselves.    

¼äŠ÷    âçèÇê¨÷Š    âçõ¨Êôæ‡ÆëŠ    êäŠëæéäò‹        69
òèäŠî÷èäŠ    öäæ‡îæì‡ì    êèáŠ
 
¼äŠ÷   when giving birth
âçèÇê¨÷Š   than happiness
âçõ¨Ê   immense
ãôæ‡ÆëŠ   will feel happiness
êäŠëæéäò‹   her son
òèäŠî÷èäŠ   accomplished
öäîæì‡ì   on hearing
êèአ  the mother
 
Hearing the praise that her son is an accomplished person, will give more
joy to the mother than when she gave birth to him.    

ëæäŠêå‡éêæ‡Æ    Í÷Š×ëŠ    ãêô¨    ¬ôäŠêå‡éê     70
öäŠîäè÷Š÷èäŠ    âæèùŠöÄ¢‰    âòèùŠ
 
ëæäŠ   the son
êå‡éêæ‡Æ   his father
Í÷Š×ëŠ  ãêô¨   providing help
¬ôäŠêå‡éê   his father
öäŠîäè÷Š÷èäŠ  âæèùŠ        what penance he must have done
öÄ¢‰  âòèùŠ   to make other people say

 People must say it is the penance of the father that has brought him
a son who serves him well.    

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