THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 81 -

VERSES 801 TO 810
    
çéÈéë      Old   Friendships

 
çéÈéë   öäçªçÌôÊ   áèâêä¨äª   áèÊ몠      801
æ¨ÈéëéáæР  æ©ÈªåÐê¨ìè   å쪵
 
çéÈéë       old friendship
öäçªçÌôÊ       known as
áèÊ   öä¨äª         is
áèÊ몠        anything
æ¨Èéëéá       things done with liberty
æ©ÈªåÐê¨ìè         accepting as they are
å쪵         (is) friendship
 
An   old   friendship   lets   one   take   liberties   without
being   misunderstood   (801).
   
åìªç¨÷ª   Æ×窵æР  âæÇêéæéë   ë÷ª÷ê÷ªÆ       802
ãçªçèêùª   òèäªî÷èõР  æìäª
 
 
åìªç¨÷ªÆ         to friendship
ã×窵         limb
âæÇêéæéë         doing things with liberty
ë÷ª×    íê÷ªÆ       for that liberty
ãçªçèêùª         agreeing to it
òèäªî÷èõР        of the wise
æì䪠        duty
 
Taking   legitimate   liberties   is   an   essential   aspect   of   old
friendships   and   the   wise   should   accept   them   in   this   regard   (802).
 
çÈæ¨á   åìªâçô䪠  âò᪱몠  âæÇêéæéë       803
âòáªê觪Ơ  íéëáèæР  æéì
 
çÈæ¨á         long-standing
å쪵       friendship
ö  ô äª    âò᪱몠      () of what use it is
âæÇêéæéë         doing things with liberty
âòáªÊ    ͧªÆ         approved as done
íéëáèæР   æéì         if not accepted
   
Of   what   use   is   an   old   friendship   if   presumptuous   acts   of   a   friend
are   not   accepted   without   question   (803).
 
ô¨éÈêéæáè䪠  îôúªï   á¨ÕçªçõÐâæÇêéæáè÷ª     804
îæóèÊ   åìªìèõР  âòá¨äª
 
ô¨éÈêéæáè䪠        the wise who know the desirability of such acts
îôúªï         approve
¬ÕçªçõР        will
âæÇêéæáè÷ª         with liberty
îæóèÊ         without asking
åìªìèõР          friends
âòá¨äª         if they act

One   should   readily   accept   acts   done   in   pursuance   of   the
privilege   of   friendship   (804).
   
îçéêéë   øäªî÷è   âçÕ§ªæ¨Èéë   öäª×úõÐæ    805
îåèêæÐæ   åìªìèõР  âòá¨äª
 
îçéêéë       ignorance
øäªî÷è           is not the only reason
âçÕ§ªæ¨Èéë       the privilege of friendship
öäª×    ãúõÐæ         seek thou to know
îåèêæÐæ         causing pain
åìªìèõР        (old) friends
âòá¨äª         if they do an act

When   an   action   by   an   old   friend   causes   pain,   it   is   not   only   due   to ignorance,   but   also   due   to   the   privilege   of   longstanding   friendship   (805).
   
öùªéùæÐæúª   å¨äª÷èõР  Ê÷ôèõР  âêèéùô¨ìêÐÊ몠   806
âêèùªéùæÐæúª   å¨äª÷èõР  âêèìõе
 
öùªéùæÐæúª         the limits of friendship
å¨äª÷èõР        the one on
Ê÷ôèõР        will not discard
âêèéù²    ¬ìêÐÊ몠        even at the point of his death
âêèùªéùæÐæúª         of the long-standing
å¨äª÷èõР        friend(ship)
âêèìõе         association
 
Where   the   bonds   of   friendship   are   cherished,   a   friend   will   never
be   let   down   even   at   the   point   of   death   (806).
 
 
íȨôåÐê   âòáªá¨Ä몠  íäªç÷èõР  íäªç¨äª             807
ôȨôåÐê   îæúªéë   áôõÐ
 
íȨôåÐê       acts causing grave harm
âòáªá¨Ä몠        even if done
í䪵         friendship
í÷èõР        will not sever
íäªç¨äª       in friendship
ôȨôåÐê         that is long-standing
îæúªéëáôõР        friend
 
A   long-cherished   friendship   will   not   be   given   up   even   if   one
inadvertently   causes   the   ruin   of   the   other   (807).
 
îæó¨ÇæÐæ몠  îæóèæР  âæÇêéæéë   ôùªùèõÐæÐÆ     808
åèó¨ÇæÐæ몠  åìªìèõР  âòá¨äª
 
îæóª       of the friend
¬ÇæÐæ몠          fault
îæóè           without considering (what others say)
âæÇêéæéë         actions arising from privilege
ôùªùèõÐæÐÆ         those who are capable of deciding
åèóª         a purposeful day
¬ÇæÐæ몠        harm
åìªìèõР        (if a) friend
âòá¨äª           does
   
Those   days   are   purposeful   where   the   faults   of   a   cherished   friend
are   judged   by   oneself   without   relying   on   what   others   say   (808).
 
 
âæìèí   ôȨôåÐê   îæúªéëáèõР  îæúªéë          809
ô¨ìèíõР  ô¨éȱ몠  ãùÆ
 
âæìèí         without destroying
ôȨôåÐê         longstanding
îæúªéëáèõР        of the friend
îæúªéë       association
ô¨ìèíõР        those who will not discard
ô¨éȱ몠      will acclaim
ãùÆ       the world

The   world   will   acclaim   old   friendships   which   are   never   split   (809). 
 
ô¨éÈáèõР  ô¨éÈá窠  çÌç   çéÈáèõÐæúª         810
çúªç¨äª   êéùçªç¨õ¨áè   êèõÐ
 
 
ô¨éÈáèõР        adversaries
ô¨éÈá窠   çÌç         will be admired (by)
çéÈáèõÐæúª         old friendship
çúªç¨äª         sticking to one's friendship
êéùçªç¨õ¨áè    êèõР        who would not discard (despite faults)
 
Even   enemies   will   admire   friendships   where   faults
are   forgiven   (810).  
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