Tirukural – Chapter 92
Chapter 92: Wanton Women
Verse 914
A man of some means, surrounded by wealth and scriptural texts, has retreated to a shady tree to contemplate spiritual matters. He does not see a beautiful woman who has approached him and is trying to get his attention. When he ignores her, the woman reaches out to another man.
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Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 911
The sweet words of beautifully bangled women who desire
a man’s wealth and not his love decree his fall into disgrace.
Verse 912
Weigh the worth and abandon the company of wanton women
who, weighing their profit, prattle about their virtues.
Verse 913
A mercenary woman pretends intimate embrace,
but in the darkened room, she caresses a stranger’s carcass.
Verse 914
Men seeking spiritual treasures are too worldly wise
to touch tawdry women who treasure only material riches.
Verse 915
Men of innate good sense and acquired wisdom
never touch tramps who shamelessly share their beauty with all.
Verse 916
Desiring to maintain their jubilant goodness, men will not
embrace enticing women who proffer lewd charms to all.
Verse 917
Only men of unchaste mind will lie in the arms of women
whose hearts chase after other things as they embrace.
Verse 918
It is said that men devoid of discerning wisdom
succumb to a deceiving damsel’s embrace as to a siren’s song.
Verse 919
The soft arms of the elegantly bejeweled harlot
are a murky mire that engulfs wicked, stupid men.
Verse 920
Two-faced females, besotting brew and addictive dice
befriend the men whom fortune has forsaken.
Tirukural – Chapter 90
Chapter 90: Not Offending the Great
Verse 896
A man walks through a fire unscathed, despite its heat and burning flames. He encounters a holy man and scolds him. Immediately he is paralyzed in the picture below.
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Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 891
Of all the ways to protect oneself, the foremost is this:
do not belittle the prowess of powerful men.
Verse 892
Disrespectful conduct toward great men will bring,
through those great men, unremitting miseries.
Verse 893
If you desire destruction, simply ignore the rules
and provoke those who, if they desire, can destroy you.
Verse 894
For the powerless to wreak harm upon the powerful
is to summon Death with a gesturing hand.
Verse 895
Once he incurs a fierce king’s withering wrath,
one is doomed, wherever he wanders, whatever he does.
Verse 896
Though burned by a blazing fire, one may still survive;
but there is no survival for those who offend great men.
Verse 897
What is the use of a man’s varied life and splendid wealth
if he reaps the wrath of great and righteous men?
Verse 898
If men of mountainous stature are meagerly esteemed,
others who seemed as enduring as earth will die, as will their kin.
Verse 899
The most kingly king will tumble from his throne and die,
should he unleash a towering sage’s bridled temper.
Verse 900
Though he commands unrivaled powers of protection,
a king cannot survive the wrath of powerful ascetics.
Tirukural – Chapter 89
Chapter 89: Internal Enmity
Verse 885
A man who is miserable is sleeping and dreaming of his relatives, whom he hates and despises. The sleeping man’s animosity will kill him, like the dagger that has penetrated his chest.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 881
Even shade and water are unpleasant if they breed disease.
So, too, may relatives be unpleasant if they cause harm.
Verse 882
Fear not the foe who is like a drawn sword;
rather fear the friendship of an enemy who poses as kin.
Verse 883
Dread hatred from within and defend yourself against it.
In calamitous times it will cut deeper than a potter’s knife.
Verse 884
Hidden hatreds may lurk only in the mind,
yet among kin they can manifest many miseries.
Verse 885
Hate hidden in a kinsman’s heart will cause
many miseries, and more–it will kill a man.
Verse 886
When hatred arises, dissension destroys unity,
and men fall inescapably toward ever-ready death.
Verse 887
A house that harbors hatred will never be a united whole,
though, like a vessel and its lid, it may appear to be one.
Verse 888
As iron is worn away by frequent filing,
a family’s strength is eroded by incessant inner frictions.
Verse 889
Internal dissension may seem as small as a split sesame seed,
yet there is enough power in it to destroy.
Verse 890
Living with those who cannot dwell in harmony
is like living in a hut with a deadly cobra.
Tirukural – Chapter 88
Chapter 88: Understanding the Nature of Enmity
Verse 876
A householder is sitting on the ground holding the head of his dying wife. Behind him, his house is burning and in front of him he is being threatened by two mischievous men with clubs. Despite all these troubles, his close friend remains in support, calmly sitting near.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 871
So accursed is the thing called hatred that one
should never wish for it–even in jest.
Verse 872
It is bad enough to incur the enmity of those who live by the bow,
but never provoke the hatred of those who sow and reap with words.
Verse 873
One man who, all by himself, arouses hatred in many
is crazier than any lunatic.
Verse 874
The world abides beneath the greatness
of noble-natured rulers who befriend even their enemies.
Verse 875
Finding that he faces two foes and has no allies,
a lone man lures one to side with him.
Verse 876
When distress dawns, neither draw near nor depart from
new friends and foes–rather, leave them alone.
Verse 877
Never tell your troubles to those who cannot comprehend them,
nor expose your weaknesses to your enemies.
Verse 878
Engineer a plan, execute that plan well and ensure
your security–thus is the joy of rivals forever ruined.
Verse 879
Chop down a thorny tree while it is young.
Left to grow mature, it will one day cut the cutter’s hand.
Verse 880
Those who fail to quell a hostile rival’s pride
will be blown away by the mere fact that he still breathes.
Tirukural – Chapter 87
Chapter 87: The Merits of Enmity
Verse 863
Two villagers in the foreground observe two responses to a raging buffalo. A young boy, ignorant and unattentive, has been trampled by the beast since he did not leave the road. A wiser traveler has found refuge behind a tree and avoided harm.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 861
Rein in antagonism against the strong,
but unleash animosity against feeble adversaries.
Verse 862
How can an unloving man, with neither powerful allies
nor the strength to stand alone, overcome mighty enemies?
Verse 863
He who is fearful, ignorant, unfriendly and uncharitable
proves an easy prey to his enemies.
Verse 864
Letting go of his secrets but not his antipathy,
a man becomes easy prey to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Verse 865
Without character, conscience, piety and propriety,
a man may yet be delightful–to his enemies!
Verse 866
Even hatred can be a welcome thing, when it comes from
scoundrels seized by blind rage and indulgent lust.
Verse 867
Some men undertake a task, then undermine it unawares.
Acquire their hatred–indeed, pay good money for it.
Verse 868
If a man has no virtues and many vices, he will surely have
no allies, and this will be his enemies’ surest advantage.
Verse 869
Finding that his foe is ignorant and afraid to fight,
the attacker’s cheerfulness cannot forsake him.
Verse 870
Fame will flee the grasp of one who fails to grasp
the wealth of an enemy who is angry and unlearned.
Tirukural – Chapter 86
Chapter 86: Hatred
Verse 858
Two people of different clans have gathered in fiery contention and hateful argument. Above, two brothers flee the conflict and their wealth is saved. Below, a man approaches the fight, inflaming it further. As a result, his home above burns to the ground.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 851
It is said that hatred is the disease that spreads
the plagues of discord among all living creatures.
Verse 852
Though men devise disunity and deliberately harm you,
the highest path plots no hateful retribution.
Verse 853
Removing the incurable cancer called hatred
reveals one’s immortal, undiminishing splendor.
Verse 854
The quelling of hatred, that sorrow of sorrows,
confers on man the joy of joys.
Verse 855
Who is there who can conquer those
who have relinquished all hostilities?
Verse 856
For all who boast that they take delight in hatred,
failure and death are drawing near.
Verse 857
Men filled with hatred, knowingly causing harm to others,
never see that their hoped-for triumph lies in God’s true grace.
Verse 858
Wealth increases when a man walks away from hatred
and diminishes whenever he draws it near.
Verse 859
Seeing a prosperous season approach, men neglect hatred.
In times of ruin, they nurture it lavishly.
Verse 860
Out of hatred springs all bitter suffering,
while cheerful friendship yields good fortune’s every joy.
Tirukural – Chapter 85
Chapter 85: Ignorance
Verse 847
A farmer has climbed out on the branch of a tree, but he is sitting on the wrong side and is about to injure himself. The owner of the orchard rushes up to warn him and urge him not to proceed.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 841
Dearth of wisdom is the direst destitution.
Other poverties the world deems less impoverishing.
Verse 842
If any merit is gained when a fool gives a gift, however gladly,
it is due to the recipient’s past penance and nothing else.
Verse 843
The suffering that ignorant men inflict upon themselves
can hardly be contrived by their enemies.
Verse 844
What is stupidity, you ask? It is the conceit
that dares to declare, “I am wise.”
Verse 845
He who pretends to knowledge he does not possess
raises doubts about the things he really knows.
Verse 846
Fools follow a perverse path, clothing their well-formed naked body,
yet never thinking to conceal their deformed mind.
Verse 847
Neglecting valuable advice, an ignorant man
becomes the cause of his own misery.
Verse 848
That soul who neither follows another’s orders nor fathoms what to
do himself creates nothing but torment until he leaves this life.
Verse 849
As an unseeing man sees only the ways of his own mind, whoever
attempts to open the eyes of those who will not see is himself blind.
Verse 850
He who denies as false what the world declares
to be true is deemed to be an earthly demon.
Tirukural – Chapter 84
Chapter 84: Folly
Verse 836
A carpenter attempts to build a hut for a client, but it is unstable, for he does not know how to do it. He soon finds himself in trouble as the people witnessing this ask him to return the money that they have loaned him for the task.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 831
What is folly? It is holding on to that which is harmful
and throwing away that which is helpful.
Verse 832
The folly of all follies is to find pleasure in
doing what one is forbidden to do.
Verse 833
To be shameless, uninquisitive, loveless and uncaring
are four failings common among all fools.
Verse 834
No fool is more foolish than one who eagerly expounds
his learning to others while failing to follow it himself.
Verse 835
It only takes a single birth for a fool to earn by his efforts
a morass of misery in the succeeding seven births.
Verse 836
Not knowing how to act, when a fool undertakes an enterprise,
he doesn’t just fail, he shackles himself in chains.
Verse 837
Should a fool fall upon a great fortune,
strangers will feast while his family starves.
Verse 838
If a fool happens to acquire something of value,
he will behave like a drunken lunatic.
Verse 839
Friendship among fools is particularly sweet,
for there is not the slightest pain when they part.
Verse 840
A fool’s stepping into a saintly council
is like entering a clean bed with filthy feet.
The Guru Chronicles – Tamil
The Guru Chronicles is the inspiring tale of our Nandinatha Sampradaya, a spiritual storybook which explores over 2,000 years of the history and lives of seven extraordinary gurus. Gurudeva set the book in motion in Sri Lanka back in 1972. It was decades in the making and was finally printed in English in 2011. Today, inspired by the Hindu New Year, we announce the release of the recently completed Tamil translation of this important book.
You can go here to download the pdf, epub or mobi:
https://www.himalayanacademy.com/view/the-guru-chronicles_ta
To learn about the amazing work required to create the book, go to the web link below which takes you to the English version of the preface.
https://www.himalayanacademy.com/media/books/the-guru-chronicles/web/09_fm_09.html#para-1
And, we will soon upload a version to the web, so that you can read it online.
Tirukural – Chapter 83
Chapter 83: False Friendship
Verse 828
A gentleman stands with hands folded across his chest. He is confronting a wicked fellow who has approached him. Though the intruder bows with a smile, inside his heart hides a dagger of intended harm.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 821
The friendship of those who feign affection is an anvil
on which they hammer you when the opportunity arises.
Verse 822
For those who act like friends, but are not,
friendship fluctuates like a fickle woman.
Verse 823
Though their learning may be abundantly good,
ignoble men rarely learn goodness of heart.
Verse 824
Fear the cunning friend who, harboring
wickedness in his heart, smiles sweetly to your face.
Verse 825
Distrust whatever words may come from men
whose hearts do not beat in harmony with your own.
Verse 826
Sounding very much like a good friend's words,
a rival's words are nonetheless known very quickly.
Verse 827
Knowing how the bending of a bow forebodes nothing but harm,
never trust an enemy, though he bends low in his speech.
Verse 828
Folded in respect, a foe's hands may hide a dagger.
So, too, his tears dare not be trusted.
Verse 829
Men may amply aid you, yet despise you in their heart;
make them laugh, but let feigned friendship die.
Verse 830
When the time comes that foes pose as friends,
keep a friendly face but banish their brotherhood from your heart.
From Our Gurus' Teachings
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