TIRUKKURAL, Mysticism, reading, forums, Numerology, Sun Signs, Divination

Posts: 4397 · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 5:08 pm

1.2.5 Cherishing Guests

81.
All household cares and course of daily life have this in view.
Guests to receive with courtesy, and kindly acts to do.
The whole design of living in the domestic state and laying up (property) is (to be able) to exercise the
benevolence of hospitality.

82.
Though food of immortality should crown the board,
Feasting alone, the guests without unfed, is thing abhorred.
It is not fit that one should wish his guests to be outside (his house) even though he were eating the food of immortality.

83.
Each day he tends the coming guest with kindly care;
Painless, unfailing plenty shall his household share.
The domestic life of the man that daily entertains the guests who come to him shall not be laid waste by poverty.

84
With smiling face he entertains each virtuous guest,
'Fortune' with gladsome mind shall in his dwelling rest.
Lakshmi with joyous mind shall dwell in the house of that man who, with cheerful countenance, entertains the good as guests.

85.
Who first regales his guest, and then himself supplies,
O'er all his fields, unsown, shall plenteous harvests rise.
Is it necessary to sow the field of the man who, having feasted his guests, eats what may remain ?

86
The guest arrived he tends, the coming guest expects to see;
To those in heavenly homes that dwell a welcome guest is he.
He who, having entertained the guests that have come, looks out for others who may yet come, will be a welcome guest to the inhabitants of heaven.

87.
To reckon up the fruit of kindly deeds were all in vain;
Their worth is as the worth of guests you entertain.
The advantages of benevolence cannot be measured; the measure (of the virtue) of the guests (entertained) is the only measure.

88.
With pain they guard their stores, yet 'All forlorn are we,' they'll cry,
Who cherish not their guests, nor kindly help supply.
Those who have taken no part in the benevolence of hospitality shall (at length lament) saying, "we have laboured and laid up wealth and are now without support."

89.
To turn from guests is penury, though worldly goods abound;
'Tis senseless folly, only with the senseless found.
That stupidity which excercises no hospitality is poverty in the midst of wealth. It is the property of the stupid.

90.
The flower of 'Anicha' withers away, If you do but its fragrance inhale;
If the face of the host cold welcome convey, The guest's heart within him will fail.
As the Anicham flower fades in smelling, so fades the guest when the face is turned away.

1.2.6 The Utterance of Pleasant Words

91.
Pleasant words are words with all pervading love that burn;
Words from his guileless mouth who can the very truth discern.
Sweet words are those which imbued with love and free from deceit flow from the mouth of the virtuous.

92.
A pleasant word with beaming smile's preferred,
Even to gifts with liberal heart conferred.
Sweet speech, with a cheerful countenance is better than a gift made with a joyous mind.

93.
With brightly beaming smile, and kindly light of loving eye,
And heart sincere, to utter pleasant words is charity.
Sweet speech, flowing from the heart (uttered) with a cheerful countenance and a sweet look, is true virtue.

94.
The men of pleasant speech that gladness breathe around,
Through indigence shall never sorrow's prey be found.
Sorrow-increasing poverty shall not come upon those who use towards all, pleasure-increasing sweetness of speech.

95.
Humility with pleasant speech to man on earth,
Is choice adornment; all besides is nothing worth.
Humility and sweetness of speech are the ornaments of man; all others are not (ornaments).

96.
Who seeks out good, words from his lips of sweetness flow;
In him the power of vice declines, and virtues grow.
If a man, while seeking to speak usefully, speaks also sweetly, his sins will diminish and his virtue increase.

97.
The words of sterling sense, to rule of right that strict adhere,
To virtuous action prompting, blessings yield in every sphere.
That speech which, while imparting benefits ceases not to please, will yield righteousness (for this world) and merit (for the next world).

98.
Sweet kindly words, from meanness free, delight of heart,
In world to come and in this world impart.
Sweet speech, free from harm to others, will give pleasure both in this world and in the next.

99.
Who sees the pleasure kindly speech affords,
Why makes he use of harsh, repellant words?
Why does he use harsh words, who sees the pleasure which sweet speech yields ?

100.
When pleasant words are easy, bitter words to use,
Is, leaving sweet ripe fruit, the sour unripe to choose.
To say disagreeable things when agreeable are at hand is like eating unripe fruit when there is ripe.