TIRUKKURAL= part -2 wealth, Mysticism, reading, forums, Numerology, Sun Signs, Divination

Posts: 4397 · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 6:55 am

PART II. WEALTH

2.1 Royalty
2.1.1 The Greatness of a King

381
An army, people, wealth, a minister, friends, fort: six things-
Who owns them all, a lion lives amid the kings.
He who possesses these six things, an army, a people, wealth, ministers, friends and a fortress, is a lion among kings.

382
Courage, a liberal hand, wisdom, and energy: these four
Are qualities a king adorn for evermore.
Never to fail in these four things, fearlessness, liberality, wisdom, and energy, is the kingly character.

383
A sleepless promptitude, knowledge, decision strong:
These three for aye to rulers of the land belong.
These three things, viz., vigilance, learning, and bravery, should never be wanting in the ruler of a country.

384
Kingship, in virtue failing not, all vice restrains,
In courage failing not, it honour's grace maintains.
He is a king who, with manly modesty, swerves not from virtue, and refrains from vice.

385
A king is he who treasure gains, stores up, defends,
And duly for his kingdom's weal expends.
He is a king who is able to acquire (wealth), to lay it up, to guard, and to distribute it.

386
Where king is easy of access, where no harsh word repels,
That land's high praises every subject swells.
The whole world will exalt the country of the king who is easy of access, and who is free from harsh language.

387
With pleasant speech, who gives and guards with powerful liberal hand,
He sees the world obedient all to his command.
The world will praise and submit itself to the mind of the king who is able to give with affability, and to protect all who come to him.

388
Who guards the realm and justice strict maintains,
That king as god o'er subject people reigns.
That king, will be esteemed a God among men, who performs his own duties, and protects (his subjects).

389
The king of worth, who can words bitter to his ear endure,
Beneath the shadow of his power the world abides secure.
The whole world will dwell under the umbrella of the king, who can bear words that embitter the ear.

390
Gifts, grace, right sceptre, care of people's weal;
These four a light of dreaded kings reveal.
He is the light of kings who has there four things, beneficence, benevolence, rectitude, and care for his people.

2.1.2 Learning

391
So learn that you may full and faultless learning gain,
Then in obedience meet to lessons learnt remain.
Let a man learn thoroughly whatever he may learn, and let his conduct be worthy of his learning.

392
The twain that lore of numbers and of letters give
Are eyes, the wise declare, to all on earth that live.
Letters and numbers are the two eyes of man.

393
Men who learning gain have eyes, men say;
Blockheads' faces pairs of sores display.
The learned are said to have eyes, but the unlearned have (merely) two sores in their face.

394
You meet with joy, with pleasant thought you part;
Such is the learned scholar's wonderous art!
It is the part of the learned to give joy to those whom they meet, and on leaving, to make them think (Oh! when shall we meet them again.)

395
With soul submiss they stand, as paupers front a rich man's face;
Yet learned men are first; th'unlearned stand in lowest place.
The unlearned are inferior to the learned, before whom they stand begging, as the destitute before the wealthy.

396
In sandy soil, when deep you delve, you reach the springs below;
The more you learn, the freer streams of wisdom flow.
Water will flow from a well in the sand in proportion to the depth to which it is dug, and knowledge will flow from a man in proportion to his learning.

397
The learned make each land their own, in every city find a home;
Who, till they die; learn nought, along what weary ways they roam!
How is it that any one can remain without learning, even to his death, when (to the learned man) every country is his own (country), and every town his own (town) ?

398
The man who store of learning gains,
In one, through seven worlds, bliss attains.
The learning, which a man has acquired in one birth, will yield him pleasure during seven births.

399
Their joy is joy of all the world, they see; thus more
The learners learn to love their cherished lore.
The learned will long (for more learning), when they see that while it gives pleasure to themselves, the world also derives pleasure from it.

400
Learning is excellence of wealth that none destroy;
To man nought else affords reality of joy.
Learning is the true imperishable riches; all other things are not riches.