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

Posts: 4397 · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:47 am

2.1.22. Energy

591
'Tis energy gives men o'er that they own a true control;
They nothing own who own not energy of soul.
Energy makes out the man of property; as for those who are destitute of it, do they (really) possess what they possess ?

592
The wealth of mind man owns a real worth imparts,
Material wealth man owns endures not, utterly departs.
The possession of (energy of) mind is true property; the possession of wealth passes away and abides not.

593
'Lost is our wealth,' they utter not this cry distressed,
The men of firm concentred energy of soul possessed.
They who are possessed of enduring energy will not trouble themselves, saying, "we have lost our property."

594
The man of energy of soul inflexible,
Good fortune seeks him out and comes a friend to dwell.
Wealth will find its own way to the man of unfailing energy.

595
With rising flood the rising lotus flower its stem unwinds;
The dignity of men is measured by their minds.
The stalks of water-flowers are proportionate to the depth of water; so is men's greatness proportionate to their minds.

596
Whate'er you ponder, let your aim be loftly still,
Fate cannot hinder always, thwart you as it will.
In all that a king thinks of, let him think of his greatness; and if it should be thrust from him (by fate), it will have the nature of not being thrust from him.

597
The men of lofty mind quail not in ruin's fateful hour,
The elephant retains his dignity mind arrows' deadly shower.
The strong minded will not faint, even when all is lost; the elephant stands firm, even when wounded by a shower of arrows.

598
The soulless man can never gain
Th' ennobling sense of power with men.
Those who have no (greatness of) mind, will not acquire the joy of saying in the world, "we have excercised liaberality".

599
Huge bulk of elephant with pointed tusk all armed,
When tiger threatens shrinks away alarmed!
Although the elephant has a large body, and a sharp tusk, yet it fears the attack of the tiger.

600
Firmness of soul in man is real excellance;
Others are trees, their human form a mere pretence.
Energy is mental wealth; those men who are destitute of it are only trees in the form of men.

2.1.23. Unsluggishness

601
Of household dignity the lustre beaming bright,
Flickers and dies when sluggish foulness dims its light.
By the darkness, of idleness, the indestructible lamp of family (rank) will be extinguished.

602
Let indolence, the death of effort, die,
If you'd uphold your household's dignity.
Let those, who desire that their family may be illustrious, put away all idleness from their conduct.

603
Who fosters indolence within his breast, the silly elf!
The house from which he springs shall perish ere himself.
The (lustre of the) family of the ignorant man, who acts under the influence of destructive laziness will perish, even before he is dead.

604
His family decays, and faults unheeded thrive,
Who, sunk in sloth, for noble objects doth not strive.
Family (greatness) will be destroyed, and faults will increase, in those men who give way to laziness, and put forth no dignified exertions.

605
Delay, oblivion, sloth, and sleep: these four
Are pleasure-boat to bear the doomed to ruin's shore.
Procrastination, forgetfulness, idleness, and sleep, these four things, form the vessel which is desired by those destined to destruction.

606
Though lords of earth unearned possessions gain,
The slothful ones no yield of good obtain.
It is a rare thing for the idle, even when possessed of the riches of kings who ruled over the whole earth, to derive any great benefit from it.

607
Who hug their sloth, nor noble works attempt,
Shall bear reproofs and words of just contempt.
Those who through idleness, and do not engage themselves in dignified exertion, will subject themselves to rebukes and reproaches.

608
If sloth a dwelling find mid noble family,
Bondsmen to them that hate them shall they be.
If idleness take up its abode in a king of high birth, it will make him a slave of his enemies.

609
Who changes slothful habits saves
Himself from all that household rule depraves.
When a man puts away idleness, the reproach which has come upon himself and his family will disappear.

610
The king whose life from sluggishness is rid,
Shall rule o'er all by foot of mighty god bestrid.
The king who never gives way to idleness will obtain entire possession of (the whole earth) passed over by him who measured (the worlds) with His foot.

2.1.24. Manly Effort

611
Say not, 'Tis hard', in weak, desponding hour,
For strenuous effort gives prevailing power.
Yield not to the feebleness which says, "this is too difficult to be done"; labour will give the greatness (of mind) which is necessary (to do it).

612
In action be thou, 'ware of act's defeat;
The world leaves those who work leave incomplete!
Take care not to give up exertion in the midst of a work; the world will abandon those who abandon their unfinished work.

613
In strenuous effort doth reside
The power of helping others: noble pride!
The lustre of munificence will dwell only with the dignity of laboriousness or efforts.

614
Beneficent intent in men by whom no strenuous work is wrought,
Like battle-axe in sexless being's hand availeth nought.
The liberality of him, who does not labour, will fail, like the manliness of a hermaphrodite, who has a sword in its hand.

615
Whose heart delighteth not in pleasure, but in action finds delight,
He wipes away his kinsmen's grief and stands the pillar of their might.
He who desires not pleasure, but desires labour, will be a pillar to sustain his relations, wiping away their sorrows.

616
Effort brings fortune's sure increase,
Its absence brings to nothingness.
Labour will produce wealth; idleness will bring poverty.

617
In sluggishness is seen misfortune's lurid form, the wise declare;
Where man unslothful toils, she of the lotus flower is there!
They say that the black Mudevi (the goddess of adversity) dwells with laziness, and the Latchmi (the goddess of prosperity) dwells with the labour of the industrious.

618
'Tis no reproach unpropitious fate should ban;
But not to do man's work is foul disgrace to man!
Adverse fate is no disgrace to any one; to be without exertion and without knowing what should be known, is disgrace.

619
Though fate-divine should make your labour vain;
Effort its labour's sure reward will gain.
Although it be said that, through fate, it cannot be attained, yet labour, with bodily exertion, will yield its reward.

620
Who strive with undismayed, unfaltering mind,
At length shall leave opposing fate behind.
They who labour on, without fear and without fainting will see even fate (put) behind their back.