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

Posts: 4397 · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:46 am

2.3.7. Investigation in forming Friendships

791
To make an untried man your friend is ruin sure;
For friendship formed unbroken must endure.
As those who are of a friendly nature will not forsake (a friend) after once loving (him), there is no evil so great as contracting a friendship without due inquiry.

792
Alliance with the man you have not proved and proved again,
In length of days will give you mortal pain.
The friendship contracted by him who has not made repeated inquiry will in the end grieve (him) to death.

793
Temper, descent, defects, associations free
From blame: know these, then let the man be friend to thee.
Make friendship (with one) after ascertaining (his) character, birth, defects and the whole of one's relations.

794
Who, born of noble race, from guilt would shrink with shame,
Pay any price so you as friend that man may claim.
The friendship of one who belongs to a (good) family and is afraid of (being charged with) guilt, is worth even purchasing.

795
Make them your chosen friend whose words repentance move,
With power prescription's path to show, while evil they reprove.
You should examine and secure the friendship of those who can speak so as to make you weep over a crime (before its commission) or rebuke you severely (after you have done it) and are able to teach you (the ways of) the world.

796
Ruin itself one blessing lends:
'Tis staff that measures out one's friends.
Even in ruin there is some good; (for) it is a rod by which one may measure fully (the affection of one's) relations.

797
'Tis gain to any man, the sages say,
Friendship of fools to put away.
It is indead a gain for one to renounce the friendship of fools.

798
Think not the thoughts that dwarf the soul; nor take
For friends the men who friends in time of grief forsake.
Do not think of things that discourage your mind, nor contract friendship with those who would forsake you in adversity.

799
Of friends deserting us on ruin's brink,
'Tis torture e'en in life's last hour to think.
The very thought of the friendship of those who have deserted one at the approach of adversity will burn one's mind at the time of death.

800
Cling to the friendship of the spotless one's; whate'er you pay.
Renounce alliance with the men of evil way.
Continue to enjoy the friendship of the pure; (but) renounce even with a gift, the friendship of those who do not agree (with the world).

2.3.8. Familiarity

801
Familiarity is friendship's silent pact,
That puts restraint on no familiar act.
Imtimate friendship is that which cannot in the least be injured by (things done through the) right (of longstanding intimacy).

802
Familiar freedom friendship's very frame supplies;
To be its savour sweet is duty of the wise.
The constituents of friendship are (things done through) the right of intimacy; to be pleased with such a right is the duty of the wise.

803
When to familiar acts men kind response refuse,
What fruit from ancient friendship's use?
Of what avail is long-standing friendship, if friends do not admit as their own actions done through the right of intimacy ?

804
When friends unbidden do familiar acts with loving heart,
Friends take the kindly deed in friendly part.
If friends, through the right of friendship, do (anything) without being asked, the wise will be pleased with them on account of its desirability.

805
Not folly merely, but familiar carelessness,
Esteem it, when your friends cause you distress.
If friends should perform what is painful, understand that it is owing not only to ignorance, but also to the strong claims of intimacy.

806
Who stand within the bounds quit not, though loss impends,
Association with the old familiar friends.
Those who stand within the limits (of true friendship) will not even in adversity give up the intimacy of long-standing friends.

807
True friends, well versed in loving ways,
Cease not to love, when friend their love betrays.
Those who have (long) stood in the path of affection will not give it up even if their friends cause (them) their ruin.

808
In strength of friendship rare of friend's disgrace who will not hear,
The day his friend offends will day of grace to him appear.
To those who understand that by which they should not listen to (tales about) the faults of their friends, that is a (profitable) day on which the latter may commit a fault.

809
Friendship of old and faithful friends,
Who ne'er forsake, the world commends.
They will be loved by the world, who have not forsaken the friendship of those with whom they have kept up an unbroken long-standing intimacy.

810
Ill-wishers even wish them well, who guard.
For ancient friends, their wonted kind regard.
Even enemies will love those who have never changed in their affection to their long-standingfriends.

2.3.9. Evil Friendship

811
Though evil men should all-absorbing friendship show,
Their love had better die away than grow.
The decrease of friendship with those who look as if they would eat you up (through excess of love) while they are really destitute of goodness is far better than its increase.

812
What though you gain or lose friendship of men of alien heart,
Who when you thrive are friends, and when you fail depart?
Of what avail is it to get or lose the friendship of those who love when there is gain and leave when there is none ?

813
These are alike: the friends who ponder friendship's gain
Those who accept whate'er you give, and all the plundering train.
Friendship who calculate the profits (of their friendship), prostitutes who are bent on obtaining their gains, and thieves are (all) of the same character.

814
A steed untrained will leave you in the tug of war;
Than friends like that to dwell alone is better far.
Solitude is more to be desired than the society of those who resemble the untrained horses which throw down (their riders) in the fields of battle.

815
'Tis better not to gain than gain the friendship profitless
Of men of little minds, who succour fails when dangers press.
It is far better to avoid that to contract the evil friendship of the base who cannot protect (their friends) even when appointed to do so.

816
Better ten million times incur the wise man's hate,
Than form with foolish men a friendship intimate.
The hatred of the wise is ten-million times more profitable than the excessive intimacy of the fool.

817
From foes ten million fold a greater good you gain,
Than friendship yields that's formed with laughers vain.
What comes from enemies is a hundred million times more profitable than what comes from the friendship of those who cause only laughter.

818
Those men who make a grievous toil of what they do
On your behalf, their friendship silently eschew.
Gradually abandon without revealing (beforehand) the friendship of those who pretend inability to carry out what they (really) could do.

819
E'en in a dream the intercourse is bitterness
With men whose deeds are other than their words profess.
The friendship of those whose actions do not agree with their words will distress (one) even in (one's) dreams.

820
In anywise maintain not intercourse with those,
Who in the house are friends, in hall are slandering foes.
Avoid even the least approach to a contraction of friendship with those who would love you in private but ridicule you in public.