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

Posts: 4397 · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:59 pm

2.3.19. Wanton Women

911
Those that choice armlets wear who seek not thee with love,
But seek thy wealth, their pleasant words will ruin prove.
The sweet words of elegant braceleted (prostitutes) who desire (a man) not from affection but from avarice, will cause sorrow.

912
Who weigh the gain, and utter virtuous words with vicious heart,
Weighing such women's worth, from their society depart.
One must ascertain the character of the ill-natured women who after ascertaining the wealth (of a man) speak (as if they were) good natured-ones, and avoid intercourse (with them).

913
As one in darkened room, some stranger corpse inarms,
Is he who seeks delight in mercenary women's charms!
The false embraces of wealth-loving women are like (hired men) embracing a strange corpse in a dark room.

914
Their worthless charms, whose only weal is wealth of gain,
From touch of these the wise, who seek the wealth of grace, abstain.
The wise who seek the wealth of grace will not desire the base favours of those who regard wealth (and not pleasure) as (their) riches.

915
From contact with their worthless charms, whose charms to all are free,
The men with sense of good and lofty wisdom blest will flee;
Those whose knowledge is made excellent by their (natural) sense will not covet the trffling delights of those whose favours are common (to all).

916
From touch of those who worthless charms, with wanton arts, display,
The men who would their own true good maintain will turn away.
Those who would spread (the fame of) their own goodness will not desire the shoulders of those,who rejoice in their accomplishments and bestow their despicable favours (on all who pay).

917
Who cherish alien thoughts while folding in their feigned embrace,
These none approach save those devoid of virtue's grace.
Those who are destitute of a perfectly (reformed) mind will covet the shoulders of those who embrace (them) while their hearts covet other things.

918
As demoness who lures to ruin woman's treacherous love
To men devoid of wisdom's searching power will prove.
The wise say that to such as are destitute of discerning sense the embraces of faithless women are (as ruinous as those of) the celestail female.

919
The wanton's tender arm, with gleaming jewels decked,
Is hell, where sink degraded souls of men abject.
The delicate shoulders of prostitutes with excellent jewels are a hell into which are plunged the ignorant base.

920
Women of double minds, strong drink, and dice; to these giv'n o'er,
Are those on whom the light of Fortune shines no more.
Treacherous women, liquor, and gambling are the associates of such as have forsaken by Fortune.

2.3.20. Not Drinking Palm-Wine

921
Who love the palm's intoxicating juice, each day,
No rev'rence they command, their glory fades away.
Those who always thirst after drink will neither inspire fear (in others) nor retain the light (of their fame).

922
Drink not inebriating draught. Let him count well the cost.
Who drinks, by drinking, all good men's esteem is lost.
Let no liquor be drunk; if it is desired, let it be drunk by those who care not for esteem of the great.

923
The drunkard's joy is sorrow to his mother's eyes;
What must it be in presence of the truly wise?
Intoxication is painful even in the presence of (one's) mother; what will it not then be in that of the wise ?

924
Shame, goodly maid, will turn her back for aye on them
Who sin the drunkard's grievous sin, that all condemn.
The fair maid of modesty will turn her back on those who are guilty of the great and abominable crime of drunkenness.

925
With gift of goods who self-oblivion buys,
Is ignorant of all that man should prize.
To give money and purchase unconsciousness is the result of one's ignorance of (one's own actions).

926
Sleepers are as the dead, no otherwise they seem;
Who drink intoxicating draughts, they poison quaff, we deem.
They that sleep resemble the deed; (likewise) they that drink are no other than poison-eaters.

927
Who turn aside to drink, and droop their heavy eye,
Shall be their townsmen's jest, when they the fault espy.
Those who always intoxicate themselves by a private (indulgence in) drink; will have their secrets detected and laughed at by their fellow-townsmen.

928
No more in secret drink, and then deny thy hidden fraud;
What in thy mind lies hid shall soon be known abroad.
Let (the drunkard) give up saying "I have never drunk"; (for) the moment (he drinks) he will simply betray his former attempt to conceal.

929
Like him who, lamp in hand, would seek one sunk beneath the wave.
Is he who strives to sober drunken man with reasonings grave.
Reasoning with a drunkard is like going under water with a torch in search of a drowned man.

930
When one, in sober interval, a drunken man espies,
Does he not think, 'Such is my folly in my revelries'?
When (a drunkard) who is sober sees one who is not, it looks as if he remembered not the evil effects of his (own) drink.

2.3.21. Gaming (Gambling)

931
Seek not the gamester's play; though you should win,
Your gain is as the baited hook the fish takes in.
Though able to win, let not one desire gambling; (for) even what is won is like a fish swallowing the iron in fish-hook.

932
Is there for gamblers, too, that gaining one a hundred lose, some way
That they may good obtain, and see a prosperous day?
Is there indeed a means of livelihood that can bestow happiness on gamblers who gain one and lose a hundred ?

933
If prince unceasing speak of nought but play,
Treasure and revenue will pass from him away.
If the king is incessantly addicted to the rolling dice in the hope of gain, his wealth and the resources thereof will take their departure and fall into other's hands.

934
Gaming brings many woes, and ruins fair renown;
Nothing to want brings men so surely down.
There is nothing else that brings (us) poverty like gambling which causes many a misery and destroys (one's) reputation.

935
The dice, and gaming-hall, and gamester's art, they eager sought,
Thirsting for gain- the men in other days who came to nought.
Penniless are those who by reason of their attachment would never forsake gambling, the gambling-place and the handling (of dice).

936
Gambling's Misfortune's other name: o'er whom she casts her veil,
They suffer grievous want, and sorrows sore bewail.
Those who are swallowed by the goddess called "gambling" will never have their hunger satisfied, but suffer the pangs of hell in the next world.

937
Ancestral wealth and noble fame to ruin haste,
If men in gambler's halls their precious moments waste.
To waste time at the place of gambling will destroy inherited wealth and goodness of character.

938
Gambling wastes wealth, to falsehood bends the soul: it drives away
All grace, and leaves the man to utter misery a prey.
Gambling destroys property, teaches falsehood, puts an end to benevolence, and brings in misery (here and hereafter).

939
Clothes, wealth, food, praise, and learning, all depart
From him on gambler's gain who sets his heart.
The habit of gambling prevents the attainment of these five: clothing, wealth, food, fame and learning.

940
Howe'er he lose, the gambler's heart is ever in the play;
E'en so the soul, despite its griefs, would live on earth alway.
As the gambler loves (his vice) the more he loses by it, so does the soul love (the body) the more it suffers through it.