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

Posts: 4397 · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:40 am

2.4.9. Agriculture

1031
Howe'er they roam, the world must follow still the plougher's team;
Though toilsome, culture of the ground as noblest toil esteem.
Agriculture, though laborious, is the most excellent (form of labour); for people, though they go about (in search of various employments), have at last to resort to the farmer.

1032
The ploughers are the linch-pin of the world; they bear
Them up who other works perform, too weak its toils to share.
Agriculturists are (as it were) the linch-pin of the world for they support all other workers who cannot till the soil.

1033
Who ploughing eat their food, they truly live:
The rest to others bend subservient, eating what they give.
They alone live who live by agriculture; all others lead a cringing, dependent life.

1034
O'er many a land they 'll see their monarch reign,
Whose fields are shaded by the waving grain.
Patriotic farmers desire to bring all other states under the control of their own king.

1035
They nothing ask from others, but to askers give,
Who raise with their own hands the food on which they live.
Those whose nature is to live by manual labour will never beg but give something to those who beg.

1036
For those who 've left what all men love no place is found,
When they with folded hands remain who till the ground.
If the farmer's hands are slackened, even the ascetic state will fail.

1037
Reduce your soil to that dry state, When ounce is quarter-ounce's weight;
Without one handful of manure, Abundant crops you thus secure.
If the land is dried so as to reduce one ounce of earth to a quarter, it will grow plentifully even without a handful of manure.

1038
To cast manure is better than to plough;
Weed well; to guard is more than watering now
Manuring is better than ploughing; after weeding, watching is better than watering (it).

1039
When master from the field aloof hath stood;
Then land will sulk, like wife in angry mood.
If the owner does not (personally) attend to his cultivation, his land will behave like an angry wife and yield him no pleasure.

1040
The earth, that kindly dame, will laugh to see,
Men seated idle pleading poverty.
The maiden, Earth, will laugh at the sight of those who plead poverty and lead an idle life.

2.4.10. Poverty

1041
You ask what sharper pain than poverty is known;
Nothing pains more than poverty, save poverty alone.
There is nothing that afflicts (one) like poverty.

1042
Malefactor matchless! poverty destroys
This world's and the next world's joys.
When cruel poverty comes on, it deprives one of both the present and future (bliss).

1043
Importunate desire, which poverty men name,
Destroys both old descent and goodly fame.
Hankering poverty destroys at once the greatness of (one's) ancient descent and (the dignity of one's) speech.

1044
From penury will spring, 'mid even those of noble race,
Oblivion that gives birth to words that bring disgrace.
Even in those of high birth, poverty will produce the fault of uttering mean words.

1045
From poverty, that grievous woe,
Attendant sorrows plenteous grow.
The misery of poverty brings in its train many (more) miseries.

1046
Though deepest sense, well understood, the poor man's words convey,
Their sense from memory of mankind will fade away.
The words of the poor are profitless, though they may be sound in thought and clear in expression.

1047
From indigence devoid of virtue's grace,
The mother e'en that bare, estranged, will turn her face.
He that is reduced to absolute poverty will be regarded as a stranger even by his own mother.

1048
And will it come today as yesterday,
The grief of want that eats my soul away?
Is the poverty that almost killed me yesterday, to meet me today too ?

1049
Amid the flames sleep may men's eyelids close,
In poverty the eye knows no repose.
One may sleep in the midst of fire; but by no means in the midst of poverty.

1050
Unless the destitute will utterly themselves deny,
They cause their neighbour's salt and vinegar to die.
The destitute poor, who do not renounce their bodies, only consume their neighbour's salt and water.

2.4.11. Mendicancy

1051
When those you find from whom 'tis meet to ask,- for aid apply;
Theirs is the sin, not yours, if they the gift deny.
If you meet with those that may be begged of, you may beg; (but) if they withhold (their gift) it is their blame and not yours.

1052
Even to ask an alms may pleasure give,
If what you ask without annoyance you receive.
Even begging may be pleasant, if what is begged for is obtained without grief (to him that begs).

1053
The men who nought deny, but know what's due, before their face
To stand as suppliants affords especial grace.
There is even a beauty in standing before and begging of those who are liberal in their gifts and understand their duty (to beggars).

1054
Like giving alms, may even asking pleasant seem,
From men who of denial never even dream.
To beg of such as never think of withholding (their charity) even in their dreams, is in fact the same as giving (it oneself);

1055
Because on earth the men exist, who never say them nay,
Men bear to stand before their eyes for help to pray.
As there are in the world those that give without refusing, there are (also) those that prefer to beg by simply standing before them.

1056
It those you find from evil of 'denial' free,
At once all plague of poverty will flee.
All the evil of begging will be removed at the sight of those who are far from the evil of refusing.

1057
If men are found who give and no harsh words of scorn employ,
The minds of askers, through and through, will thrill with joy.
Beggars rejoice exceedingly when they behold those who bestow (their alms) with kindness and courtesy.

1058
If askers cease, the mighty earth, where cooling fountains flow,
Will be a stage where wooden puppets come and go.
If there were no beggars, (the actions done in) the cool wide world would only resemble the movement of a puppet.

1059
What glory will there be to men of generous soul,
When none are found to love the askers' role?
What (praise) would there be to givers (of alms) if there were no beggars to ask for and reveive (them).

1060
Askers refused from wrath must stand aloof;
The plague of poverty itself is ample proof.
He who begs ought not to be angry (at a refusal); for even the misery of (his own) poverty should be a sufficient reason (for so doing).