Tiruvalluvar

“ Kural-28
The might of men whose word is never vain,
The 'secret word' shall to the earth proclaim.
The hidden words of the men whose words are full of effect, will shew their greatness to the world. ”

“ Who every good have killed, may yet destruction flee;
Who 'benefit' has killed, that man shall ne'er 'scape free!
He who has killed every virtue may yet escape; there is no escape for him who has killed a benefit. ”

“ Whose soul delights with hungry men to share his meal,
The hand of hunger's sickness sore shall never feel.
The fiery disease of hunger shall never touch him who habitually distributes his food to others. ”

“ No envious men to large and full felicity attain;
No men from envy free have failed a sure increase to gain.
Never have the envious become great; never have those who are free from envy been without greatness. ”

“ The flower of 'Anicha' withers away, If you do but its fragrance inhale;
If the face of the host cold welcome convey, The guest's heart within him will fail.
As the Anicham flower fades in smelling, so fades the guest when the face is turned away. ”

“ Is there any fastening that can shut in love ? Tears of the affectionate will publish the love that is within.
Kural-72
The loveless to themselves belong alone;
The loving men are others' to the very bone.
Those who are destitute of love appropriate all they have to themselves; but those who possess love consider even their bones to belong to others.
Kural-73
Of precious soul with body's flesh and bone,
The union yields one fruit, the life of love alone.
They say that the union of soul and body in man is the fruit of the union of love and virtue (in a former birth) . ”

“ Like puppet, decked with ornaments of clay, their beauty's vain pretence.
The beauty and goodness of one who is destitute of knowledge by the study of great and exquisite works, is like (the beauty and goodness) of a painted earthen doll. ”

“ From thy regard all womankind Enjoys an equal grace;
O thou of wandering fickle mind, I shrink from thine embrace!
You are given to prostitution; all those who are born as womankind enjoy you with their eyes in an ordinary way. ”

“ What from virtue floweth, yieldeth dear delight;
All else extern, is void of glory's light.
Only that pleasure which flows from domestic virtue is pleasure; all else is not pleasure, and it is without praise. ”

“ The house's 'blessing', men pronounce the house-wife excellent;
The gain of blessed children is its goodly ornament.
The excellence of a wife is the good of her husband; and good children are the jewels of that goodness. ”

“ The envious soul in life no rich increase of blessing gains,
So man of 'due decorum' void no dignity obtains.
Just as the envious man will be without wealth, so will the man of destitute of propriety of conduct be without greatness. ”

“ The hotter glows the fining fire, the gold the brighter shines;
The pain of penitence, like fire, the soul of man refines.
Just as gold is purified as heated in the fire, will those shine, who have endured the burning of pain (in frequent austerities) . ”

“ The head that worships not the feet of Him who is possessed of eight attributes, is as useless as a sense without the power of sensation.
Kural-10
They swim the sea of births, the 'Monarch's' foot who gain;
None others reach the shore of being's mighty main.
None can swim the great sea of births but those who are united to the feet of God. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Let those who list speak things that no delight afford,
'Tis good for men of worth to speak no idle word.
Let the wise if they will, speak things without excellence; it will be well for them not to speak useless things. ”

“ The benefit which a father should confer on his son is to give him precedence in the assembly of the learned.
Kural-68
Their children's wisdom greater than their own confessed,
Through the wide world is sweet to every human breast.
That their children should possess knowledge is more pleasing to all men of this great earth than to themselves.
Kural-69
When mother hears him named 'fulfill'd of wisdom's lore,'
Far greater joy she feels, than when her son she bore.
The mother who hears her son called "a wise man" will rejoice more than she did at his birth. ”

“ Though free from defects, men feel pleased when they cannot embrace the delicate shoulders of those whom they love.
Kural - 1326
'Tis sweeter to digest your food than 'tis to eat;
In love, than union's self is anger feigned more sweet.
To digest what has been eaten is more delightful than to eat more; likewise love is more delightful in dislike than intercourse. ”

“ Wealth 'mid wealth is wealth 'kindliness';
Wealth of goods the vilest too possess.
The wealth of kindness is wealth of wealth, in as much as the wealth of property is possessed by the basest of men. ”

“ Kural - 353
When doubts disperse, and mists of error roll
Away, nearer is heav'n than earth to sage's soul.
Heaven is nearer than earth to those men of purified minds who are freed from from doubt. ”

“ If thou would'st guard thyself, guard against wrath alway;
'Gainst wrath who guards not, him his wrath shall slay.
If a man would guard himself, let him guard against anger; if he do not guard it, anger will kill him. ”

“ The world desires not men of every power possessed,
Who power in act desire not,- crown of all the rest.
The great will not esteem those who esteem not firmness of action, whatever other abilities the latter may possess. ”

“ As earth bears up the men who delve into her breast,
To bear with scornful men of virtues is the best.
To bear with those who revile us, just as the earth bears up those who dig it, is the first of virtues. ”

“ Is ample wealth that falls to him of large and noble heart.
If wealth be in the possession of a man who has the great excellence (of benevolence) , it is like a tree which as a medicine is an infallible cure for disease. ”

“ Greater is he who speaks the truth with full consenting mind.
Than men whose lives have penitence and charity combined.
He, who speaks truth with all his heart, is superior to those who make gifts and practise austerities. ”

“ Kindness of men of stainless soul remember evermore!
Forsake thou never friends who were thy stay in sorrow sore!
Forsake not the friendship of those who have been your staff in adversity. Forget not be benevolence of the blameless. ”

“ Whatever is not conferred by fate cannot be preserved although it be guarded with most painful care; and that, which fate has made his, cannot be lost, although one should even take it and throw it away. ”

“ You ask, What is the good and perfect way?
'Tis path of him who studies nought to slay.
Good path is that which considers how it may avoid killing any creature.
Kural - 325
Of those who 'being' dread, and all renounce, the chief are they,
Who dreading crime of slaughter, study nought to slay.
Of all those who, fearing the permanence of earthly births, have abandoned desire, he is the chief who, fearing (the guilt of) murder, considers how he may avoid the destruction of life. ”

“ Delight of glad'ning human hearts with gifts do they not know.
Men of unpitying eye, who hoard their wealth and lose it so?
Do the hard-eyed who lay up and lose their possessions not know the happiness which springs from the pleasure of giving ? ”

“ Are men who can't their lore acquired to other's ears expound.
Those who are unable to set forth their acquirements (before others) are like flowers blossoming in a cluster and yet without fragrance. ”

“ To turn from guests is penury, though worldly goods abound;
'Tis senseless folly, only with the senseless found.
That stupidity which excercises no hospitality is poverty in the midst of wealth. It is the property of the stupid. ”

“ The wrath 'tis hard e'en for an instant to endure,
Of those who virtue's hill have scaled, and stand secure.
The anger of those who have ascended the mountain of goodness, though it continue but for a moment, cannot be resisted. ”

“ Though malice work its worst, planning no ill return, to endure,
And work no ill, is fixed decree of men in spirit pure.
It is the determination of the spotless not to do evil, even in return, to those who have cherished enmity and done them evil. ”

“ To him who, schooled in virtue, guards his soul from greed.
Lakshmi, knowing the manner (in which she may approach) will immediately come to those wise men who, knowing that it is virtue, covet not the property of others.
Kural-180
From thoughtless lust of other's goods springs fatal ill,
Greatness of soul that covets not shall triumph still.
To covet (the wealth of another) regardless of consequences will bring destruction. That greatness (of mind) which covets not will give victory. ”

“ Who kills conceit that utters 'I' and 'mine',
Shall enter realms above the powers divine.
He who destroys the pride which says "I", "mine" will enter a world which is difficult even to the Gods to attain. ”

“ Than store of wealth guilt-laden souls obtain,
The sorest poverty of perfect soul is richer gain.
Far more excellent is the extreme poverty of the wise than wealth obtained by heaping up of sinful deeds. ”

“ The men who touch not her that is another's bride.
Is it asked, "who are those who shall obtain good in this world surrounded by the terror-producing sea ?" Those who touch not the shoulder of her who belongs to another. ”

“ Those who have experience of evil deeds will not fear, but the excellent will fear the pride of sin.
Kural-202
Since evils new from evils ever grow,
Evil than fire works out more dreaded woe.
Because evil produces evil, therefore should evil be feared more than fire. ”

“ Greater than virtue can a living man obtain?
Virtue will confer heaven and wealth; what greater source of happiness can man possess ?
Kural-32
No greater gain than virtue aught can cause;
No greater loss than life oblivious of her laws.
There can be no greater source of good than (the practice of) virtue; there can be no greater source of evil than the forgetfulness of it. ”

“ Who know not with the world in harmony to dwell,
May many things have learned, but nothing well.
Those who know not how to act agreeably to the world, though they have learnt many things, are still ignorant. ”

“ Unenduring is all wealth; if you wealth enjoy,
Enduring works in working wealth straightway employ.
Wealth is perishable; let those who obtain it immediately practise those (virtues) which are imperishable. ”

“ In soul by tongue inflamed, the ulcer healeth never more.
The wound which has been burnt in by fire may heal, but a wound burnt in by the tongue will never heal.
Kural-130
Who learns restraint, and guards his soul from wrath,
Virtue, a timely aid, attends his path.
Virtue, seeking for an opportunity, will come into the path of that man who, possessed of learning and self-control, guards himself against anger. ”

“ The fate that loss ordains makes wise men's wisdom foolishness;
The fate that gain bestows with ampler powers will wisdom bless.
An adverse fate produces folly, and a prosperous fate produces enlarged knowledge. ”

“ The minister is one who can effect discord (among foes) , maintain the good-will of his friends and restore to friendship those who have seceded (from him) .
634
A minister has power to see the methods help afford,
To ponder long, then utter calm conclusive word.
The minister is one who is able to comprehend (the whole nature of an undertaking) , execute it in the best manner possible, and offer assuring advice (in time of necessity) .
635
The man who virtue knows, has use of wise and pleasant words.
With plans for every season apt, in counsel aid affords. ”

“ To anchorites, to indigent, to those who've passed away,
The man for household virtue famed is needful held and stay.
He will be said to flourish in domestic virtue who aids the forsaken, the poor, and the dead. ”

“ Let not a man consent to do those things to another which, he knows, will cause sorrow.
Kural - 317
To work no wilful woe, in any wise, through all the days,
To any living soul, is virtue's highest praise.
It is the chief of all virtues not knowingly to do any person evil, even in the lowest degree, and at any time.
Kural - 318
Whose soul has felt the bitter smart of wrong, how can
He wrongs inflict on ever-living soul of man?
Why does a man inflict upon other creatures those sufferings, which he has found by experience are sufferings to himself ? ”

“ They keep their garners full, for self alone the board they spread;-
'Tis greater pain, be sure, than begging daily bread!
Solitary and unshared eating for the sake of filling up one's own riches is certainly much more unpleasant than begging. ”