Tirukural – Chapter 87
Chapter 87: The Merits of Enmity
Verse 863
Two villagers in the foreground observe two responses to a raging buffalo. A young boy, ignorant and unattentive, has been trampled by the beast since he did not leave the road. A wiser traveler has found refuge behind a tree and avoided harm.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 861
Rein in antagonism against the strong,
but unleash animosity against feeble adversaries.
Verse 862
How can an unloving man, with neither powerful allies
nor the strength to stand alone, overcome mighty enemies?
Verse 863
He who is fearful, ignorant, unfriendly and uncharitable
proves an easy prey to his enemies.
Verse 864
Letting go of his secrets but not his antipathy,
a man becomes easy prey to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Verse 865
Without character, conscience, piety and propriety,
a man may yet be delightful–to his enemies!
Verse 866
Even hatred can be a welcome thing, when it comes from
scoundrels seized by blind rage and indulgent lust.
Verse 867
Some men undertake a task, then undermine it unawares.
Acquire their hatred–indeed, pay good money for it.
Verse 868
If a man has no virtues and many vices, he will surely have
no allies, and this will be his enemies’ surest advantage.
Verse 869
Finding that his foe is ignorant and afraid to fight,
the attacker’s cheerfulness cannot forsake him.
Verse 870
Fame will flee the grasp of one who fails to grasp
the wealth of an enemy who is angry and unlearned.
Tirukural – Chapter 86
Chapter 86: Hatred
Verse 858
Two people of different clans have gathered in fiery contention and hateful argument. Above, two brothers flee the conflict and their wealth is saved. Below, a man approaches the fight, inflaming it further. As a result, his home above burns to the ground.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 851
It is said that hatred is the disease that spreads
the plagues of discord among all living creatures.
Verse 852
Though men devise disunity and deliberately harm you,
the highest path plots no hateful retribution.
Verse 853
Removing the incurable cancer called hatred
reveals one’s immortal, undiminishing splendor.
Verse 854
The quelling of hatred, that sorrow of sorrows,
confers on man the joy of joys.
Verse 855
Who is there who can conquer those
who have relinquished all hostilities?
Verse 856
For all who boast that they take delight in hatred,
failure and death are drawing near.
Verse 857
Men filled with hatred, knowingly causing harm to others,
never see that their hoped-for triumph lies in God’s true grace.
Verse 858
Wealth increases when a man walks away from hatred
and diminishes whenever he draws it near.
Verse 859
Seeing a prosperous season approach, men neglect hatred.
In times of ruin, they nurture it lavishly.
Verse 860
Out of hatred springs all bitter suffering,
while cheerful friendship yields good fortune’s every joy.
Tirukural – Chapter 85
Chapter 85: Ignorance
Verse 847
A farmer has climbed out on the branch of a tree, but he is sitting on the wrong side and is about to injure himself. The owner of the orchard rushes up to warn him and urge him not to proceed.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 841
Dearth of wisdom is the direst destitution.
Other poverties the world deems less impoverishing.
Verse 842
If any merit is gained when a fool gives a gift, however gladly,
it is due to the recipient’s past penance and nothing else.
Verse 843
The suffering that ignorant men inflict upon themselves
can hardly be contrived by their enemies.
Verse 844
What is stupidity, you ask? It is the conceit
that dares to declare, “I am wise.”
Verse 845
He who pretends to knowledge he does not possess
raises doubts about the things he really knows.
Verse 846
Fools follow a perverse path, clothing their well-formed naked body,
yet never thinking to conceal their deformed mind.
Verse 847
Neglecting valuable advice, an ignorant man
becomes the cause of his own misery.
Verse 848
That soul who neither follows another’s orders nor fathoms what to
do himself creates nothing but torment until he leaves this life.
Verse 849
As an unseeing man sees only the ways of his own mind, whoever
attempts to open the eyes of those who will not see is himself blind.
Verse 850
He who denies as false what the world declares
to be true is deemed to be an earthly demon.
Tirukural – Chapter 84
Chapter 84: Folly
Verse 836
A carpenter attempts to build a hut for a client, but it is unstable, for he does not know how to do it. He soon finds himself in trouble as the people witnessing this ask him to return the money that they have loaned him for the task.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver’s Wisdom
Verse 831
What is folly? It is holding on to that which is harmful
and throwing away that which is helpful.
Verse 832
The folly of all follies is to find pleasure in
doing what one is forbidden to do.
Verse 833
To be shameless, uninquisitive, loveless and uncaring
are four failings common among all fools.
Verse 834
No fool is more foolish than one who eagerly expounds
his learning to others while failing to follow it himself.
Verse 835
It only takes a single birth for a fool to earn by his efforts
a morass of misery in the succeeding seven births.
Verse 836
Not knowing how to act, when a fool undertakes an enterprise,
he doesn’t just fail, he shackles himself in chains.
Verse 837
Should a fool fall upon a great fortune,
strangers will feast while his family starves.
Verse 838
If a fool happens to acquire something of value,
he will behave like a drunken lunatic.
Verse 839
Friendship among fools is particularly sweet,
for there is not the slightest pain when they part.
Verse 840
A fool’s stepping into a saintly council
is like entering a clean bed with filthy feet.
The Guru Chronicles – Tamil
The Guru Chronicles is the inspiring tale of our Nandinatha Sampradaya, a spiritual storybook which explores over 2,000 years of the history and lives of seven extraordinary gurus. Gurudeva set the book in motion in Sri Lanka back in 1972. It was decades in the making and was finally printed in English in 2011. Today, inspired by the Hindu New Year, we announce the release of the recently completed Tamil translation of this important book.
You can go here to download the pdf, epub or mobi:
https://www.himalayanacademy.com/view/the-guru-chronicles_ta
To learn about the amazing work required to create the book, go to the web link below which takes you to the English version of the preface.
https://www.himalayanacademy.com/media/books/the-guru-chronicles/web/09_fm_09.html#para-1
And, we will soon upload a version to the web, so that you can read it online.
Tirukural – Chapter 83
Chapter 83: False Friendship
Verse 828
A gentleman stands with hands folded across his chest. He is confronting a wicked fellow who has approached him. Though the intruder bows with a smile, inside his heart hides a dagger of intended harm.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 821
The friendship of those who feign affection is an anvil
on which they hammer you when the opportunity arises.
Verse 822
For those who act like friends, but are not,
friendship fluctuates like a fickle woman.
Verse 823
Though their learning may be abundantly good,
ignoble men rarely learn goodness of heart.
Verse 824
Fear the cunning friend who, harboring
wickedness in his heart, smiles sweetly to your face.
Verse 825
Distrust whatever words may come from men
whose hearts do not beat in harmony with your own.
Verse 826
Sounding very much like a good friend's words,
a rival's words are nonetheless known very quickly.
Verse 827
Knowing how the bending of a bow forebodes nothing but harm,
never trust an enemy, though he bends low in his speech.
Verse 828
Folded in respect, a foe's hands may hide a dagger.
So, too, his tears dare not be trusted.
Verse 829
Men may amply aid you, yet despise you in their heart;
make them laugh, but let feigned friendship die.
Verse 830
When the time comes that foes pose as friends,
keep a friendly face but banish their brotherhood from your heart.
Tirukural – Chapter 82
Chapter 82: Harmful Friendship
Verse 816
A knowledgeable scholar is seated on the floor at his desk. He is looking sternly at and correcting his young prodigy, who hangs his head in shame for some shortcomings. Still the youth values the teacher’s friendship more than those outside the compound who are indolent and foolish.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 811
Though unscrupulous men may seem to consume you in friendship,
their companionship grows more delightful as it declines.
Verse 812
What does it matter if one gains or loses the friendship
of manipulators who befriend to gain and otherwise forsake?
Verse 813
Prostitutes, thieves and people who make friends
to make money are all alike.
Verse 814
Some men are like an untrained horse that throws its rider
on the battlefield. Loneliness is better than their friendship.
Verse 815
Better to give up than to gain the friendship of inferior men
who stay away when they should stay and help.
Verse 816
The enmity of the wise is ten million times
better than intimate friendship with fools.
Verse 817
An enemy's rancor is a hundred million times more worthwhile
than companionship with fellows who always clown around.
Verse 818
If friends feign inability to discharge reasonable tasks,
remain silent and gradually give up their friendship.
Verse 819
The fellowship of men whose acts
belie their spoken words is bitter, even in dreams.
Verse 820
There are men who will cherish you in private but censure you
in public--avoid their every befriending approach.
Tirukural – Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Old Familiarity
Verse 807
A limb, fallen from a large tree, has broken the chariot and injured the passengers. In the foreground the maker of the chariot apologizes to the charioteer, who assures the man that it was not his fault.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 801
What is old familiarity? It is when neither friend
objects to liberties taken by the other.
Verse 802
Liberties taken by a friend are friendship's rightful possession;
to allow them is the willing duty of wise men.
Verse 803
What is the purpose of long-standing fellowship
if friends' familiar actions are not accepted as one's own?
Verse 804
Familiar with familiarity, the wise are never annoyed
when friends do things without asking.
Verse 805
When friends do things that hurt you, attribute it
to unawareness or to the privileges of friendship.
Verse 806
Bound by brotherhood, true friends never break their bond
with an old comrade, even if he brings them loss.
Verse 807
Old friends do not forsake loving fellowships,
even when those they cherish happen to do them harm.
Verse 808
An intimate of any strength will never listen to faults said of friends;
and on the day a friend offends, he is content to keep silent.
Verse 809
The world cherishes faithful men who never forsake
old friendships, worn by time but unbroken.
Verse 810
Even ill-wishers will wish those well
who never abandon affection for old friends.
Tirukural – Chapter 80
Chapter 80: Testing Fitness for Friendship
Verse 800
A man is conversing with his wife when he notices a suspicious looking man outside surveilling them. Going outside, he offers the stranger a few coins to go away.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 791
Nothing is more grievous than friendship formed without first
testing, for once adopted, it cannot be abandoned by the faithful.
Verse 792
Unless it begins with testing and proving,
friendship may end in mortal sorrow.
Verse 793
Before you befriend him, consider a man's character,
family background, faults and faithful allies.
Verse 794
Pay any price to possess the friendship
of well-born men who cannot bear rebuke and shame.
Verse 795
Seek out and befriend those who, speaking out, move you to repent,
reprove your wrongdoing and teach you the right ways.
Verse 796
There is a benefit even in misfortune, for it is the rod
with which a man may measure the loyalty of friends.
Verse 797
To give up friendship with fools and quit their company--
such loss is said to be a man's greatest gain.
Verse 798
Don't dwell on thoughts that dim your spirit.
Don't befriend those who flee you in affliction.
Verse 799
Even in the hour of death, the thoughts of friends
who left you in your hour of need will hurt the heart.
Verse 800
Hold tight to friendship with pure men;
let go of unfit fellows, even by paying them off.
Tirukural – Chapter 79
Chapter 79: Friendship
Verse 786
Three friends have come to the courtyard of a fourth. Two of them have a smile on their face and also in their heart. The third is smiling outwardly, but not within.
You can access the entire text, in Tamil and English here:
Weaver's Wisdom
Verse 781
What is as difficult to secure as friendship?
And what greater security is there against foes?
Verse 782
With wise men, friendship waxes like the crescent moon;
with fools, it wanes as surely as the full moon must.
Verse 783
The bonds that good men share are like good bound books,
revealing new enchantments at each new encounter.
Verse 784
What matters in making friends is not merrymaking,
but a stern rebuking when friends go astray.
Verse 785
It is not constant meeting and companionship,
but shared sensibilities that confer the alliance of friendship.
Verse 786
A smiling face is no sure sign of friendship.
Friendship is found deep within a smiling heart.
Verse 787
To divert a man from wrong, direct him toward right
and share his sorrow in misfortune is comradeship.
Verse 788
As swiftly as the hand moves to seize a slipping garment,
friendship acts to assuage a friend's distress.
Verse 789
Where does Friendship hold her court? It is where friends
find constant support in every possible circumstance.
Verse 790
To boast, "He means so much to me, and I to him,"
merely belittles a friendship.
From Our Gurus' Teachings
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