II. Porutpaal

II.1 Arasiyal

Athikaaram 61. Madiyinmai (Unsluggishness)


Kural 601

Kudiyennum kundraa vilakkam madiyennum
Maasoora maainthu kedum.


English translation:

II. WEALTH

II.1 Politics and social life

Chapter. 61 Unsluggishness

Kural 601.

Of household dignity the lustre beaming bright,
Flickers and dies when sluggish foulness dims its light.
By the darkness, of idleness, the indestructible lamp of family (rank) will be extinguished.


my understanding:

the family, which is a lamp of no-low-light-ever, would be destroyed by the presence of laziness.


other kurals in this chapter:

Kural - 602
Let indolence, the death of effort, die,
If you'd uphold your household's dignity.
Let those, who desire that their family may be illustrious, put away all idleness from their conduct.


my understanding:

whosover consider their family as life should treat laziness equivalent to death (something that would bring death).

here and in the following kurals: he uses the same word for two meanings. madi is laziness, and madi is death. so, he is saying that "treat laziness equivalent to a terminal illness.." by saying "madiyai madiya oluhal". similarly he uses the word kudi for two meanings.. kudi is family and kudi is life.

Madiyai madiya oluhal kudiyai
Kudiya vaendupavar.




Kural - 603
Who fosters indolence within his breast, the silly elf!
The house from which he springs shall perish ere himself.
The (lustre of the) family of the ignorant man, who acts under the influence of destructive laziness will perish, even before he is dead.

Kural - 604
His family decays, and faults unheeded thrive,
Who, sunk in sloth, for noble objects doth not strive.
Family (greatness) will be destroyed, and faults will increase, in those men who give way to laziness, and put forth no dignified exertions.

Kural - 605
Delay, oblivion, sloth, and sleep: these four
Are pleasure-boat to bear the doomed to ruin's shore.
Procrastination, forgetfulness, idleness, and sleep, these four things, form the vessel which is desired by those destined to destruction.

This is a good one too.



Kural - 606
Though lords of earth unearned possessions gain,
The slothful ones no yield of good obtain.
It is a rare thing for the idle, even when possessed of the riches of kings who ruled over the whole earth, to derive any great benefit from it.

Kural - 607
Who hug their sloth, nor noble works attempt,
Shall bear reproofs and words of just contempt.
Those who through idleness, and do not engage themselves in dignified exertion, will subject themselves to rebukes and reproaches.

Kural - 608
If sloth a dwelling find mid noble family,
Bondsmen to them that hate them shall they be.
If idleness take up its abode in a king of high birth, it will make him a slave of his enemies.

Kural - 609
Who changes slothful habits saves
Himself from all that household rule depraves.
When a man puts away idleness, the reproach which has come upon himself and his family will disappear.

Kural - 610
The king whose life from sluggishness is rid,
Shall rule o'er all by foot of mighty god bestrid.
The king who never gives way to idleness will obtain entire possession of (the whole earth) passed over by him who measured (the worlds) with His foot.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2005 11:58AM by prema1.