Tirukkural Text
Complete Text of Tirukkural
Table of Contents
Part I: Virtue
Introduction
The Praise of God
Kural-1
A, as its first of letters, every speech maintains;
The "Primal Deity" is first through all the world's domains.
As all letters have the letter A for their first, so the world has the eternal God for its first.
Kural-2
No fruit have men of all their studied lore,
Save they the 'Purely Wise One's' feet adore.
What Profit have those derived from learning, who worship not the good feet of Him who is possessed of pure knowledge ?
Kural-3
His feet, 'Who o'er the full-blown flower hath past,' who gain
In bliss long time shall dwell above this earthly plain.
They who are united to the glorious feet of Him who occupies swiftly the flower of the mind, shall flourish in the highest of worlds (heaven).
Kural-4
His foot, 'Whom want affects not, irks not grief,' who gain
Shall not, through every time, of any woes complain.
To those who meditate the feet of Him who is void of desire or aversion, evil shall never come.
Kural-5
The men, who on the 'King's' true praised delight to dwell,
Affects not them the fruit of deeds done ill or well.
The two-fold deeds that spring from darkness shall not adhere to those who delight in the true praise of God.
Kural-6
Long live they blest, who 've stood in path from falsehood freed;
His, 'Who quenched lusts that from the sense-gates five proceed'.
Those shall long proposer who abide in the faultless way of Him who has destroyed the five desires of the senses.
Kural-7
Unless His foot, 'to Whom none can compare,' men gain,
'Tis hard for mind to find relief from anxious pain.
Anxiety of mind cannot be removed, except from those who are united to the feet of Him who is incomparable.
Kural-8
Unless His feet 'the Sea of Good, the Fair and Bountiful,' men gain,
'Tis hard the further bank of being's changeful sea to attain.
None can swim the sea of vice, but those who are united to the feet of that gracious Being who is a sea of virtue.
Kural-9
Before His foot, 'the Eight-fold Excellence,' with unbent head,
Who stands, like palsied sense, is to all living functions dead.
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 Excellence of Rain
The Greatness of Ascetics
Assertion of the Strength of Virtue
Domestic Virtue
Domestic Life
The Goodness of the Help to Domestic Life
The Obtaining of Sons
The Possession of Love
Cherishing Guests
The Utterance of Pleasant Words
The Knowledge of Benefits Conferred: Gratitude
Impartiality
The Possession of Self-restraint
The Possession of Decorum
Not coveting another's Wife
The Possession of Patience, Forbearance
Not Envying
Not Coveting
Not Backbiting
The Not Speaking Profitless Words
Dread of Evil Deeds
The Knowledge of What is Befitting a Man's Position
Giving
Renown
Ascetic Virtue
The Possession of Benevolence
The Renunciation of Flesh
Penance
Inconsistent Conduct
The Absence of Fraud
Veracity
The not being Angry
Not doing Evil
Not killing
Instability
Renunciation
Knowledge of the True
The Extirpation of Desire
Fate
Fate
Part II: Wealth
Royalty
The Greatness of a King
Learning
Ignorance
Hearing
The Possession of Knowledge
The Correction of Faults
Seeking the Aid of Great Men
Avoiding mean Associations
Acting after due Consideration
The Knowledge of Power
Knowing the fitting Time
Knowing the Place
Selection and Confidence
Selection and Employment
Cherishing one's Kindred
Unforgetfulness
The Right Sceptre
The Cruel Sceptre
Absence of 'Terrorism'
Benignity
Detectives
Energy
Unsluggishness
Manly Effort
Hopefulness in Trouble
Ministers of state
The Office of Minister of state
Power in Speech
Purity in Action
Power in Action
The Method of Acting
The Envoy
Conduct in the Presence of the King
The Knowledge of Indications
The Knowledge of the Council Chamber
Not to dread the Council
The Essentials of a State
The Land
The Fortification
Way of Accumulating Wealth
The Excellence of an Army
Military Spirit
Friendship
Investigation in forming Friendships
Familiarity
Evil Friendship
Unreal Friendship
Folly
Ignorance
Hostility
The Might of Hatred
Knowing the Quality of Hate
Enmity within
Not Offending the Great
Being led by Women
Wanton Women
Not Drinking Palm-Wine
Gaming (Gambling)
Medicine
Miscellaneous
Nobility
Honour
Greatness
Perfectness
Courtesy
Wealth without Benefaction
Shame
The Way of Maintaining the Family
Agriculture
Poverty
Mendicancy
The Dread of Mendicancy
Baseness
Part III: Love
The Gandharva Marriage (The Pre-marital love)
Mental Disturbance caused by the Beauty of the Princess
Recognition of the Signs (of Mutual Love)
Rejoicing in the Embrace
The Praise of her Beauty
Declaration of Love's special Excellence
The Abandonment of Reserve
The Announcement of the Rumour
Wedded Love (The Post-marital love)
Separation unendurable
Complainings
Eyes consumed with Grief
The Pallid Hue
The Solitary Anguish
Sad Memories
The Visions of the Night
Lamentations at Eventide
Wasting Away
Soliloquy
Reserve Overcome
Mutual Desire
The Reading of the Signs
Desire for Reunion
Expostulation with Oneself
Pouting
Feigned Anger
The Pleasures of 'Temporary Variance'
References
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