Other Translations:The Possession of Virtuous Conduct; Purity of Conduct; The Well-Regulated Life; Right Conduct; Disciplined Life; morality; discipline
Strict adherence to decorum is necessary to ensure smooth functioning of individual life and social systems. Decorum of an individual adds to the pride of the family and community the individual belongs to. It is emphasized in this chapter that the lack of decorum is a disgrace to the individual as well as the family and community. Discipline aids cooperation resulting in the common good of the people. This is why this Chapter says 'discipline is citizenship' and stresses 'conformity with the society'. It is this cooperation that drives the progress of the society. Discipline is more valuable than life to one because it gives especial excellence; That is the mark of good lineage ; That is what determines ups and downs in one’s reputation. That is the basis of all good; Discipline is not just what has been written down - it is what goes with and conforms to the societal standards. These are the teachings of this Chapter.
The first two verses of this chapter say that as decorum grants eminence, decorum should be preserved as superior to life.
131. Propriety confers prominence; hence, propriety is cherished more than existence.
132. Take painstaking effort to preserve propriety; after researching all there is to, one can conclude, it is the best ally.
The verses that follow illustrate the improvement that one can achieve through decorum and the disgrace that would result from the lack of it.
133. Class is determined by propriety of conduct; impropriety will lead to being considered part of an ignoble class.
134. One can relearn if he forgets the scriptures; but, a misconduct will forever sever his stature.
135. A person who has envy has no wealth; a person who has no decorum has no growth.
136. The strong-willed don’t shrivel their propriety, knowing the suffering inflicted by impropriety.
137. One attains eminence through decorum; one attains unprecedented infamy due to indecorum.
138. Good conduct becomes the seed for goodwill and impropriety always yields agony.
The end verses state that those who study propriety of conduct will not speak evil even forgetfully; and that those who do not know how to act agreeably with the world are considered ignorant irrespective of the wide knowledge they might have acquired.
139. Those who practice propriety find it impossible to utter harmful words even forgetfully.
140. Those who don’t learn to abide by the decorous norms of the society, even if well-read, are unwise.
Comments:
M Muthusubramanyam said:
Morality/Decorum/Discipline
It is impossible to define decorum. This chapter in 10 verses also did not say what it was. Even though many interpreters of these verses explained a little bit about morality as good conduct in relation to the conduct of great personalities of the society, none of them said what morals were. Morality is about helping to lead this vast world and humanity without conflicting with each other. It relates to one's habits, mannerisms, lifestyle, and behavior, which simply means behaving humanly according to human nature.
A Tamil Sangam Literature of 5th century C.E. named "Achaarak kOvai" (http://sathyasenthil77.blogspot.com/2012/10/blog-post.html) has 100 verses devoted to explain the various matters of discipline/decorum and has listed these in the very first verse:
1: Recognize and thank others for the help received .
2: Be patient.
3: Speaking pleasant words/avoiding harsh speech.
4: Do not do anything that will cause any suffering to any life.
5: Learning.
6: Living in harmony with the world.
7: Seeking the help and company of knowledgeable elders.
Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face
of temptations and impulses. As an executive function, self-control is necessary for regulating
one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals. Being high in controlling our desires and
impulses is important in achieving the goals we set for ourselves.
In the classic Marshmallow experiment, Walter Mischel and his colleagues gave children a
marshmallow and explained that they would get another one if they managed not to eat
it until the experimenter returned. Those who were able to control their impulses and
delay gratification were found years later to have higher academic achievements (Mischel,
2014). Being able to manage and regulate needs, desires and emotions are thus vital to performing well academically and sticking to tasks.
This chapter talks about a life lived with controlled mind, speech and action. This quality
includes the control of five sense organs, control of speech and control of anger. Self-control
does not mean doing nothing. It means the ability to discriminate between good and bad
deeds, diverting the senses from evil and guiding them towards good deeds. Self-controlled
living represents a life lived without pomp or pride and conducting oneself within proper
Limits.
Habits to Develop: Ability to restrain oneself; avoid the temptation or habit of showmanship
even when facing one of lesser position such as student, employee, younger etc.
Simple paraphrase of the 10 couplets of this chapter
- largely as expounded by SATGURU SIVAYA SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI in “ Weaver's Wisdom, Ancient Precepts for a Perfect Life”
121. Self-control will place (a man) among the Heavenly Souls; the want of it will drive (him) into the thickest darkness (of hell). (Merit of self-control)
122. Guard your self-control as a precious treasure, for there is no greater wealth in
life than this. (Importance of self-control)
123. Comprehending and acquiring self-control confers upon one the esteem of wise men. (Merit of self-control)
124. The eminence of one, who doesn’t diverge from the right path and remains restrained,
will be more imposing than a mountain. (Merit of self-control)
125. Humility is a precious quality in all people, but it has a rare richness in the rich. (Humility is the product of self-control)
126. Like a tortoise withdrawing five limbs into its shell, those who restrain the five senses in one life, will find safe shelter for seven. (This couplet tells the importance
of the control of all five senses: (seeing,hearing, touching, smelling, tasting-speaking)
127. Whatever you may fail to guard, guard well your tongue, for flawed speech unfailingly invokes anguish and affliction. (Importance of controlling one’s speech)
128. If there is one word, which produces the results of harmful words,
all good intentions will come to naught. (Importance of controlling one’s speech)
129. The wound caused by fire heals in its time; The burn inflicted by an inflamed tongue never
heals. (Importance of controlling one’s speech)
130. Virtue will wait in the streets to meet a man possessed of learning and self-disciplined, his anger subdued. (This couplet tells the importance of mind/thought/behavior/ange
control)
Let us continue this topic with discussion on how to develop the will power to Possess self-restraint.
Chapter 12 of Weaver's Wisdom: Ancient Precepts for a Perfect Life (thirukkurrall) deals with the virtue of Impartiality. This video gives an overview of this chapter and the praaphrase of the 10 couplets of this chapter.
Impartiality is a desirable quality for people of all walks of life, and particularly so for
one aspiring to become a successful leader. It is highly desirable to maintain impartiality
in various daily activities such as resolving differences of opinions, accumulating wealth,
advising, and giving judgement on selecting among contesting claims.
There should be no preferential treatment between a strong person and a weak person
or between friend and foe or rich and poor or high echelon and lower rungs of society;
impartiality needs to be maintained irrespective of these differences between contending parties.
Even the fact that we owe gratitude to one party should not sway us away from impartiality.
Impartiality could include non-alignment, justice, moderation and many such terms. When
caught between two fighting factions or individuals, staying away without involving also could be claimed as being impartial. What KuRaL says as impartiality is the underlying great
human quality of maintaining the proper stance. This is a quality needed in all walks of life
to be maintained by all. VaLLuvar refers to this as a qualification.
The story of Yuthishtira opting for the return to life of Nakula when faced with the choice
for the return of one of his 4 brothers is a good example to illustrate equity or impartiality.
Simple paraphrase of the 10 couplets (Impartiality):
111. Justice may be called good when it acts impartially toward enemies, strangers and
friends.
112. The wealth of those who possess justice will not perish, but will bring happiness
also to their posterity.
113. Forsake in the very moment (of acquisition) that gain which was acquired with unfair means, even if it should bring advantage of them after their time.
115. Ups and downs in life are inevitable; noble scholars preserve evenness of mind in
either case.
116. When the heart falters to think unfairly, be alerted that you are on course for ruination.
117. The world will not think ill of one who was just in one’s dealings but has stumbled
into poverty
118. Like a weighing scale that is balanced and sways correctly, the grace of noble scholars
lies in dispassionate assessment.
119. Freedom from obliquity of speech is rectitude, if there be (corresponding) freedom from bias of mind. Speech uttered without bias is integrity, if no unspoken bias lurks in the heart.
120. Responsible business is when a business-person, caringly, deploys other people’s money as one’s own.
Chapter 11 Gratitude of benefits. This is a recording from Live on YouTube for the benefit of Tirukkural study group or the study group of Perennial wisdom.
This chapter talks about the importance of acknowledging help
received and the value of different types of help received. This
comes out of Chapter 11 of the Sacred Couplets named
"ThirukkuRaL" In this chapter, as always, there are 10 couplets
emphasizing and explaining the importance of gratitude.
Gratitude is the human nature of not forgetting the good done to
us by others. And also human nature is to acknowledge it. As a
matter of fact this gratitude is not just human nature. To my
knowledge even animals - if not all animals, there are animals
which show gratitude Domestic animals - particularly dogs - all
domesticated animals show gratitude.
There is the famous story of Androcles and The Lion. The lion
remembers when Androcles helped it and hence wouldn't kill
Androcles. So it's a natural feeling to show gratitude. And the difference is as human beings we can openly say thanks
and remember it. And when an occasion comes, you can return
the help but at least we should have acknowledged and said thanks.
In this chapter three types of Good Deeds are mentioned as the
most commendable acts.
One is help rendered by one who did not receive any help before.
This is help given not as a return of help received earlier. So,
sometimes it happens. A total stranger, somebody who you
haven't met before, and you are not likely to meet again, they
come forward to help materially or in kind, but still it's a help. And
then the second one is the timely help, which is given at the right
time. There comes help without any hesitation and just when
you're in dire need. And this could be from a stranger, or from a
friend, from sibling, from a family or through an associate. It
doesn't matter what the detailed help is. And then third is helping
one without expecting any returns from the recipient.
So, this is slightly different from the first. One could be done by
somebody, who has not received any help before, or somebody
giving a help but not with the reason or purpose or with an agenda.
The act of forgetting the help received and denying to acknowledge
the help is mentioned as a crime that is totally unforgivable. This
chapter is more about realising the help received than about
returning the help. There is mention of the word help and the receiver,
but none about the one who rendered the help.
People of gratitude will embrace the very fact that the help was
rendered without attributing any measure for the size or quantity
of the help. One should forgive any harm done to themselves but
shall forever remember any help received and keep in touch with
those who rendered help.
Immediately forget any harm ended by others. Even when one
causes a big hurt, any small help given by that person would make
one forget the hurt.
It is emphatically stated that there is no recourse for one who
forgets or fails to realize the help received. These are the points
brought out in this particular chapter of 10 couplets.
Now we will talk about the paraphrase of the ten couplets. There
are any number of translations, some poetic, some just an explanation,
some with poetic translation and explanation. The one I'm getting
here is from the one by Reverend G. U. Pope. It is one of the
earliest English translations of all the three volumes, three books of
TirukkuRaL. This was done in the late part of the 19th century.
He was a British missionary, and before that it was done by Besche,
an Italian missionary, and that translation was in Latin.
Couplet 101: (The gift of) heaven and earth is not an equivalent for a
benefit which is conferred where none had been received. So that
means that that kind of help by one who has not been met by you
before.
A good example is parents and particularly mother and we get help
from them even though we have not given any help before. This author
says, even heaven and earth cannot be equated to that kind of help.
Couplet 102: A favor conferred in the time of need, though it be small
(in itself), is (in value) much larger than the world. So again t's a poetic
exaggeration, but basically, the second type of help where help is given
in time of need, and right on time, it may be a small help. Someplace
we get stranded and we have we don't know what to do. Then some
stranger comes with some form of help you know it could be in any
form. That timely help is so big that you can say that even the whole
world given back in return for that kind of help is inadequate.
Number 103, the third couplet in this chapter, if we weigh the Excellence
of a benefit which is conferred without weighing return, it is larger
than the sea. So this is a healthy one with no concern for the return,
most of the Charities are supposed to be like that, you know, we are,
we don't expect any return, we don't want experience, and we just
want to help those in need. And so, if we see such somebody helps
without expecting any return, then that is even larger than the sea.
Couplet 104. Though the benefit conferred be as small as a grain
seed, those who know its advantage will consider it as big as palm fruit.
Cultured person will value the help not by the size of help but by the
very fact that because it is given as a benefit and good, it would be
valued much more than the actual size.
Couplet 105. The benefit itself is not the measure of the benefit; the
worth of those who have received it is its measure.
So, here what it says is that sometimes the help has to be given to
those in need, but sometimes people who do not deserve the benefit
and still, they are given the benefit. So, the actual value of the benefit
is not measured by the size of the benefit, but by the merit of the
person who received it.
We can think of examples, maybe we can read the comments column,
you can add in those who are reading 80, participants members can
add any examples in his stories fictitious or real event from their own
life or from their friends life examples of these things which will help
us strengthen the idea.
Next couplet number 106: Forsake not the friendship of those who have
been your staff in adversity. Forget not be benevolence of the blameless.
So, it is important to remember to thank.
Gratitude is this feeling and remembering that and then also expressing
the gratitude both are included.
Anybody who helped you when you were in difficulties, they have to
be remembered forever. The wise will remember throughout their
sevenfold births the love of those who wiped away their affliction.
So again, some of it is exaggeration. ”Sevenfold Births” could be
interpreted in several ways. This author and the Eastern
Philosophy/Eastern religions they all believe in rebirth, reincarnation
and it is even getting popular in western world also. So 7 is just a
number. It means that if you're a wise person, the help of such
benefits will be remembered for a long time and in other words, it's a
good idea and the author is suggesting and recommending that if you
want to be considered wise and if you want to be accepted by the
society then you better remember the love of those who helped.
Couplet number 8: While it is not good to forget a benefit; it is good
to forget an injury even in the very moment (in which it is inflicted). And so, this is something to bear in mind: on the one hand it's very
important not to forget any benefit that was done to help anyone.
But on the other hand, if by chance somebody hurts you, or you feel
hurt for somebody the best thing is to forget it right away. And this
is the way to have a happy and blessed life.
Number 9, Though one inflicts an injury great as murder, it will perish
before the thought of one benefit (formerly) conferred.
So again, this is our poetic exaggeration but basically even Big Hurt
can be wiped off by thinking of one benefit. If somebody has done
lots of harm, but if you remember that instance where that person
was of help that should help you to overcome the grief.
The last couplet number 10: He who has killed every virtue may yet
escape; there is no escape for him who has killed a benefit. So this
is a very powerful statement. There are several virtues which people
violate or there are several bad deeds or sins which people commit
but when it comes to gratitude this author says that for others, we
can have recourse. You may be able to get pardoned, we may well
forget. You may overcome those things but one who has forgotten
this virtue of gratitude has absolutely no recourse. That's the
greatest sin and will get the greatest punishment.
Notable features of this chapter:
Realizing the value of help received is praised; immeasurable
tangible items like the earth, heaven and ocean are used as
metaphors to indicate the value of help received; The distinction
between help size price quantitative help rendered and realizing
the help; the value of the receiver is brought on by comparing
them respectively to millet seed palm fruit. Eternal nature of the
value of help is also brought up in terms of Seven Generations
or seven reincarnations while praising the good nature of realizing
and remembering the help received. This chapter also brings out
the height of the criminal nature of forgetting the help. one who
forgets the help received is condemned to a judgment harsher
than one who did the most heinous of evil. Such a person has
absolutely no recourse or pardon.
Words spoken with love and void of ulterior motives are defined as pleasant words to utter. Such words remove hatred among people. Uttering such pleasant words is considered a virtue by ThiruValluvar. After highlighting the greatness of uttering sweet words this chapter makes a request for not uttering harsh words. Sweet words can come only out of a loving heart. Words are the ones that cause good and bad acts to occur in the world. Thus it is essential to develop uttering sweet words for a virtuous conduct and success in life.
This chapter emphasizes the importance of uttering pleasant words with true heartfelt love and pleasant countenance when people talk with each other. Valluvar says that people feel happier to hear sweet words even more than when they receive gifts. Speaking pleasant words makes the speaker not to develop harsh feelings against anybody and also makes others not to show hatred to them. Uttering pleasant words with humility is the only ornament for a person while there is nothing else that could be an ornament. Pleasant words result in reducing evil deeds, increasing good deeds, and growth of virtue. Not uttering sweet words while we have the freedom to use sweet words is compared to going after unripe fruit when we have sweet and ripe fruit in front of us.
Simple paraphrase of the 10th ten couplets:
The utterance of pleasant words largely as expounded by Rev. G. U. Pope:
Couplet 91:
Sweet words are those which imbued with love and free from deceit flow from the mouth of the virtuous
Couplet 92:
Sweet speech for the cheerful countenance is better than a gift made with a joyous mind
Couplet 93:
sweet speech flowing from the heart uttered with a cheerful countenance and a sweet look is true virtue
Couplet 94:
Sorrow increasing poverty shall not come upon those who use towards all pleasure increasing sweetness of speech
Couplet 95:
Humility and sweetness of speech are the ornaments of man. All others are not ornaments
Couplet 96:
If a man while seeking to speak usefully speaks also sweetly his sins will diminish and his virtue increase Couplet 97:
That speech which while imparting benefits ceases not to please will yield righteousness for this world and merit for the next world
Couplet 98:
Sweet speech free from harm to others will give pleasure both in this world and in the next
Couplet 99:
Why does he use harsh words who sees the pleasure which sweet speech yields
Couplet 100:
To say disagreeable things when agreeable are at hand is like eating unripe fruit when there is ripe fruit.
The sum and substance of the first chapter of 10 couplets:
God is there. It is imperative for humans to think, praise and pray to God. God is denoted and described by the following adjective phrases (Translated by G. U. Pope) : 1. Primal Deity/Eternal God
2. Purely Wise One/Him who is possessed of pure knowledge
3. Who Over the Full Blown Flower Hath Past / Him who passes swiftly over the flower of the mind
4. Whom want affects not, irks not grief /Him who is void of desire or aversion
5. Him who has destroyed the five desires of the senses
6. Him who is incomparable
7. That gracious being who is a sea of virtue
8. He who is possessed of eight attributes.
The benefits and good of praising and praying to God are listed as:Those who think of God will have good life, will not feel difficulties in life, will not be affected by good or bad happenings, will live long, will have solutions to life’s problems, will be free of guilty conscience, will swim the sea of life.
I have added a youtube video where I am reading the Prologue from "Weaver's Wisdom - Ancient Precepts for a Perfect Life", an English translation of Tirukkurrall by Sadguru Sivaya Subramunia Swami of Kauaii Adheenam. This gives a good introduction to Tirukkurrall as well as summarises the first 4 chapters (Prologue / Paayiram): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PD4oq925PQ
October 31, 2020: Reading from "Weaver's Wisdom - Ancient Precepts for a Perfect Life" by Sadhguru Siwaya Subrarmunia Swami. This book is an english translation of the first 108 chapters (that is 1080 couplets) of Tirukkural in simple modern American English and I'm reading the prologue - the first four chapters of this book. This introduction gives a summary and also highlights how the whole of the sum and substance of TirukkuRaL do you look good ( thiru-ku-rrall திருக்குறள்) is brought out in these four chapters
These chapters are called payiram in Tamil which is same as prologue.
I will read from the book. If you have the book you can follow or if you can the online edition is about US$3. A paperback can be anywhere from US$6 to US$9
I start reading. (Follow the book please)
My comment: Of course here you will find the bias of Saiva Siddhanta* and Tirukkural by TiruValluvar is very neutral in that it is theistic (this is god believing or at least believing in a supreme power) but it is not named anywhere and it doesn't talk about the three worlds but it can always be interpreted so. People of every religion every faith can find suitable interpretation and so that's what we find here. This is interpreted as a Saivaite scripture which is acceptable to some. If it is not acceptable that can be ignored because in the place of Siva we can always substitute Krishna/Jesus/Jehovah/Allah/Brahman/Maha Vishnu/Shakti.... you can substitute whatever is suitable or simply say primordial being/ a supreme being/ a supreme spirit whichever way. The thing is there is we as humans as a whole are very small I mean in this universe the earth itself is a small spot and so an individual human being - however capable hand however great their achievements - is still minuscule compared to the cosmos so we have to accept and we have to recognize and surrender to the fact that there is a much superior power.
throughout the first 10 Kurals one is encouraged to worship, to worship, to worship and thus soften negative karmas. So here the karma theory also is brought in. To to live a good life one must to have good thoughts and good mind and one simple way to achieve this is devotion and surrender to the supreme being and be humble. Humility is a great help in not doing anything hurtful which will come back so that's what will be karma. Speaking of the Holy Feet TiruVaLLuvar tells us of the ancient tradition so embedded in indian culture that even today touching the feet of a holy icon a swami sadhu elder and one's mother and father is a gesture of deepest respect.
In this English translation this author's refering to TiruValluvar as the weaver is acceptable for two reasons: it is it is focused and the goal is to spread the wisdom of TiruValluvar among non-Tamils so while TirukkuRaL and TiruVaLLuvar may sound easy for a native Tamil person, it is hard for most non-Tamils. Unless somebody is highly interested they won't bother to know and repeat that. TiruVaLLuvar supposedly was a weaver who was enlightened and who could contribute this great literature for the language and the society. So he was a sage and so we can call him a Weaver saint. So in this book he's referred to as the Weaver and we can call this book as the Weaver's Wisdom or Ancient Precepts for a perfect life.
{follow the book}
My comment:
once again as a remainder you can substitute for shiva any deity's name that you are comfortable with or that you have grown up with like it could be Vishnu; it could be Krishna; it could be Jehovah; could be Brahman; or you can also call it paramatma or supreme being supreme spirit shakti - anything that you you feel comfortable with.
{follow the book}
so again it's a metaphor brought by this author Sadhguru Sivaya Subramunia Swami. shiva is supposed to have his abode in himalayas so it is snow covered so the colour white is is assigned typically to Shiva and then rain is given the translucent blue because sky looks blue; saffron yellow it's a sacrifice so the sacrifice is the renunciates in hindu, buddhist and jain faiths wear saffron color robes because the third is the saffron and then the violet rays of virtue: these are the four kinds of gifts so these are considered God's Grace - grace of rainfall, grace of renunciates, who not just in ncs there are a whole section telling about the the duties or dharma for the renunciate and they have to prove themselves and they should be kind, knowledgeable, useful, helpful and so on
These are the four types of grace we must have in life - God, rain holy ones and virtue. Chapter five begins the threads that crisscross the warp to form the weft: these are the rich colored threads of virtue and wealth that the Weaver uses to create the capacity of life.
So we can imagine, he being a weaver, he has composed this almost a scripture, this book of moral code or ethical code or actually the poetic book like Gita is the song of Krishna you can call this kural as the Song of VaLLuvar the particular weaver sage - the song of the Weaver sage. After establishing the four main threads the weaver now is going to use the cross threads to form the colorful fabric!
*Shaiva Siddhanta (IAST: Śaiva-siddhānta)[1][2] (Tamil: சைவ சித்தாந்தம் "Caiva cittāntam") is a form of Shaivism popular in South India and Sri Lanka which propounds a devotional philosophy with the ultimate goal of experiencing union with Shiva. It draws primarily on the Tamil devotional hymns written by Shaiva saints from the 5th to the 9th century, known in their collected form as Tirumurai. Meykandadevar (13th century) was the first systematic philosopher of the school.[3] The normative rites, cosmology and theology of Shaiva Siddhanta draw upon a combination of Agamas and Vedic scriptures.[4]
