2.2.10 COURAGE BEFORE COUNCILS
The pure fail not in power of words
Knowing grand council's moods and modes. |721
Among scholars he is scholar
Who holds scholars with learned lore. |722
Many brave foes and die in fields
The fearless few face wise councils. |723
Impress the learned with your lore
From greater savants learn still more. |724
Grammar and logic learn so that
Foes you can boldly retort. |725
To cowards what can sword avail
And books to those who councils fail? |726
Like eunuch's sword in field, is vain
His lore who fears men of brain. |727
Though learned much his lore is dead
Who says no good before the good. |728
Who fear to face good assembly
Are learned idiots, certainly. |729
They are breathing dead who dare not
Empress before the wise their art. |730
2.3 POLITICS
2.3.1 THE COUNTRY
It's country which has souls of worth
Unfailing yields and ample wealth. |731
The Land has large luring treasure
Where pests are nil and yields are sure. |732
It's land that bears pressing burdens
And pays its tax which king demands. |733
It is country which is free from
Fierce famine, plague and foemen's harm. |734
Sects and ruinous foes are nil
No traitors in a land tranquil. |735
The land of lands no ruin knows
Even in grief its wealth yet grows. |736
Waters up and down, hills and streams
With strong forts as limbs country beams. |737
Rich yield, delight, defence and wealth
Are jewels of lands with blooming health. |738
A land is land which yields unsought
Needing hard work the land is nought. |739
Though a land has thus every thing
It is worthless without a king. |740
2.3.2 FORTRESS
The fort is vital for offence
Who fear the foes has its defence. |741
A crystal fount, a space a mount
Thick woods form a fort paramount. |742
An ideal fort's so says science:
High, broad, strong and hard for access. |743
Ample in space, easy to hold
The fort foils enemies bold. |744
Impregnable with stores of food
Cosy to live-That fort is good. |745
A fort is full of stores and arms
And brave heroes to meet alarms. |746
Besieging foes a fort withstands
Darts and mines of treacherous hands. |747
A fort holds itself and defies
The attacks of encircling foes. |748
A fort it is that fells the foes
And gains by deeds a name glorious. |749
But a fort however grand
Is nil if heroes do not stand. |750
2.3.3 WAYS OF MAKING WEALTH
Naught exists that can, save wealth
Make the worthless as men of worth. |751
The have- nothing poor all despise
The men of wealth all raise and praise. |752
Waneless wealth is light that goes
To every land and gloom removes. |753
The blameless wealth from fairest means
Brings good virtue and also bliss. |754
Riches devoid of love and grace
Off with it; it is disgrace! |755
Escheats, derelicts; spoils of war
Taxes duties are king's treasure. |756
Grace the child of love is nourished
By the wet-nurse of wealth cherished. |757
Treasures in hand fulfil all things
Like hill-tuskers the wars of kings. |758
Make wealth; there is no sharper steel
The insolence of foes to quell. |759
They have joy and virtue at hand
Who acquire treasures abundant. |760
2.3.4 THE GLORY OF ARMY
The daring well-armed winning force
Is king's treasure and main resource. |761
Through shots and wounds brave heroes hold
Quailing not in fall, the field. |762
Sea-like rat foes roar ... What if?
They perish at a cobra's whiff. |763
The army guards its genial flame
Not crushed, routed nor marred in name. |764
The real army with rallied force
Resists even Death-God fierce. |765
Manly army has merits four:-
Stately -march, faith, honour, valour. |766
Army sets on to face to foes
Knowing how the trend of war goes. |767
Army gains force by grand array
Lacking in stay or dash in fray. |768
Army shall win if it is free
From weakness, aversion, poverty. |769
With troops in large numbers on rolls
Army can't march missing gen'rals. |770
2.3.5 MILITARY PRIDE
Stand not before my chief, O foes!
Many who stood, in stones repose. |771
To lift a lance that missed a tusker
Is prouder than shaft that hit a hare. |772
Valour is fight with fierce courage
Mercy to the fallen is its edge. |773
At the tusker he flings his lance
One in body smiles another chance. |774
When lances dart if heroes wink
"It is a rout" the world will think. |775
The brave shall deem the days as vain
Which did not battle-wounds sustain. |776
Their anklets aloud jingle their name
Who sacrifice their life for fame. |777
The king may chide, they pursue strife;
They fear loss of glory; not life. |778
Who will blame the heroes that lose
Their lives in war to keep their vows? |779
Such a death shall be prayed for
Which draws the the tears of the ruler. |780
ALLIANCE
2.3.6 FRIENDSHIP
Like friendship what's so hard to gain?
That guards one against acts villain? |781
Good friendship shines like waxing moon,
The bad withers like waning moon. |782
Like taste in books good friendship grows
The more one moves the more he knows. |783
Not to laugh is friendship made
But to hit when faults exceed. |784
No close living nor clasping grip
Friendship's feeling heart's fellowship. |785
Friendship is not more smile on face
It is the smiling heart's embrace. |786
From ruin friendship saves and shares
The load of pain and right path shows. |787
Friendship hastens help in mishaps
Like hands picking up dress that slips. |788
Friendship is enthroned on the strength
That always helps with utmost warmth. |789
"Such we are and such they are!"
Ev'n this boast will friendship mar. |790
2.3.7 TESTING FRIENDSHIP
Than testless friendship nought is worse
For contacts formed will scarcely cease. |791
Friendship made without frequent test
Shall end in grief and death at last. |792
Temper, descent, defects and kins
Trace well and take companions. |793
Take as good friend at any price
The nobly born who shun disgrace. |794
Who make you weep and chide wrong trends
And lead you right are worthy friends. |795
Is there a test like misfortune
A rod to measure out kinsmen? |796
Keep off contacts with fools; that is
The greatest gain so say the wise. |797
Off with thoughts that depress the heart
Off with friends that in woe depart. |798
Friends who betray at ruin's brink
Burn our mind ev'n at death to think. |799
The blameless ones as friends embrace;
Give something and give up the base. |800
2.3.8 INTIMACY
That friendship is good amity
Which restrains not one's liberty. |801
Friendship's heart is freedom close;
Wise men's duty is such to please. |802
Of long friendship what is the use
Righteous freedom if men refuse? |803
Things done unasked by loving friends
Please the wise as familiar trends! |804
Offence of friends feel it easy
As folly or close intimacy. |805
They forsake not but continue
In friendship's bounds though loss ensue. |806
Comrades established in firm love
Though ruin comes waive not their vow. |807
Fast friends who list not tales of ill
Though wronged they say "that day is well". |808
To love such friends the world desires
Whose friendship has unbroken ties. |809
Even foes love for better ends
Those who leave not long- standing friends. |810
2.3.9 BAD FRIENDSHIP
Swallowing love of soulless men
Had better wane than wax anon. |811
Who fawn in wealth and fail in dearth
Gain or lose; such friends have no worth. |812
Cunning friends who calculate
Are like thieves and whores wicked. |813
Better be alone than trust in those
That throw in field like faithless horse. |814
Friends low and mean that give no help-
Leave them is better than to keep. |815
Million times the wise man's hate
Is better than a fool intimate. |816
Ten-fold crore you gain from foes
Than from friends who are vain laughers. |817
Without a word those friends eschew
Who spoil deeds which they can do. |818
Even in dreams the tie is bad
With those whose deed is far from word. |819
Keep aloof from those that smile
At home and in public revile. |820
2.3.10 FALSE FRIENDSHIP
The friendship by an enemy shown
Is anvil in time, to strike you down. |821
Who pretend kinship but are not
Their friendship's fickle like woman's heart. |822
They may be vast in good studies
But heartfelt- love is hard for foes. |823
Fear foes whose face has winning smiles
Whose heart is full of cunning guiles. |824
Do not trust in what they tell
Whose mind with your mind goes ill. |825
The words of foes is quickly seen
Though they speak like friends in fine. |826
Trust not the humble words of foes
Danger darts from bending bows. |827
Adoring hands of foes hide arms
Their sobbing tears have lurking harms. |828
In open who praise, at heart despise
Cajole and crush them in friendly guise. |829
When foes, in time, play friendship's part
Feign love on face but not in heart. |830
2.3.11 FOLLY
This is folly's prominent vein
To favour loss and forego gain. |831
Folly of follies is to lead
A lewd and lawless life so bad. |832
Shameless, aimless, callous, listless
Such are the marks of foolishness. |833
No fool equals the fool who learns
Knows, teaches, but self-control spurns. |834
The fool suffers seven fold hells
In single birth of hellish ills. |835
A know-nothing fool daring a deed
Not only fails but feels fettered. |836
Strangers feast and kinsmen fast
When fools mishandle fortunes vast. |837
Fools possessing something on hand
Like dazed and drunken stupids stand. |838
Friendship with fools is highly sweet
For without a groan we part. |839
Entrance of fools where Savants meet
Looks like couch trod by unclean feet. |840
2.3.12 PETTY CONCEIT
Want of wisdom is want of wants
Want of aught else the world nev'r counts. |841
When fool bestows with glee a gift
It comes but by getter's merit. |842
The self- torments of fools exceed
Ev'n tortures of their foes indeed. |843
Stupidity is vanity
That cries "We have sagacity". |844
Feigning knowledge that one has not
Leads to doubt ev'n that he has got. |845
Fools their nakedness conceal
And yet their glaring faults reveal. |846
The fool that slights sacred counsels
Upon himself great harm entails. |847
He listens not nor himself knows
Plague is his life until it goes. |848
Sans Self -sight in vain one opens Sight
To the blind who bet their sight as right. |849
To people's "Yes" who proffer "No"
Deemed as ghouls on earth they go. |850
2.3.13 HATRED
Hatred is a plague that divides
And rouses ill-will on all sides. |851
Rouse not hatred and confusion
Though foes provoke disunion. |852
Shun the plague of enmity
And win everlasting glory. |853
Hate- the woe of woes destroy;
Then joy of joys you can enjoy. |854
Who can overcome them in glory
That are free from enmity? |855
His fall and ruin are quite near
Who holds enmity sweet and dear. |856
They cannot see the supreme Truth
Who hate and injure without ruth. |857
To turn from enmity is gain
Fomenting it brings fast ruin. |858
Fortune favours when hate recedes
Hatred exceeding ruin breeds. |859
All evils come from enmity
All goodness flow from amity. |860
2.3.14 NOBLE HOSTILITY
Turn from strife with foes too strong
With the feeble for battle long. |861
Loveless, aidless, powerless king
Can he withstand an enemy strong? |862
Unskilled, timid, miser, misfit
He is easy for foes to hit. |863
The wrathful restive man is prey
To any, anywhere any day. |864
Crooked, cruel, tactless and base
Any foe can fell him with ease. |865
Blind in rage and mad in lust
To have his hatred is but just. |866
Pay and buy his enmity
Who muddles chance with oddity. |867
With no virtue but full of vice
He loses friends and delights foes. |868
The joy of heroes knows no bounds
When timid fools are opponents. |869
Glory's light he will not gain
Who fails to fight a fool and win. |870
2.3.15 APPRAISING ENEMIES
Let not one even as a sport
The ill-natured enmity court. |871
Incur the hate of bow-ploughers
But not the hate of word-ploughers. |872
Forlorn, who rouses many foes
The worst insanity betrays. |873
This world goes safely in his grace
Whose heart makes friends even of foes. |874
Alone, if two foes you oppose
Make one of them your ally close. |875
Trust or distrust; during distress
Keep aloof; don't mix with foes. |876
To those who know not, tell not your pain
Nor your weakness to foes explain. |877
Know how and act and defend well
The pride of enemies shall fall. |878
Cut off thorn-trees when young they are;
Grown hard, they cut your hands beware. |879
To breathe on earth they are not fit
Defying foes who don't defeat. |880
2.3.16 SECRET FOE
Traitorous kinsmen will make you sad
As water and shade do harm when bad. |881
You need not sword- like kinsmen fear
Fear foes who feign as kinsmen dear. |882
The secret foe in days evil
Will cut you, beware, like potters' steel. |883
The evil- minded foe within
Foments trouble, spoils kinsmen! |884
A traitor among kinsmen will
Bring life-endangering evil. |885
Discord in kings' circle entails
Life- destroying deadly evils. |886
A house hiding hostiles in core
Just seems on like the lid in jar. |887
By secret spite the house wears out
Like gold crumbling by file's contact. |888
Ruin lurks in enmity
As slit in sesame though it be. |889
Dwell with traitors that hate in heart
Is dwelling with snake in selfsame hut. |890
2.3.17 OFFEND NOT THE GREAT
Not to spite the mighty ones
Safest safeguard to living brings. |891
To walk unmindful of the great
Shall great troubles ceaseless create. |892
Heed not and do, if ruin you want
Offence against the mighty great. |893
The weak who insult men of might
Death with their own hands invite. |894
Where can they go and thrive where
Pursued by powerful monarch's ire? |895
One can escape in fire caught
The great who offends escapes not. |896
If holy mighty sages frown
Stately gifts and stores who can own? |897
When hill-like sages are held small
The firm on earth lose home and all. |898
Before the holy sage's rage
Ev'n Indra's empire meets damage. |899
Even mighty aided men shall quail
If the enraged holy seers will. |900
2.3.18 BEING LED BY WOMEN
Who dote on wives lose mighty gain
That lust, dynamic men disdain. |901
Who dotes, unmanly, on his dame
His wealth to him and all is shame. |902
Who's servile to his wife always
Shy he feels before the wise. |903
Fearing his wife salvationless
The weaklings' action has no grace. |904
Who fears his wife fears always
Good to do to the good and wise. |905
Who fear douce arms of their wives
Look petty even with god- like lives. |906
Esteemed more is women bashful
Than man servile unto her will. |907
By fair-browed wives who are governed
Help no friends nor goodness tend. |908
No virtue riches nor joy is seen
In those who submit to women. |909
Thinkers strong and broad of heart
By folly on fair sex do not dote. |910
2.3.19 WANTON WOMEN
For gold, not love their tongue cajoles
Men are ruined by bangled belles. |911
Avoid ill-natured whores who feign
Love only for their selfish gain. |912
The false embrace of whores is like
That of a damned corpse in the dark. |913
The wise who seek the wealth of grace
Look not for harlots' low embrace. |914
The lofty wise will never covet
The open charms of a vile harlot. |915
Those who guard their worthy fame
Shun the wanton's vaunting charm. |916
Hollow hearts alone desire
The arms of whores with hearts elsewere. |917
Senseless fools are lured away
By arms of sirens who lead astray. |918
The soft jewelled arms of whores are hell
Into which the degraded fall. |919
Double-minded whores, wine and dice
Are lures of those whom fortune flies. |920
2.3.20 NOT DRINKING LIQUOR
Foes fear not who for toddy craze
The addicts daily their glory lose. |921
Drink not liquor; but let them drink
Whom with esteem the wise won't think. |922
The drunkard's joy pains ev'n mother's face
How vile must it look for the wise? |923
Good shame turns back from him ashamed
Who is guilty of wine condemned. |924
To pay and drink and lose the sense
Is nothing but rank ignorance. |925
They take poison who take toddy
And doze ev'n like a dead body. |926
The secret drunkards' senses off
Make the prying public laugh. |927
Don't say "I'm not a drunkard hard"
The hidden fraud is known abroad. |928
Can torch search one in water sunk?
Can reason reach the raving drunk? |929
The sober seeing the drunkard's plight
On selves can't they feel same effect? |930
2.3.21 GAMBLING
Avoid gambling, albeit you win
Gulping bait-hook what does fish gain? |931
Can gamblers in life good obtain
Who lose a hundred one to gain? |932
If kings indulge in casting dice
All their fortune will flow to foes. |933
Nothing will make you poor like game
Which adds to woes and ruins fame. |934
The game, game- hall and gambler's art
Who sought with glee have come to nought. |935
Men swallowed by the ogress, dice
Suffer grief and want by that vice. |936
If men their time in game- den spend
Ancestral wealth and virtues end. |937
Game ruins wealth and spoils grace
Leads to lies and wretched woes. |938
Dress, wealth, food, fame, learning-these five
In gambler's hand will never thrive. |939
Love for game grows with every loss
As love for life with sorrows grows. |940
2.3.22 MEDICINE
Wind, bile and phlegm three cause disease
So doctors deem it more or less. |941
After digestion one who feeds
His body no medicine needs. |942
Eat food to digestive measure
Life in body lasts with pleasure. |943
Know digestion; with keen appetite
Eat what is suitable and right. |944
With fasting adjusted food right
Cures ills of life and makes you bright. |945
Who eats with clean stomach gets health
With greedy glutton abides ill-health. |946
who glut beyond the hunger's fire
Suffer from untold diseases here. |947
Test disease, its cause and cure
And apply remedy that is sure. |948
Let the skilful doctor note
The sickmen, sickness, season and treat. |949
Patient, doctor, medicine and nurse
Are four- fold codes of treating course. |950
2.4 MISCELLANEOUS
2.4.1 NOBILITY
Right-sense and bashfulness adorn
By nature only the noble- born. |951
The noble-born lack not these three:
Good conduct, truth and modesty. |952
Smile, gift, sweet words and courtesy
These four mark true nobility. |953
Even for crores, the noble mood
Cannot bend to degrading deed. |954
The means of gift may dwindle; yet
Ancient homes guard their noble trait. |955
Who guard their family prestige pure
Stoop not to acts of cunning lure. |956
The faults of nobly-born are seen
Like on the sky the spots of moon. |957
If manners of the good are rude
People deem their pedigree crude. |958
Soil's nature is seen in sprout
The worth of birth from words flow out. |959
All gain good name by modesty
Nobility by humility. |960
2.4.2 HONOUR
Though needed for your life in main,
From mean degrading acts refrain. |961
Who seek honour and manly fame
Don't do mean deeds even for name. |962
Be humble in prosperity
In decline uphold dignity. |963
Like hair fallen from head are those
Who fall down from their high status. |964
Even hill-like men will sink to nought
With abrus-grain-like small default. |965
Why fawn on men that scorn you here
It yields no fame, heaven's bliss neither. |966
Better it is to die forlorn
Than live as slaves of those who scorn. |067
Is nursing body nectar sweet
Even when one's honour is lost? |968
Honour lost, the noble expire
Like a yak that loses its hair. |969
Their light the world adores and hails
Who will not live when honour fails. |970
2.4.3 GREATNESS
A heart of courage lives in light
Devoid of that one's life is night. |971
All beings are the same in birth
But work decides their varied worth. |972
Ignoble high not high they are
The noble low not low they fare. |973
Greatness like woman's chastity
Is guarded by self- veracity. |974
Great souls when their will is active
Do mighty deeds rare to achieve. |975
The petty-natured ones have not
The mind to seek and befriend the great. |976
The base with power and opulence
Wax with deeds of insolence. |977
Greatness bends with modesty
Meanness vaunts with vanity. |978
Greatness is free from insolence
Littleness swells with that offence. |979
Weakness of others greatness screens
Smallness defects alone proclaims. |980
2.4.4 SUBLIMITY
All goodness is duty to them
Who are dutiful and sublime. |981
Good in the great is character
Than that there is nothing better. |982
Love, truth, regard, modesty, grace
These five are virtue's resting place. |983
Not to kill is penance pure
Not to slander virtue sure. |984
Humility is valour's strength
A force that averts foes at length. |985
To bear repulse e'en from the mean
Is the touch-stone of worthy men. |986
Of perfection what is the gain
If it returns not joy for pain? |987
No shame there is in poverty
To one strong in good quality. |988
Aeons may change but not the seer
Who is a sea of virtue pure. |989
The world will not more bear its weight
If from high virtue fall the great. |990
2.4.5 COURTESY
To the polite free of access
Easily comes courteousness. |991
Humanity and noble birth
Develop courtesy and moral worth. |992
Likeness in limbs is not likeness
It's likeness in kind courteousness. |993
The world applauds those helpful men
Whose actions are just and benign. |994
The courteous don't even foes detest
For contempt offends even in jest. |995
The world rests with the mannered best
Or it crumbles and falls to dust. |996
The mannerless though sharp like file
Are like wooden blocks indocile. |997
Discourtesy is mean indeed
E'en to a base unfriendly breed. |998
To those bereft of smiling light
Even in day the earth is night. |999
The wealth heaped by the churlish base
Is pure milk soured by impure vase. |1000
2.4.6 FUTILE WEALTH
Dead is he with wealth in pile
Unenjoyed, it is futile. |1001
The niggard miser thinks wealth is all
He hoards, gives not is born devil. |1002
A burden he is to earth indeed
Who hoards without a worthy deed. |1003
What legacy can he leave behind
Who is for approach too unkind. |1004
What is the good of crores they hoard
To give and enjoy whose heart is hard. |1005
Great wealth unused for oneself nor
To worthy men is but a slur. |1006
Who loaths to help have-nots, his gold
Is like a spinster- belle grown old. |1007
The idle wealth of unsought men
Is poison-fruit- tree amidst a town. |1008
Others usurp the shining gold
In loveless, stingy, vicious hold. |1009
The brief want of the rich benign
Is like rainclouds growing thin. |1010
2.4.7 SENSITIVENESS TO SHAME
To shrink from evil deed is shame
The rest is blush of fair- faced dame. |1011
Food, dress and such are one for all
Modesty marks the higher soul. |1012
All lives have their lodge in flesh
Perfection has its home in blush. |1013
Shame is the jewel of dignity
Shameless swagger is vanity. |1014
In them resides the sense of shame
Who blush for their and other's blame. |1015
The great refuse the wonder- world
Without modesty's hedge and shield. |1016
For shame their life the shame-sensed give
Loss of shame they won't outlive. |1017
Virtue is much ashamed of him
Who shameless does what others shame. |1018
Lapse in manners injures the race
Want of shame harms every good grace. |1019
Movements of the shameless in heart
Are string-led puppet show in fact. |1020
2.4.8 PROMOTING FAMILY WELFARE
No greatness is grander like
Saying "I shall work without slack". |1021
These two exalt a noble home
Ardent effort and ripe wisdom. |1022
When one resolves to raise his race
Loin girt up God leads his ways. |1023
Who raise their races with ceaseless pain
No need for plan; their ends will gain. |1024
Who keeps his house without a blame
People around, his kinship claim. |1025
Who raise their race which gave them birth
Are deemed as men of manly worth. |1026
Like dauntless heroes in battle field
The home- burden rests on the bold. |1027
No season have they who raise their race
Sloth and pride will honour efface. |1028
Is not his frame a vase for woes
Who from mishaps shields his house? |1029
A house will fall by a mishap
With no good man to prop it up. |1030
2.4.9 FARMING
Farming though hard is foremost trade
Men ply at will but ploughmen lead. |1031
Tillers are linch- pin of mankind
Bearing the rest who cannot tend. |1032
They live who live to plough and eat
The rest behind them bow and eat. |1033
Who have the shade of cornful crest
Under their umbra umbrellas rest. |1034
Who till and eat, beg not; nought hide
But give to those who are in need. |1035
Should ploughmen sit folding their hands
Desire-free monks too suffer wants. |1036
Moulds dried to quarter- dust ensure
Rich crops without handful manure. |1037
Better manure than plough; then weed;
Than irrigating, better guard. |1038
If landsmen sit sans moving about
The field like wife will sulk and pout. |1039
Fair good earth will laugh to see
Idlers pleading poverty. |1040
2.4.10 Poverty
What gives more pain than scarcity?
No pain pinches like poverty. |1041
The sinner Want is enemy dire
Of joys of earth and heaven there. |1042
The craving itch of poverty
Kills graceful words and ancestry. |1043
Want makes even good familymen
Utter words that are low and mean. |1044
The pest of wanton poverty
Brings a train of misery. |1045
The poor men's words are thrown away
Though from heart good things they say. |1046
Even the mother looks as stranger
The poor devoid of character. |1047
The killing Want of yesterday
Will it pester me even to- day? |1048
One may sleep in the midst of fire
In want a wink of sleep is rare. |1049
Renounce their lives the poor must
Or salt and gruel go to waste. |1050
2.4.11 ASKING
Demand from those who can supply
Default is theirs when they deny. |1051
Even demand becomes a joy
When the things comes without annoy. |1052
Request has charm form open hearts
Who know the duty on their part. |1053
Like giving even asking seems
From those who hide not even in dreams. |1054
The needy demand for help because
The world has men who don't refuse. |1055
The pain of poverty shall die
Before the free who don't deny. |1056
When givers without scorn impart
A thrill of delight fills the heart. |1057
This grand cool world shall move to and fro
Sans Askers like a puppet show. |1058
Where stands the glory of givers
Without obligation seekers? |1059
The needy should not scowl at "No"
His need another's need must show. |1060
* Saint valluvar talks of two kinds of Asking:-( ) Asking help for public causes or enterprises.
( ) Begging when one is able to work and this is condemned.
2.4.12 DREAD OF BEGGARY
Not to beg is billions worth
E'en from eye-like friends who give with mirth. |1061
Let World-Maker loiter and rot
If "beg and live" be human fate. |1062
Nothing is hard like hard saying
"We end poverty by begging". |1063
All space is small before the great
Who beg not e'en in want acute. |1064
Though gruel thin, nothing is sweet
Like the food earned by labour's sweat. |1065
It may be water for the cow
Begging tongue is mean anyhow. |1066
If beg they must I beg beggers
Not to beg from shrinking misers. |1067
The hapless bark of beggary splits
On the rock of refusing hits. |1068
The heart at thought of beggars melts;
It dies at repulsing insults. |1069
The word "No" kills the begger's life
Where can the niggard's life be safe? |1070
2.4.13 MEANNESS.
The mean seem men only in form
We have never seen such a sham. |1071
The base seem richer than the good
For no care enters their heart or head. |1072
The base are like gods; for they too
As prompted by their desire do. |1073
When the base meets a rake so vile
Him he will exceed, exult and smile. |1074
Fear forms the conduct of the low
Craving avails a bit below. |1075
The base are like the beaten drum
Since other's secrets they proclaim. |1076
The base their damp hand will not shake
But for fists clenched their jaws to break. |1077
The good by soft words profits yield
The cane- like base when crushed and killed. |1078
Faults in others the mean will guess
On seeing how they eat and dress. |1079
The base hasten to sell themselves
From doom to flit and nothing else. |1080
The Holy Kural Ends.