Chaandraanmai-99th chapter of Thirukural- (The quality of being learned)

Chaandraanmai-99^th chapter  of Thirukural-

(The quality of being learned)

Translated by ,

P.R.Ramachander

(Valluvar  says in this chapter  that  Love ,  fear to do bad  acts , behaving like others. Mercy  and truthfulness  are  the  important  characters  of a learned person. How many of us  are  having  them all?)

1.Kadanenba  nallavai   yellam   kadan arinthu,

Chandranmai   mer kolpavarkku,

1,Those who understand their duties  due to their  quality of being learned,

Would naturally    have all the good   characters.

2..Guna nalam chandror  nalane  pira nalam,

Yennalthullathumandru  .

2.The welfare of the learned  is the welfare of the good qualities in them,

All other type  of welfare are not really   their  welfare.

3.Anbu naan opuravu   kannottam  vaimayodu  ,

Iynthu  chalpu   oondriya  thoon.

3.The five pillars   that  support  learnedness   are  .

Love ,  fear to do bad  acts , behaving like others. Mercy  and truthfulness.

4.KOllaa nalathathu  nonmai   pirar theemai  ,

Chollaa nalathathu   chalpu,

4.Dharma/penance     is not killing   anything and learnedness,

Similarly  is not pointing  out mistakes  of others.

5,AAththuvaar  aaththal  panithal  athu chandror  ,

Maaththarai maththum padai.

5. Those  who are very  able  will have  humility with others,

And that  humility  is a weapon   to remove enmity  from enemies.

6.Chalpirkku kattalai yaathenin  tholvi  ,

Thulayallar  j kannum kolal.

6.The touchstone  for learnedness   is accepting  defeat ,

From those   who are  no way comparable   to them.

7.Inna  cheithaarkkum  iniyave cheyyaa kkal  ,

Yenna bhayanthatho chalpu.

7.What other thing , other than  doing good    to those ,

Who trouble us  , can  be expected from learned  people.

8.Inmai oruvarkku  ilivandru  chalpennum ,

Thinmai  undaka  perin.

8.When one has     the strength of learnedness  with him,

The state  of being poor  is not  a bad thing   for him.

9,OOzhi peyarinum   thaam peyaraar  , chandranmaikku  ,

AAzhi yenapaduvar.

9,Even if  being destroyed   by the deluge, leaned people ,

W ho are wide like an ocean would not  change their state.

10.AAththuvaar   aaththal  panithal  , athu chandror  ,

Matharai  mathum padai.

10 , If very learned  people change their state  to lower position,

This world    would not be able to  bear their burden.