Agriculture By St. Thiruvalluvar Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

1031. Though the world spins around all the trades,
It relies on qgriculture, as it stands the chief of all.
1032. As the ploughers bear up all those lured by other crafts,
They are the linch pin of the life of chariot of the people.
1033. The farmers till the land and eat, and live on their own
And the rest wait around and bend before others to eat.
1034. Farmers of repute who own fields of waving paddy corns
ave the power to bring the lands in other reigns to their own.
1035. The farmers don’t beg as their hands work to eat
And don’t hide anything from those who seek and crave.
1036. If the hands of the tillers remain idle and folded
Even the life of the Sages who renounce all delicacies is bad.
1037. Dry the tilled land to reduce a handful of dust to quarter
And have no need of even a handful of dung for abundant crops.
1038. To manure the land is better than to till it. After weeding,
Guarding the crops is better than watering.
1039. As long break to see one’s wife, makes her sulk
The unattended land hates and frowns the tiller.
1040. The Goddess of Earth laughs at the lazy
Who plead their poverty.