Tirukkural Chapter 102 - Couplets 7,8,9,10 Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

திருக்குறள் -TIRUKKURAL
அதிகாரம் 102 - நாணுடைமை
CHAPTER 102 - MODESTY
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102/07. நாணால் உயிரைத் துறப்பர் உயிர்ப்பொருட்டால்
நாண்துறவார் நாணாள் பவர்.

102/07. Naannaal uyiraith thurrappar uyirpporuttaal
Naannthurravaar naannaall pavar.

102/07. Good people prefer to die rather than giving up modesty,
as they consider modesty is more than their lives.
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Akshara: See how great men think
That modesty is more than their lives.

Dhanya: Sure, they're by nature,
Modest in their character,
And they're not born tigers
To tear everyone into pieces.

They're human beings,
Blessed with six senses
While all the animals
Possess only five senses.

While man can think and act,
Animals go by their instinct,
So, man must show man courtesy,
Unlike animals, have also modesty.
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102/08. பிறர்நாணத் தக்கது தான்நாணான் ஆயின்
அறம்நாணத் தக்கது உடைத்து.

102/08. Pirrarnaannath thakkadhu thaannaannaan aayin
Arramnaannath thakkadhu udaiththu.

102/08. When all others consider it an action to be blamed,
if one does it, either he is in family or in ascetic life,
he will be blamed for that.
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Akshara: How can one do a shameful action
When it is condemned by others?

Dhanya: When it is a shameful act
How can any decent person do it?
If he does it, he must be an idiot,
With no shame on his part.

Modesty prevents a man,
Going behind any woman;
If he does that shameful act,
How people will react?

Is he not violating legal,
As well as moral,
Code of conduct,
By doing such an act?
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102/09. குலஞ்சுடும் கொள்கை பிழைப்பின்; நலஞ்சுடும்
நாணின்மை நின்றக் கடை.

102/09. Kulanjsudum kollgai pizhaippin; nalanjsudum
Naanninmai ninrrak kadai.

102/09. If one falls down from good conduct,
his name in a decent tribe will get spoiled.
If he falls down from modesty
it will spoil all his best conducts.
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Akshara: See the subtle difference
Between good conduct and modesty.

Dhanya: Good conduct means
Not one but many things,
Like don't tell lies, harm others,
Be kind and be sincere.

Out of this big list,
Those words come out,
Like etiquette courtesy,
Decency and Modesty.

Good conduct represents,
His decent total ‘Tribes, '
While modesty indicates,
His own good ‘Qualities.'
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102/10. நாணகத்து இல்லார் இயக்கம் மரப்பாவை
நாணால் உயிர்மருட்டி யற்று.

102/10. Naannagathu illaar iyakkam marappaavai
Naannaal uyirmarutti yatrru

102/10. People, who have no modesty, whatever action they do,
it is like dolls of a puppet show acting as if in real lives.
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Akshara: The poet compares an indecent person
To dolls of a puppet show, that is a nice comparison.

Dhanya: People see a puppet show,
As if it is a real show,
Those are puppets they know,
But they enjoy that live show,

Men having no good manners
Are just walking puppets
With no sense of humors
Or of any good characters.

Modesty is not in mere words,
But it is shown in real deeds,
For people to see its actual effect
In the form of a good result.
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