Tirukkural Chapter 75 - Couplets 7,8,9,10 Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

திருக்குறள் -TIRUKKURAL
அதிகாரம் 75 - அரண்
CHAPTER 75 - ON FORTRESS
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75/07. முற்றியும் முற்றாது எறிந்தும் அறைப்படுத்தும்
பற்றற்கு அரியது அரண்.

75/07. Mutrriyum mutrraadhu errindhum arraippaduththum
Patrrkku ariyadhu arann.

75/07. Enemies are surrounding the fortress, or fighting on one side,
an underground bunker will safeguard every materials.
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Muralidhar: Inside the fortress an underground bunker or passage
Also will safeguard men and materials.

Janak: Inside fort underground passages
Function as escape routes
In case the fort falls
Into the hands of enemies.

For bringing food materials
These secret passages
Serve useful purpose
To meet the local demands.

A mini-township runs,
Inside a safe fortress,
Like an army barracks
With well trained soldiers.
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75/08. முற்றாற்றி முற்றி யவரையும் பற்றாற்றிப்
பற்றியார் வெல்வது அரண்.

75/08. Mutrraatrri mutrri yavaraiyum patrraatrrip
Patrriyaar velvadhu arann.

75/08.The purpose of the fortress is to protect the soldiers
who are hiding inside the same for fear of a big army attack.
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Muralidhar: A fortress is meant to protect soldiers' lives.

Janak: A fortress must safeguard
Lives of soldiers hiding inside,
For fear of attacking armies
Who're in large numbers.

It must be a strong fortress
Built of heavy rocks
To withstand enemies' attacks
Coming from all the sides.

With the system of airborne
Fights now going on,
These forts serve the purpose
Of army barracks or cantonments.
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75/09. முனைமுகத்து மாற்றலர் சாய வினைமுகத்து
வீறெய்தி மாண்டது அரண்.

75/09. Munaimughaththu maatrralar saaya vinaimughaththu
Veerraidhi maanndathu arann.

75/09. The fortress must be so strong that the inmates must be able to
fight and throw away the besieging armies and gain all benefits.
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Muralidhar: The fortress must be strong enough
To protect the inmates and fight the enemies outside.

Janak: The purpose of a fortress is
To safeguard lives and properties
And also fight the enemies
From inside the fortress.

The enemies are in tents,
With their fighting plans,
While inside the fortress
They have their strategic plans

The tents of enemies can burn
From the fire balls thrown
From the fortress guns,
So, they're in a weak position.

The enemies can throw big stones
From their stone throwers
That can break the heads
Of soldiers on the fortress side.
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75/10. எனைமாட்சித்து ஆகியக் கண்ணும் வினைமாட்சி
இல்லார்கண் இல்லது அரண்.

75/10. Enaimaatchiththu aaghiyak kannum vinaimaatchi
Illaarkann illadhu arann.

75/10. In all the previous couplets the need for
a strong fortress was stressed,
But if it is in the hand of a weak King,
who can't fight, the fortress is of no use.
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Muralidhar: Finally the poet says that a strong fortress
In the hands of a weak king is useless.

Janak: What he says is correct.
If a King can't fight
In spite of all these facilities
There is no use of a fortress.

There is no use of the fortress,
That is taken over by enemies,
As the weak King has lost it
In the normal course of his fight.

Any present day fortress
Serves a limited purpose
Of housing some soldiers
And used as military barracks.
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