From: mvishnu@morse.waterloo.edu (m vishnu)
Subject: ThirukkuRaL translations (repost)
Originator: mvishnu@morse.waterloo.edu
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 01:42:07 GMT



kollaan pulaalai maRuththaanaik kaikoopi 
ellaa uYirum thozum
-------------------------------
kol + aa + aan        ==  kill + not + <third person singular male suffix>
pulaal + ai           ==  flesh + <object suffix>
maRu + th + aan + ai  ==  refuse + <particle> + 
                          <third person singular male suffix> + <object suffix>
kai + koopi           ==  hand + clasped together
ella                  ==  all
uYir + um             ==  lives + verily
thozum                ==  salute (third person pulural future; 
                          infinitive 'thozu') 
------------------------------------------
Verily all lives will salute with clasped hands the one who is
both a non-killer and a non-flesh-eater.





ciRupadaiYaan cellidam cErin uRupadaiYaan
Ukkam azinthu vidum. (idan aRithal-50:8)
-----------------------------------------
ciRu + padai + aan  == small + army + <third person singular suffix>
cel + idam  == go(?) + place
cEr + in == reach + <if suffix>
uRu + padai + aan == large + army + <third person singular suffix>
Ukkam == motivation, interest(?)
azinthu == destroy (incomplete verb; infinitive 'azi' destroy)
vidum == done (verm completion; infinitive 'vidu' leave)
-------------------------------------------
If small army slects a suitable terrain,
(even) a larger opponent will lose his motivation.






eenRaaL pasikaaNpaan aaYinum ceYYaRka
caanROr pazikkum vinai (vinaith thooYmai:66-6)
---------------------------------------------
eenRaaL          == mother (from 'eenRu' beget) 
pasi + kaaNpaan  == hunger + he sees (from 'kaaN' see)
aa + y + in + um == be + <particle> + if + even
ceYYaRka         == do not do (imperative; infinitive 'ceY' do)
caanROr          == sages, seers, highly virtuous (exemplary) beings
pazikkum         == that which is denounced (from 'pazi' denounce)
vinai            == deed, act, action 
---------------------------------------------
Even if one were to see his mother go hungry
One should not resort to acts that are denounced by the virtuous. 






avisorinthu aaYiram vEddalin onRan
uYir-sehuththu uNNaamai nanRu
--------------------------------------
avi               == clarified butter, ghee
sorinthu          == pour (incomplete verb; from 'sori' pour)
aaYiram           == thousand
vEddal + in       == sacrifice, yajna, request boon (from 'vEndu' want) 
                     + <compare suffix>
onRu + an         == one + <possessive suffix>
uYir + sehuththu  == life + remove (incomplete verb; from 'sehu' split)
uN + aa + mai     == eat + not + <noun suffix>
nanRu             == good, better
---------------------------------------
It is better indeed not-to-kill-and-eat than
the performance of a thousand Yajna*.

(*Yajna (Skt.) is an ancient Indian sacrifice as part of which
  clarified butter (ghee) is poured into fire)





aaRRin varunthaa varuththam palarninRu
pORRinum poththup padum (therinthu ceYalvahai:47-8)
--------------------------------------------------
aaRu + in         == (proper) order of events, course of water (river) 
                     <possessive suffix>
varunthu + aa     == toil, hardwork, effort  + not 
varuththam        == toil, hardwork, effort
palar + ninRu     == many + standing, supporting
pORRu + in + um   == well-wishing + if + even
poththu           == make hole (incomplete verb; from 'poththu' make hole)
padum             == will have (verb completion; from 'padu' have)
--------------------------------------------------
Action in which no effort was taken in planning the correct order of events
is bound to be imperfect though supported by many well-wishers.






thanthai mahaRku aaRRum nanRi avaiyathu 
munthi iruppach cheyal (makkad pERu: 7-7)               
-----------------------------------------
thanthai == father
mahan + ku == son + <'to' suffix> 
aaRRum == serve, do
nanRi == gratitude
avaiyam + thu == assembly + < ? suffix>
munthi == front, forward
iruppa == make (him) sit (incomplete verb; infinitive 'iru' sit)
ceYal == deed (infinitive 'ceY' do)
-----------------------------------------
A father's duty(?) to his son: to prepare him to sit in 
the front rank of the assembly of scholars





mahanthanthaikku aaRRum uthavi ivanthanthai
ennORRaan kolenum col (makkad pERu: 7-10)
------------------------------------------
mahan + thanthai + ku == son + father + <'to' suffix>
aaRRum == serve, do (infinitive 'aaRRu' do)
uthavi == help
ivan + thanthai == his, this one's ('one' refers to person) + father 
en + nOn + aan == what + penance + <third person singular past tense suffix>
kol + enum == <'wonder' suffix> + thus 
col == word
---------------------------------------------
A son's duty(?) to his father: to make (people) wonder 'what penance has
the father done to beget such a son?'





ceyvinai ceyvaan ceyal-muRai avvinai
uLLaRivaan uLLam koLal (vinai-ceyal-vahai: 68-7)
------------------------------------------------
cey + vinai ==  do + work, project, action 
cey + v +  aan == work + <particle> + 
                  <third person singular male suffix> [doer]
ceyal + muRai  == work + method, means 
a + vinai == that + work
uL + aRi + v + aan == inside, detail, secret + know  + <particle>
                  + <third person singula male suffix> [expert]
uLLam == inside, mind, 
koLal == know, get, have
-------------------------------------------------
The (best) means for one to act is to 
know the inner working of an expert's mind.






inpam vizaiyaan vinai-vizaivaan than-kELir
thunpam thudaththu-oonRum thooN (aaLvinai-udaimai: 62-5)
--------------------------------------------------------
inpam == pleasure, joy, comforts
vizai + y + aa + aan == desire + <particle> + 
                        not + <third person singular suffix>
vinai + vizai + v + aan  == work + desire + <particle>
                      + <third person singular suffix>
than + kELir == his + relatives
thunpam == sorrow, sadness
thudaiththu == wipe, clean, remove (incomplete verb; from 'thudai' wipe)
oonRum == support, uplift
thooN == piller
---------------------------------------------------------
One who works without concern for comforts, is a
piller that supports and wipes sorrow of relatives.






izivu-aRinthu uNpaan-kaN inpam-pOl niRkum
kazi-pEr iraiyaan-kaN nOy (marunthu-95:6)
-----------------------------------------
izivu == low, unsuitable, disgraceful 
aRinthu == know (incomplete verb; infinitive 'aRi' know)
uN + p + aan + kaN == eat +  <particle> +
                      <third person singular suffix> + < 'with' suffix>
inpmam + pOl == pleasure, health + like, as
niRkum == will stand, (from 'nil' stand)
kazi + pEr == full + big
irai + aan + kaN == food, animal fodder + <third person singular siffix>
                    + < 'with' suffix> 
nOy == ailment, ill-health
------------------------------------------
Just as health abides with a wise-eater who knows of unsuitable food
ailment abides with a glutton.






idukkaN varunkaal nakuka athanai
aduththu-oorvathu aqthu-oppathu il
------------------------------------
idukkaN                 == mishap, misfortune
varum + kaal            == come (third person singular future; 
                                 infinitive 'va' come)
                           + <'in the event of' suffix>
nakuka                  == laugh (imparative)
athu + an + ai          == that + <possessive suffix> + <object suffix>
aduththu                == next, following, consequent 
oorvathu                == that which creeps (infinitive 'oor' creep)
aqthu + oppathu         == that + compare
il                      == not 
------------------------------------
Laugh when mishap comes; 
There is no better method to overcome the sorrow.





theYvaththaan aahaathu eninum muYaRcithan
meivaruththak kooli tharum
------------------------------------
theYvam + th + aal    ==  god, fate + <particle> + <'by' suffix>
aahaathu + en + um    ==  accomplishment impossible + though + even
muYaRci + than        ==  effort + own
mei                   ==  body
varuththa             ==  cause pain (incomplete verb) 
kooli                 ==  payment, result, reward
tharum                ==  give (third person singular future; infinitive 'thaa')
-----------------------------------------
Even though, according to fate* accomplishment is impossible
As hard effort pains one's body, (favourable) results will be produced. 

(*fate == accumulated effects of past actions)






muYaRci thiruvinai aakkum muYaRRinmai 
inmai puhuththi vidum
------------------------------------
muYaRci            == effort
thiru + vinai      == wealth + work
aakkum             == make, produce (third person singular future; 
                      infinitive aakku)
muYaRci + inmai    == effort + void
inmai              == void
puhuththi          == put, insert, introduce (incomplete verb) 
vidum              == leave (third person singular future; infinitive vidu)
-------------------------------------
Effort produces wealth;
Indeed lack of effort introduces poverty.






eNNith thuNika karumam thuNinthapin
eNNuvam enpathu izukku (therinthu ceYalvakai 47:7)
-----------------------------------
eNNi            == think, evaluate (incomplete verb; infinitive 'eN')
thuNika         == dare, start, take a decisive action
                   (imparative; infinitive 'thuNi')
karumam         == work, job, project, action
thuNintha + pin == having dared, having started + after 
eNNuvam         == think (first person pulural future; infinitive 'eN') 
enpathu         == thus(?)
izukku          == bad, fatal, low, disgraceful
------------------------------------
Think fully before making a decisive action;
To think of means and ways during the course of action can be fatal.






kaRka kacadaRak kaRpavai kaRRapin
niRka athaRkuth thaka (kalvi-40:1)
---------------------------------
kaRka   == learn (imparative; infinitive 'kal')
kacadaRa = kacadu + aRa
    kacadu == flaw, dirt, impurity, illogicity, bad, blemish 
    aRa == removed, torn, cut (infinitive 'aRu' cut) 
kaRpavai == those which are worth learning
kaRRa + pin == having learned + after
niRka == stand by, abide, uphold 
athu + an + ku == that + <possive suffix> + <'to' suffix>
thaka == accordingly, in accordance with 
----------------------------------
LEARN flawlessly those which are worth learning;
Having learned, ABIDE by it. 







ozukkam vizuppam tharalaan ozukkam
uYirinum Ompap padum (ozukkamudamai-14:1)
---------------------------------
ozukkam == decorum, (from verb 'ozu' follow)
vizuppam == fall (from verb 'vizu' fall)
thara + l + aa + aan == give + <particle> + not  
                        + <third person singular suffix>
ozukkam == decorum
uYir + in + um == live, soul + <compare suffix> + verily
Ompa == value high (inclomplete verb) 
padum == should be
----------------------------------
Decorum never lets one down;
hence it should be guarded more than life itself.






eNNiYa eNNiYaanku eYthupa eNNiYaar
thiNNiYar aahap peRin (vinaith-thidpam-67:6)
----------------------------------
eNNiYa = (whatever is) thought (to be achieved) [from verb 'eN' = think ]
eNNi + aanku == thought + <'to that extent' suffix>
eYthupa == will achieve
    eYthu + pa == achieve + <future particle>
eNNiYaar == planner, thinker(?)
thiNNiYaar == strong minded, strong willed(?)
aahap peRin == if endowed with
   aaha == become, make, do 
   peRu + in == get + <'if' suffix> 
-----------------------------------
Whatever one wants to achieve or attain will
be achieved exactly as conceived if the thinker is steadfast or strong-willed