17. Always live in a righteous way

Teachings to treasure, teachings that transform. 

 

Thirumoolar Thavamozhi

Motivation

17. Always live in a righteous way

 

Our ancestors have pointed that among the various bad acts, five stand out as the most dangerous. The five very bad acts namely, murder, stealing, drinking alcohol, lust, and telling lies are categorized as  “five grave sins”!

கொலையே களவுகள் காமம் பொய்கூறல்

மலைவான பாதகமாம்

 sings our Saint Thirumoolar.

Our sacred texts repeatedly exhort us to avoid doing any of these five acts as they will send one to hell! Nonetheless, unfortunately people still continue to these acts and spoil their precious life, laments our saint.

Losing one’s mind to lust, how a person is attracted to another person’s wife that destroys both his and her life, sings our saint.

ஆத்த மனையாள் அகத்தில் இருக்கவே

ஆத்த மனையாள் – a wife who comforts him; who he has married lawfully; அகத்தில் இருக்கவே= who is at home as his sole companion.

காத்த மனையாளைக் காமுறுங் காளையர்

காத்த மனையாளை – another person’s wife who is under the care of her husband. That is a women who is married and is under the care of her husband.

காமுறுங் காளையர் – the person who goes after the wife of another person, due to his uncontrollable lust.

காய்ச்ச பலாவின் கனியுண்ண மாட்டாமல்

ஈச்சம் பழத்துக்கு இடருற்ற வாறே.  1

ஆத்த மனையாள் அகத்தில் இருக்கவே

காத்த மனையாளைக் காமுறுங் காளையர்

காய்ச்ச பலாவின் – a jackfruit tree that grows nicely and yields very sweet fruits; பலாவின் கனி – the nice fruit that the jackfruit tree gives; உண்ணமாட்டாமல் – without eating it, that is, without choosing to eat it due to bad intellect.

The people without good intellect are attracted to go and consume remnant left over fruits that are in bushes filled with thorn!   They are harm others and suffer later. This is purely unintelligent.

A nice jackfruit tree is right in his house with good fruits. Without enjoying it and satisfying himself, a person going to eat remnant fruits in a thorny bush, is exactly the attitude of a person seeking another person’s wife. Our Saint says that it is a sin to seek another fruit that is not legitimately yours. The satisfaction from that fruit is not only trivial but also dangerous, warns our Saint Thirumoolar.

காய்ச்ச பலாவின் கனியுண்ண மாட்டாமல்

ஈச்சம் பழத்துக்கு இடருற்ற வாறே. 

He goes on further to elaborate on this.

திருத்தி வளர்த்ததோர் தேமாங் கனியை

திருத்தி வளர்த்தது – a mango tree is grown with a graft taken from another tree that has a tasty fruit; ஓர் தேமாங் கனியை – a very tasty fruit

 திருத்தி வளர்த்ததோர் தேமாங் கனியை

அருத்தமென் றெண்ணி அறையில் புதைத்துப்

அருத்தமென் றெண்ணி – thinking that it should be kept safe in a locker; that is one forgets that his wife is a person and considers her as his property;  அறையில் புதைத்துப் – locks her in the house, as how misers keep their money in a locker and do not use it for good purpose and enjoy life.

பொருத்தம் இலாத புளிமாங் கொம்பேறிக

பொருத்தம் இலாத – a tamarind tree, that is not suitable, and does not give benefit to health or mind.

கருத்தறி யாதவர் காலற்ற வாறே

கருத்தறி யாதவர் – having lost their mind, filled with lust;  காலற்ற வாறே – fall down and break their leg.

திருத்தி வளர்த்ததோர் தேமாங் கனியை

அருத்தமென் றெண்ணி அறையில் புதைத்துப்

பொருத்தம் இலாத புளிமாங் கொம்பேறிக்

கருத்தறி யாதவர் காலற்ற வாறே.  2

Our saint tells us about the good things to do in our life, like a mother would tell her child. Her analogies are rich with poetry, good character, charitable intention, and compassion. Our saint Thirumoolar shows the good direction so that people do not fall into the pit of sinful action.

To read other translated pages in these posts, see: Thirumoolar

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