The Kural

who cannot.

Behold the man who appreciateth at their true value the sensations of touch and taste and sight and sound and smell:7 he will command the world.

The scriptures of the world proclaim the greatness of the men of the mighty word.

It is impossible to support even for a second the wrath of those who stand on the rock of renunciation.

It is saintly men that are to be called Brahmans: for it is they that have compassion on all life.8

IV

The Glorification of Righteousness

31. Righteousness leadeth unto heaven and it bringeth wealth also: what is there that is more profitable than Righteousness?

32. There is no greater good than Righteousness, nor no greater ill than the forgetting of it.

33. Be thou unremitting in the doing of good deeds: do them with all thy might and by every means.

34. Be pure in heart: all righteousness is contained in this one commandment: all other things are nought but empty sound.

35. Avoid envy and greed, anger and harsh words: that is the way to acquire righteousness.

36. Say not in thy heart, I shall be righteous by and bye, but begin to do good works without delaying: for it is Righteousness will be thy undying companion on the day of thy death.

37. Ask me not, Where is the good of Righteousness? Look at the bearer of the palanquin and him that rideth on it.9

38. If thou do good all thy life without a single waste day, thou wallest up the road to future births.

39. That alone is delight which cometh of Righteousness: all else is pain and shame.

40. That action alone is worth doing which is righteous: and all action must be shunned which is unrighteous.

Part I

Righteousness

Section I

The Life of the Householder

V

Family Life

41. The householder is the mainstay of all who follow the three other paths of life.10

42. The householder is the friend of the orphan and the pauper and the helpless dead.11

43. Five are the duties of the householder, namely, the offering of oblations to the dead, the performance of sacrifices to the Gods, the doing of hospitality, the rendering of help unto relations, and the looking after of one’s own self.

44. Behold the man who feareth to do ill and doth charity before eating his meal: his seed decayeth never.

45. If love aboundeth in the home and righteousness doth prevail, the home is perfect and its end is all fulfilled.

46. If a man fulfilleth aright the duties of the householder, where is the need for him to take up other duties?

47. Among those that seek after salvation the greatest are they who lead a virtuous family life.

48. Behold the householder who helpeth others in the observance of their vows and who leadeth a virtuous life himself: he is holier than the austere ones themselves.

49. Righteousness belongeth especially to the married life: and a good name is its ornament.

50. The householder who liveth as he ought to live will be looked upon as a God among men.

VI

The Blessings of a Good Helpmate

51. She is the good helpmate who possesseth every wifely virtue and spendeth not above her husband’s means.

52. All other blessings turn to nought if the wife faileth in wifely virtues.

53. Where is indigence if the wife is worthy? and where is riches is worth is not in her?

54. What is there that is grander than woman, when she is strong in the strength of her chastity?

55. Behold the woman who worshippeth not other Gods but worshippeth her husband even as she riseth from bed: the rain-cloud obeyeth her commands.

56. She is the good housewife who guardeth her virtue and her reputation, and tendeth her husband with loving care.

57. Of what avail is close confinement? It is her own continence that is the best guardian of a woman’s virtue.

58. Behold the woman who hath begotten a worthy son: her place is high in the world of the Gods.

59. Behold the man whose home beareth not an honourable reputation: the proud lion-like walk in the sight of detractors is denied him.

60. The chiefest blessing is an honourable home: and its crowning glory is worthy offspring.

VII

Offspring

61. We know of no blessing so great as the begetting of children that are endowed with understanding.

62. Behold the man whose children bear an unstained character: no evil will touch him in any of his seven reincarnations.

63. Children are the veritable riches of a man: for they pass to him by their own acts all the merits that they acquire.

64. Sweeter verily than ambrosia is the plain soup bespattered by the tender hands of one’s own children.

65. The touch of children is the delight of the body: the delight of the ear is the hearing of their speech.

66. The flute is sweet and the guitar dulcet: so say they who have not heard the babbling speech of their little ones.

67. What is the duty of the father to his son? It is to make him worthy to sit in the front rank in the assembly.

68. To find oneself eclipsed in intelligence by one’s children is a delight to all the world.

69. Great is the joy of the mother when a male child is born unto her: but greater far is her delight when she heareth him called worthy.

70. What is the duty of the son to his father? It is to make the world ask, For what austerities of his hath he been blessed with such a son?

VIII

Love

71. Where is the bar that can close in the gates of love? The gentle teardrops of lovers’ eyes are sure to proclaim its presence.

72. Those that love not live only for themselves: as to those that love, their very bones are for others’ occasions.

73. They say it is to taste again of love that the soul hath consented once more to be encased in bone.

74. Love maketh the heart tender towards all: and tenderness yieldeth that priceless treasure called friendship.

75. The blessing of the blessed, they say, is only the reward