The Kural

taste of the ear: what doth it matter to the world whether they live or die?

XLIII

The Understanding

421. The understanding is an armour against all surprise: it is a fortress which even enemies cannot storm.

422. It is the understanding that curbeth the senses from roving about, keepeth them from evil, and directeth them towards the Good.

423. To separate the true from the false in every utterance, whoever it be that speaketh, that is the part of a wise understanding.

424. What he speaketh, the wise man speaketh so as to be understood by all: and from the lips of others he gathereth their subtle meanings.

425. The wise man is sociable with all the world: and his temper is ever even, expanding not nor contracting to excess.

426. It is a part of wisdom to conform to the ways of the world.

427. The man of understanding knoweth what is coming: but the fool foreseeth not what is before.

428. It is folly to rush headlong into danger: it is the part of the wise to fear what ought to be feared.

429. Behold the man of foresight who is armed for every contingency: he will never know the blow that causeth trembling.

430. He that hath understanding hath everything: but the fool though he possess everything hath nothing.

XLIV

Eschewing of Faults

431. Behold the man who is free from haughtiness and anger and the vulgar passion:21 there is a dignity about him that adorneth his prosperity.

432. Parsimony, overconfidence, and excessive amour propre are faults in the prince.

433. Behold the men who are jealous of their reputation: though their fault be small even like a millet seed, they look upon it as of the measure of a palmyra tree.

434. Guard thyself jealously against weaknesses: for they are the foes that will lead thee to ruin.

435. Behold the man who provideth not beforehand against surprise: he will be destroyed even like a stack of straw before a spark of fire.

436. If the prince correcteth his own faults and then looketh into those of others, where is the ill that can approach him?

437. Behold the miser that spendeth not where he ought to spend: his wealth will come to an inglorious wreck.

438. Closefisted parsimony is not a vice to be classed with other vices: it formeth a class apart.

439. Exult not at anything at any time: embark not on enterprises that would bring thee no good.

440. If thou canst keep from the knowledge of others the things in which thy heart taketh delight, the machinations of thy foes will be in vain.

XLV

Courting the Friendship of the Worthy

441. Esteem thou the men that have grown old in righteousness, and acquire their friendship.

442. Behold the men who can cure the evils that have already befallen thee and who can guard thee from future ones: cultivate thou their friendship with ardour.

443. It is the rarest of rare good fortunes if a man can secure to himself the devotion of men of worth.

444. If those that are worthier than thyself have become thy intimates, thou hast acquired a strength before which all other strength paleth.

445. As the eyes of the prince are his own ministers, let him use his discretion and choose them wisely.

446. Behold the man who can move with the worthy as their intimate: his foes will be powerless against him.

447. Who can ruin the man that commandeth the friendship of those that can reprove him?

448. Behold the prince who reposeth not on the support of men who can rebuke him: he will perish even when he hath no foes.

449. Profit is not for those that have no capital: even so stability is not for them that repose not on the firm support of the wise.

450. It is foolish to make a multitude of foes: but it is ten times worse to give up the intimacy of the good.

XLVI

Keeping Aloof from Vulgar Company

451. Men of worth fear vulgar company: but little-minded men mix with it as if they made one family with it.

452. Water altereth and taketh the character of the soil through which it floweth: even so the mind taketh the colour of the company with which it consorteth.

453. The understanding of a man belongeth unto his mind: but his reputation dependeth on the company he keepeth.

454. The disposition of a man seemeth to reside in his mind: but its veritable abode is the company in which he moveth.

455. Purity of heart and purity of action depend upon the purity of a man’s company.

456. The pure of heart shall have a righteous progeny: and everything prospereth unto those that consort with good company.

457. Purity of heart is a treasure unto a man: and virtuous company bringeth him every glory.

458. Though themselves are endowed with every virtue, the wise looks upon the company of the pure as a tower of strength.

459. Virtue leadeth unto heaven: and the company of the good steadieth a man in the practice thereof.

460. There is no greater ally to a man than good company: and nothing injureth so much as evil company.

XLVII

Deliberation Before Action

461. Take into thy consideration the output and the wastage and the profit that the undertaking will yield: and then put thy hand to it.

462. Behold the prince who decideth upon action only after consulting with men chosen for their worth: there is nothing that is impossible for him.

463. There are enterprises that tempt with a great profit but which perish even the capital itself: the wise undertake them not.

464. Behold the men who fear to be ridiculed by others: they start not on any enterprise without previous deliberation.

465. To make war without planning every detail of it beforehand is only to transplant thy enemy on carefully prepared soil.

466. There are things that ought not to be done and if thou do them thou wilt be ruined: and there are things that ought to be done and if thou do them not thou will be ruined also.

467. Decide not upon any action except after careful deliberation: it is a fool who undertaketh first and sayeth in his heart, I shall think afterwards.

468. Behold the man that goeth not to his work