Chapter. 25. The Possession of Benevolence

Kural-241
Wealth 'mid wealth is wealth 'kindliness';
Wealth of goods the vilest too possess.
The wealth of kindness is wealth of wealth, in as much as the wealth of property is possessed by the basest of men.

Kural-242
The law of 'grace' fulfil, by methods good due trial made,
Though many systems you explore, this is your only aid.
(Stand) in the good path, consider, and be kind. Even considering according to the conflicting tenets of the different sects, kindness will be your best aid, (in the acquisition of heavenly bliss.)

Kural-243
They in whose breast a 'gracious kindliness' resides,
See not the gruesome world, where darkness drear abides.
They will never enter the world of darkness and wretchedness whose minds are the abode of kindness.

Kural-244
Who for undying souls of men provides with gracious zeal,
In his own soul the dreaded guilt of sin shall never feel.
(The wise) say that the evils, which his soul would dread, will never come upon the man who exercises kindness and protects the life (of other creatures)

Kural-245
The teeming earth's vast realm, round which the wild winds blow,
Is witness, men of 'grace' no woeful want shall know.
This great rich earth over which the wind blows, is a witness that sorrow never comes upon the kind-hearted.

Kural-246
Gain of true wealth oblivious they eschew,
Who 'grace' forsake, and graceless actions do.
(The wise) say that those who neglect kindness and practise cruelties, neglected virtue (in their former birth), and forgot (the sorrows which they must suffer.)

Kural-247
As to impoverished men this present world is not;
The 'graceless' in you world have neither part nor lot.
As this world is not for those who are without wealth, so that world is not for those who are without kindness.

Kural-248
Who lose the flower of wealth, when seasons change, again may bloom;
Who lose 'benevolence', lose all; nothing can change their doom.
Those who are without wealth may, at some future time, become prosperous; those who are destitute of kindness are utterly destitute; for them there is no change.

Kural-249
When souls unwise true wisdom's mystic vision see,
The 'graceless' man may work true works of charity.
If you consider, the virtue of him who is without kindness is like the perception of the true being by him who is without wisdom.

Kural-250
When weaker men you front with threat'ning brow,
Think how you felt in presence of some stronger foe.
When a man is about to rush upon those who are weaker than himself, let him remember how he has stood (trembling) before those who are stronger than himself.

Chapter. 26. The Renunciation of Flesh

Kural-251
How can the wont of 'kindly grace' to him be known,
Who other creatures' flesh consumes to feed his own?
How can he be possessed of kindness, who to increase his own flesh, eats the flesh of other creatures.

Kural-252
No use of wealth have they who guard not their estate;
No use of grace have they with flesh who hunger sate.
As those possess no property who do not take care of it, so those possess no kindness who feed on flesh.

Kural-253
Like heart of them that murderous weapons bear, his mind,
Who eats of savoury meat, no joy in good can find.
Like the (murderous) mind of him who carries a weapon (in his hand), the mind of him who feasts with pleasure on the body of another (creature), has no regard for goodness.

Kural-254
'What's grace, or lack of grace'? 'To kill' is this, that 'not to kill';
To eat dead flesh can never worthy end fulfil.
If it be asked what is kindness and what its opposite, the answer would be preservation and destruction of life; and therefore it is not right to feed on the flesh (obtained by taking away life).

Kural-255
If flesh you eat not, life's abodes unharmed remain;
Who eats, hell swallows him, and renders not again.
Not to eat flesh contributes to the continuance of life; therefore if a man eat flesh, hell will not open its mouth (to let him escape out, after he has once fallen in).

Kural-256
'We eat the slain,' you say, by us no living creatures die;
Who'd kill and sell, I pray, if none came there the flesh to buy?
If the world does not destroy life for the purpose of eating, then no one would sell flesh for the sake of money.

Kural-257
With other beings' ulcerous wounds their hunger they appease;
If this they felt, desire to eat must surely cease.
If men should come to know that flesh is nothing but the unclean ulcer of a body, let them abstain from eating it.

Kural-258
Whose souls the vision pure and passionless perceive,
Eat not the bodies men of life bereave.
The wise, who have freed themselves from mental delusion, will not eat the flesh which has been severed from an animal.

Kural-259
Than thousand rich oblations, with libations rare,
Better the flesh of slaughtered beings not to share.
Not to kill and eat (the flesh of) an animal, is better than the pouring forth of ghee etc., in a thousand sacrifices.

Kural-260
Who slays nought,- flesh rejects- his feet before
All living things with clasped hands adore.
All creatures will join their hands together, and worship him who has never taken away life, nor eaten flesh.

Chapter. 27. Penance

Kural-261
To bear due penitential pains, while no offence
He causes others, is the type of 'penitence'.
The nature of religious discipline consists, in the endurance (by the ascetic) of the sufferings which it brings on himself, and in abstaining from giving pain to others.

Kural-262
To 'penitents' sincere avails their 'penitence';
Where that is not, 'tis but a vain pretence.
Austerities can only be borne, and their benefits enjoyed, by those who have practised them (in a former birth); it will be useless for those who have not done so, to attempt to practise them (now).

Kural-263
Have other men forgotten 'penitence' who strive
To earn for penitents the things by which they live?
It is to provide food etc, for the ascetics who have abandoned (the desire of earthly possessions) that other persons have forgotten (to practise) austerity ?

Kural-264
Destruction to his foes, to friends increase of joy.
The 'penitent' can cause, if this his thoughts employ.
If (the ascetic) desire the destruction of his enemies, or the aggrandizement of his friends, it will be effected by (the power of) his austerities.

Kural-265
That what they wish may, as they wish, be won,
By men on earth are works of painful 'penance' done.
Religious dislipline is practised in this world, because it secures the attainment of whatever one may wish to enjoy (in the world to come).

Kural-266
Who works of 'penance' do, their end attain,
Others in passion's net enshared, toil but in vain.
Those discharge their duty who perform austerities; all others accomplish their own destruction, through the entanglement of the desire (of riches and sensual pleasure).

Kural-267
The hotter glows the fining fire, the gold the brighter shines;
The pain of penitence, like fire, the soul of man refines.
Just as gold is purified as heated in the fire, will those shine, who have endured the burning of pain (in frequent austerities).

Kural-268
Who gains himself in utter self-control,
Him worships every other living soul.
All other creatures will worship him who has attained the control of his own soul.

Kural-269
E'en over death the victory he may gain,
If power by penance won his soul obtain.
Those who have attained the power which religious discipline confers, will be able also to pass the limit of Yama, (the God of death).

Kural-270
The many all things lack! The cause is plain,
The 'penitents' are few. The many shun such pain.
Because there are few who practise austerity and many who do not, there are many destitute and few rich in this world.

Chapter. 28. Inconsistent Conduct

Kural - 271
Who with deceitful mind in false way walks of covert sin,
The five-fold elements his frame compose, decide within.
The five elements (of his body) will laugh within him at the feigned conduct of the deceitful minded man.

Kural - 272
What gain, though virtue's semblance high as heaven his fame exalt,
If heart dies down through sense of self-detected fault?
What avails an appearance (of sanctity) high as heaven, if his mind suffers (the indulgence) of conscious sin.

Kural - 273
As if a steer should graze wrapped round with tiger's skin,
Is show of virtuous might when weakness lurks within.
The assumed appearance of power, by a man who has no power (to restrain his senses and perform austerity), is like a cow feeding on grass covered with a tiger's skin.

Kural - 274
'Tis as a fowler, silly birds to snare, in thicket lurks.
When, clad in stern ascetic garb, one secret evil works.
He who hides himself under the mask of an ascetic and commits sins, like a sportsman who conceals himself in the thicket to catch birds.

Kural - 275
'Our souls are free,' who say, yet practise evil secretly,
'What folly have we wrought!' by many shames o'er-whelmed, shall cry.
The false conduct of those who say they have renounced all desire will one day bring them sorrows that will make them cry out, "Oh! what have we done, what have we done."

Kural - 276
In mind renouncing nought, in speech renouncing every tie,
Who guileful live,- no men are found than these of 'harder eye'.
Amongst living men there are none so hard-hearted as those who without to saking (desire) in their heart, falsely take the appearance of those who have forsaken (it).

Kural - 277
Outward, they shine as 'kunri' berry's scarlet bright;
Inward, like tip of 'kunri' bead, as black as night.
(The world) contains persons whose outside appears (as fair) as the (red) berry of the Abrus, but whose inside is as black as the nose of that berry.

Kural - 278
Many wash in hollowed waters, living lives of hidden shame;
Foul in heart, yet high upraised of men in virtuous fame.
There are many men of masked conduct, who perform their ablutions, and (make a show) of greatness, while their mind is defiled (with guilt).

Kural - 279
Cruel is the arrow straight, the crooked lute is sweet,
Judge by their deeds the many forms of men you meet.
As, in its use, the arrow is crooked, and the curved lute is straight, so by their deeds, (and not by their appearance) let (the uprightness or crookedness of) men be estimated.

Kural - 280
What's the worth of shaven head or tresses long,
If you shun what all the world condemns as wrong?
There is no need of a shaven crown, nor of tangled hair, if a man abstain from those deeds which the wise have condemned.

Chapter. 29. The Absence of Fraud

Kural - 281
Who seeks heaven's joys, from impious levity secure,
Let him from every fraud preserve his spirit pure.
Let him, who desires not to be despised, keep his mind from (the desire of) defrauding another of the smallest thing.

Kural - 282
'Tis sin if in the mind man but thought conceive;
'By fraud I will my neighbour of his wealth bereave.'
Even the thought (of sin) is sin; think not then of crafiily stealing the property of another.

Kural - 283
The gain that comes by fraud, although it seems to grow
With limitless increase, to ruin swift shall go.
The property, which is acquired by fraud, will entirely perish, even while it seems to increase.

Kural - 284
The lust inveterate of fraudful gain,
Yields as its fruit undying pain.
The eager desire of defrauding others will, when it brings forth its fruit, produce undying sorrow.

Kural - 285
'Grace' is not in their thoughts, nor know they kind affection's power,
Who neighbour's goods desire, and watch for his unguarded hour.
The study of kindness and the exercise of benevolence is not with those who watch for another's forgetfulness, though desire of his property.

Kural - 286
They cannot walk restrained in wisdom's measured bound,
In whom inveterate lust of fraudful gain is found.
They cannot walk steadfastly, according to rule, who eagerly desire to defraud others.

Kural - 287
Practice of fraud's dark cunning arts they shun,
Who long for power by 'measured wisdom' won.
That black-knowledge which is called fraud, is not in those who desire that greatness which is called rectitude.

Kural - 288
As virtue dwells in heart that 'measured wisdom' gains;
Deceit in hearts of fraudful men established reigns.
Deceit dwells in the mind of those who are conversant with fraud, even as virtue in the minds of those who are conversant with rectitude.

Kural - 289
Who have no lore save that which fraudful arts supply,
Acts of unmeasured vice committing straightway die.
Those, who are acquainted with nothing but fraud, will perish in the very commission of transgression.

Kural - 290
The fraudful forfeit life and being here below;
Who fraud eschew the bliss of heavenly beings know.
Even their body will fail the fraudulent; but even the world of the gods will not fail those who are free from fraud.

Chapter. 30. Veracity

Kural - 291
You ask, in lips of men what 'truth' may be;
'Tis speech from every taint of evil free.
Truth is the speaking of such words as are free from the least degree of evil (to others).

Kural - 292
Falsehood may take the place of truthful word,
If blessing, free from fault, it can afford.
Even falsehood has the nature of truth, if it confer a benefit that is free from fault.

Kural - 293
Speak not a word which false thy own heart knows
Self-kindled fire within the false one's spirit glows.
Let not a man knowingly tell a lie; for after he has told the lie, his mind will burn him (with the memory of his guilt).

Kural - 294
True to his inmost soul who lives,- enshrined
He lives in souls of all mankind.
He who, in his conduct, preserves a mind free from deceit, will dwell in the minds of all men.

Kural - 295
Greater is he who speaks the truth with full consenting mind.
Than men whose lives have penitence and charity combined.
He, who speaks truth with all his heart, is superior to those who make gifts and practise austerities.

Kural - 296
No praise like that of words from falsehood free;
This every virtue yields spontaneously.
There is no praise like the praise of never uttering a falsehood: without causing any suffering, it will lead to every virtue.

Kural - 297
If all your life be utter truth, the truth alone,
'Tis well, though other virtuous acts be left undone.
If a man has the power to abstain from falsehood, it will be well with him, even though he practise no other virtue.

Kural - 298
Outward purity the water will bestow;
Inward purity from truth alone will flow.
Purity of body is produced by water and purity of mind by truthfulness.

Kural - 299
Every lamp is not a lamp in wise men's sight;
That's the lamp with truth's pure radiance bright.
All lamps of nature are not lamps; the lamp of truth is the lamp of the wise.

Kural - 300
Of all good things we've scanned with studious care,
There's nought that can with truthfulness compare.
Amidst all that we have seen (described) as real (excellence), there is nothing so good as truthfulness.

Chapter. 31. The not being Angry

Kural - 301
Where thou hast power thy angry will to work, thy wrath restrain;
Where power is none, what matter if thou check or give it rein?
He restrains his anger who restrains it when it can injure; when it cannot injure, what does it matter whether he restrain it, or not ?

Kural - 302
Where power is none to wreak thy wrath, wrath importent is ill;
Where thou hast power thy will to work, 'tis greater, evil still.
Anger is bad, even when it cannot injure; when it can injure; there is no greater evil.

Kural - 303
If any rouse thy wrath, the trespass straight forget;
For wrath an endless train of evils will beget.
Forget anger towards every one, as fountains of evil spring from it.

Kural - 304
Wrath robs the face of smiles, the heart of joy,
What other foe to man works such annoy?
Is there a greater enemy than anger, which kills both laughter and joy ?

Kural - 305
If thou would'st guard thyself, guard against wrath alway;
'Gainst wrath who guards not, him his wrath shall slay.
If a man would guard himself, let him guard against anger; if he do not guard it, anger will kill him.

Kural - 306
Wrath, the fire that slayeth whose draweth near,
Will burn the helpful 'raft' of kindred dear.
The fire of anger will burn up even the pleasant raft of friendship.

Kural - 307
The hand that smites the earth unfailing feels the sting;
So perish they who nurse their wrath as noble thing.
Destruction will come upon him who ragards anger as a good thing, as surely as the hand of him who strikes the ground will not fail.

Kural - 308
Though men should work thee woe, like touch of tongues of fire.
'Tis well if thou canst save thy soul from burning ire.
Though one commit things against you as painful (to bear) as if a bundle of fire had been thrust upon you, it will be well, to refrain, if possible, from anger.

Kural - 309
If man his soul preserve from wrathful fires,
He gains with that whate'er his soul desires.
If a man never indulges anger in his heart, he will at once obtain whatever he has thought of.

Kural - 310
Men of surpassing wrath are like the men who've passed away;
Who wrath renounce, equals of all-renouncing sages they.
Those, who give way to excessive anger, are no better than dead men; but those, who are freed from it, are equal to those who are freed (from death).