Tiruvalluvar citations

“There is no greater wealth than Virtue,
And no greater loss than to forget it.”

“All life will press palms together in prayerful adoration
of those who refuse to slaughter or savour meat.”

“When no food is given to the ear,
Then let a little be given to the stomach.”

“Even the ignorant may appear very worthy,
If they keep silent before the learned.”

“The worth of a wife is a man’s good fortune;
His jewels are his good children.”

“The learned are said to have seeing eyes;
The unlearned have only two sores on their faces.”

“Anger kills both laughter and joy;
What greater foe is there than anger?”

“The crow does not hide its prey, but calls for others to share it;
So wealth will be with those of a like disposition.”

“The wound that’s made by fire will heal,
But the wound that’s made by tongue will never heal.”

“Not every light is a true light;
To the wise the light of truth is light itself.”

“To turn away a guest is poorest poverty;
To bear with fools is mightiest might.”

“To get wealth and security by guile
Is like one who pours water into a pot of unbaked clay.”

“When you are about to badger the weak,
Then imagine yourself before a more powerful man.”

“The gruel that children’s little hands have stirred
Is sweeter than nectar.”

“The ignorant are like useless, brackish soil;
They exist and that is all.”

“How can he practice true compassion
Who eats the flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh?”

“As the quality of water changes with the nature of the soil;
So will a man’s reason vary with the quality of his friends.”

“Those who give way to great anger are like the dead:
Those who are free from anger are free from death.”

“How can kindliness rule that man
Who eateth other flesh to increase his own?”

“The lotus’ stem is as long as the depth of water,
So men’s height is just as great as their inner strength.”

“They who in trouble untroubled are
Will trouble trouble itself.”

“Reasoning with a drunkard is like
Going under water with a torch to seek for a drowning man.”

“If men must beg to live,
May the Creator also go wandering and perish.”

“Whatever things a man gives up,
By those he cannot suffer pain.”

“Just as the hand that strikes the ground cannot fail,
So is the ruin certain of him who cherishes anger.”

“To use bitter words, when kind words are at hand,
Is like picking unripe fruit when the ripe fruit is there.”