Thiruvalluvar Quotes

How can one, who eats the flesh of others to swell his flesh, show compassion?

The only gift is giving to the poor; All else is exchange.

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

Even more than the time when she gave birth, a mother feels her greatest joy when she hears others refer to her son as a wise learned one.

The biggest fool is he who has learned much, taught much, and is still discontented.

Be wise among the wise, but pretend to be dull among fools.

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

Real kindness seeks no return.

Friendship with the wise gets better with time, as a good book gets better with age.

Among a man's many good possessions, A good command of speech has no equal. Prosperity and ruin issue from the power of the tongue. Therefore, guard yourself against thoughtless speech.

Nothing is impossible for those who act after wise counsel and careful thought.

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.

Worthless are those who injure others vengefully, while those who stoically endure are like stored gold. The gratification of the vengeful lasts only for a day, but the glory of the forbearing lasts until the end of time. Though unjustly aggrieved, it is best to suffer the suffering and refrain from unrighteous retaliation.

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

They who in trouble untroubled are Will trouble trouble itself.

It is compassion, the most gracious of virtues, Which moves the world.

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

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

Make foes of bowmen if you must, Never of penmen.

There may be many who will gladly face death in the battlefield, but few who will face a hostile society.

When the rare chance comes, seize it To do the rare deed.

Those who pretend to know what they don't, will be thought ignorant of even what they know.

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

Conquer with forbearance The excesses of insolence.

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

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

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

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

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.

Better the arrow that missed the lion than the one that killed a rabbit.

Those who have wisdom have all: Fools with all have nothing.

The ignorant torment themselves more than they do others.

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

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

Those are fools however learned Who have not learned to walk with the world.

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

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

Fame is a jealous mistress And will brook no rival.

Great wealth, like a crowd at a concert, Gathers and melts.

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

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

A fortress is of no use to cowards.

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

Among the wealthy, compassionate men claim the richest wealth, For material wealth is possessed by even contemptible men. Find and follow the good path and be ruled by compassion. For if the various ways are examined, compassion will prove the means to liberation.

This world is not for the poor, nor the next for the unkind.

The gruel that children's little hands have stirredIs sweeter than nectar.

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

It is the prowess of scholars that meetings bring delight and departures leave memories.

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