Sage Thiru-valluvar
"The Bard of Universal Man"
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Chapter - 73 : Not to Dread the Council
 

The Minister requires nerve and courage, to face the council, often packed, full of favorites, intriguers, and time-servers.

Compare the Book of Daniel.

 

Translation(s)

Men of pure heart, who know that varied (people in council) force words, discern the mood of the mighty council and do not fail in their discourse.

Explanation

Chk. Repeats in 711

Translation(s)

Those who have learned to say in penetrating words before the learned, what they have learned; they are the most learned amongst the learned.

 

Translation(s)

Many (men) encountering death in face of enemy will stand their ground, but those who speak undaunted in the council hall are rarely found.

Explanation

Brawn versus brain.

Translation(s)

What you have learnt speak out in penetrating words before the learned, but learn what men more learned can teach you more.

Explanation

I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him.
- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Translation(s)

By rule, apply your mind to dialectic art so that in council fearless you may make an apt reply.

 

Translation(s)

What can sword avail to those who lack the hero’s eye? Or, what can science avail to those who quail before council?

Explanation

Sword and science are the instruments of these two respectively.

"Apply your self. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don’t just stand there, make it happen." - Lee Iacocca, Chairman, Chrysler Motors

Translation(s)

Science learned by him who fears the council’s face is like shining sword before the enemy, which ‘sexless being’ bears.

Explanation

The phrase ‘sexless being’ has been used once before also. It could refer to an impotent person or to a person of third gender.

Translation(s)

The men who cannot speak strongly and well in council hall; though many things they have learned, yet they all are useless.

Explanation

Thiru-valluvar has used the word ‘council hall’ a few times. This suggests that there were council halls in his days and lot of speaking was done in them. This could be referring to council hall in king’s palace or court.

Translation(s)

Those who, though they have learned, quake before the council of good men, must take a place lower than unlearned men.

Explanation

In those days public speaking was important. Similar importance is attached in today’s organizations to presentation skills.

Translation(s)

Those who know not to say in penetrating words what they have learned, fearing the council; though they live they are as dead.

Explanation

The person who could not speak in front of council due to fear is compared to a dead person.

The first conclusion is that had Dale Carnegie been born in that era and conducted his course on public speaking, he certainly would have become as honored and famous as he was in the USA in 20th century.

The second conclusion is that the council was a life and death matter – very important in governance of the state in Thiru-valluvar’s era.

Summary Note

The end of the section on ‘Ministers of State’

Inside the Hall below the Statue - All 1330 Verses of Thirukural are Inscribed
Thiruvalluvar Memorial (133 Feet, 7000 Tonnes), Kanyakumari, India
Credit: Suresh_mask, Flickr

References