Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,938

Date uploaded in London – 2 July 2026

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The tortoise simile is a famous one in Hinduism; Lord Krishna used it in Bhagavad Gita; later Manu Smriti used it; then Valluvar used it in Kural 126. Following Valluvar, T V Puranam of Paranjoti also used it.

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: ।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥2- 58॥

yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā

BG 2.58: One who is able to withdraw the senses from their objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell, is established in divine wisdom.

Kurma= Tortoise.

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Valluvar used Sanskrit wors in Kural 126, 130 and possibly in 127 (sokaappar?)

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Part 26

Following Translations are used:

1.A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 and B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan. Year 1933

2.S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD Year 2000

3.Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP. Year 1886

4.Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB

5.EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986

6.H A Popley – HAP (not full book) Year 1931

7.Tamil Original

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Translations of G U Pope and Suddananda Bharatiyar are taken from ProjectMadurai website;thanks.

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Self-control- Chapter 13- The Possession of Self-restraint  அடக்கமுடைமை

126.The heroic hearth, like a tortoise, stills the tumult of the senses in the vast silence of its being, carries, through all its round of births, a shield against the slings and arrows of fortune— A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 and B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan. Year 1933

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126.Like a tortoise, if one is able to restrain the five senses,

It will give lasing strength through all his seven births- S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000

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126.
Like tortoise, who the five restrains
In one, through seven world bliss obtains.
Should one throughout a single birth, like a tortoise keep in his five senses, the fruit of it will prove a safe-guard to him throughout the seven-fold births. – Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP. Year 1886
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126.Who senses five like tortoise hold
Their joy prolongs to births sevenfold — Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB

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126.if a man learns to control his five senses  in one birth as the tortoise – which can draw in its five limbs– , that power will stand by him  in his seven future births — EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986

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126. ஒருமையுள் ஆமைபோல் ஐந்தடக்கல் ஆற்றின்
எழுமையும் ஏமாப் புடைத்து.

SEVEN STAGES OF BIRTHS

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127.You may keep open all the other doors of the senses, but beware of unbridled tongue for through its very slip remorse enters the soul– ANM+2

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 127.Whatever else is left unguarded, one should restrain the tongue,

For a wagging tongue could give immense trouble— SMD

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127.
Whate’er they fail to guard, o’er lips men guard should keep;
If not, through fault of tongue, they bitter tears shall weep.
Whatever besides you leave unguarded, guard your tongue; otherwise errors of speech and the consequent misery will ensue. – GUP

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127.Rein the tongue if nothing else
Or slips of tongue bring all the woes– SB      
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127.Guard your tongue, whatever else you may not guard,  otherwise you will come to grief through wrong utterance – EVS

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127.Whatever else is uncontrolled, control the tongue;

Or you will come to grief in many a faulty word— HAP (not full book) Year 1931

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127. யாகாவா ராயினும் நாகாக்க காவாக்கால்
சோகாப்பர் சொல்லிழுக்குப் பட்டு

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128. even all the  good deeds of a soul turn into a hideous mass of sin before the breath of an unpleasant word that pains the hearts of men. — ANM+2

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128. Just one hard word  and its reluctant evil, is enough

To damage  all the intended good of one’s speech- SMD

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128.
Though some small gain of good it seem to bring,
The evil word is parent still of evil thing.
If a man’s speech be productive of a single evil, all the good by him will be turned into evil. – GUP

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128.Even a single evil word
Will turn all good results to bad– SB      

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128.One harm resulting from foul utterance is enough to nullify all good done by a man— EVS

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128. ஒன்றானும் தீச்சொல் பொருட்பயன் உண்டாயின்
நன்றாகா தாகி விடும்

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129. A blister by burning, time may heal, but the sting of a cruel word ever rankles in the human heart—- ANM+2

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129. The injury resulting from a burn heals, but not the

Ugly scar that is caused by an offending word –SMD

***

129.
In flesh by fire inflamed, nature may thoroughly heal the sore;
In soul by tongue inflamed, the ulcer healeth never more.
The wound which has been burnt in by fire may heal, but a wound burnt in by the tongue will never heal. – GUP

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129.The fire-burnt wounds do find a cure
Tongue-burnt wound rests a running sore– SB      
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129.A burn caused by fire may heal; but a scar caused by  a fiery tongue will never heal— EVS

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129.The sore that is made by fire will heal again;

Not so the wound that by the tongue is made- HAP

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129. தீயினாற் சுட்டபுண் உள்ளாறும் ஆறாதே
நாவினாற் சுட்ட வடு

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130. Of its own accord does the path of righteousness open before a wiseman that keeps watch over the kingdom of his soul against the giant passions of pride and anger—— ANM+2

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130. Virtue waits to aid him, who

Controls his self and anger too– SMD

SMD says he used K Srinivasan’s translation.

Or

130.Let a householder guard against careless speech

And loss of temper, the rest will be easy- SMD used Rajaji’s translation

***
130.
Who learns restraint, and guards his soul from wrath,
Virtue, a timely aid, attends his path.
Virtue, seeking for an opportunity, will come into the path of that man who, possessed of learning and self-control, guards himself against anger. – GUP
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130.Virtue seeks and peeps to see
Self-controlled savant anger free– SB      

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130.The angle of virtue will willingly abide in a person who gains self-possession through his learning and self-control– EVS

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130. கதங்காத்து கற்றடங்கல் ஆற்றுவான் செவ்வி
அறம்பார்க்கும் ஆற்றின் நுழைந்து

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to be continued……

Tags – Valluvar , Bhagavad Gita Simile, Tortoise, Tirukkural Encyclopaedia- Chapter 13 (Kural 126-130)