Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 16,073

Date uploaded in London – 10 August 2026

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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; only selected couplets) Year 1931

7.Tamil Original

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From now onwards all the ten Kurals are given in one part

பயனில சொல்லாமை – Against vain speaking  Part 38  The Not Speaking Profitless Words Refraining from idle talk

H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931 translated only Kural  196.

191.Despised among men is one who indulges in idle talk to the disgust of all – ANM+2 = B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan. Year 1933

***

191.The man who talk purposeless rant in a congregation

Will make himself the laughing stock of all — S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000

***

191
Words without sense, while chafe the wise,
Who babbles, him will all despise.
He who to the disgust of many speaks useless things will be despised by all.– Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886

***

191.With silly words who insults all
Is held in contempt as banal —Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB
***

191.One who speaks useless words that others dislike is despised by all– EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986

***

191.பல்லார் முனியப் பயனில சொல்லுவான்
எல்லாரும் எள்ளப் படும்

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192.More repugnant than unkind acts to friends is the vain boast of a fool— ANM+2

***

192.The practice of indulging in indecent talk in an assembly is worse,

Than that of being graceless to one’s friends — SMD

***

192
Words without sense, where many wise men hear, to pour
Than deeds to friends ungracious done offendeth more.
To speak useless things in the presence of many is a greater evil than to do unkind things towards friends. – GUP
***

192.Vain talk before many is worse
Than doing to friends deeds adverse– SB.  

***

192.Uttering profitless wors in the presence of the wise is worse than doing misdeeds to friends–– EVS

***

192.பயனில பல்லார்முன் சொல்லல் நயனில
நட்டார்கண் செய்தலின் தீது

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193.Useless words are but the froth of an empty vessel – ANM+2

***

193.The purposeless and profitless meandering talk of a man before a gathering

Will proclaim to the world his own worthlessness— SMD

***

193
Diffusive speech of useless words proclaims
A man who never righteous wisdom gains.
That conversation in which a man utters forth useless things will say of him “he is without virtue.” – GUP

***

193.The babbler’s hasty lips proclaim
That “good-for-nothing” is his name– SB.      

*** 

193.Indulging in empty words indicates  that one is devoid of principle–– EVS

***

193. நயனிலன் என்பது சொல்லும் பயனில
பாரித் துரைக்கும் உரை

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194.Neither grace nor pleasure, nor profit is there for a soul that utters vain words in an assembly of the learned— ANM+2

***

194.He who speaks vainless and graceless words in public assembly,

Will expose his want of essential goodness and moral rectitude — SMD

***

194
Unmeaning, worthless words, said to the multitude,
To none delight afford, and sever men from good.
The words devoid of profit or pleasure which a man speaks will, being inconsistent with virtue, remove him from goodness. – GUP

***

194.Vain words before an assembly
Will make all gains and goodness flee– SB.  

*** 

194.Speaking unsavoury and profitless words at random to all will deprive a person of his good qualities besides being disagreeable to the listeners–– EVS

***

194. நயன்சாரா நன்மையின் நீக்கும் பயன்சாராப்
பண்பில்சொல் பல்லா ரகத்து

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195.Shorn of their honour and respect do even the great become if they yield to futile talk— ANM+2

***

195.If a man of worth indulges in purposeless speech,

Excellence and fame will depart from him— SMD

***

195
Gone are both fame and boasted excellence,
When men of worth speak of words devoid of sense.
If the good speak vain words their eminence and excellence will leave them. – GUP

***

195.Glory and grace will go away
When savants silly nonsense say– SB.  

***     

195.If refined people would utter trivial words, they would lose their fame and reputation–– EVS

***

195. சீர்மை சிறப்பொடு நீங்கும் பயனில
நீர்மை யுடையார் சொலின்

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196.A lover of profitless words is but chaff among men— ANM+2

***

196.One who habitually utters vain and profitless words,

Is no man, but chaff  among men— SMD

***
196
Who makes display of idle words’ inanity,
Call him not man, -chaff of humanity!
Call not him a man who parades forth his empty words. Call him the chaff of men. – GUP

***
196.Call him a human chaff who prides
Himself in weightless idle words– SB.        

***

196.Do not call him a human being who indulges in profitless words; but call him a chaff among men–– EVS

***

H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931

196.Call him not man who makes display of useless words;

Call him but chaff of humankind– HAP

***

196. பயனில்சொல் பாராட்டு வானை மகன்எனல்
மக்கட் பதடி யெனல்

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197.Let the wise burst into harsh words; but let them beware of a bootless speech— ANM+2

***

197.Men of virtue too may sometimes speak unfairly;

It were better, that they do not talk uselessly— SMD

***

197
Let those who list speak things that no delight afford,
‘Tis good for men of worth to speak no idle word.
Let the wise if they will, speak things without excellence; it will be well for them not to speak useless things. – GUP

***

197.Let not men of worth vainly quack
Even if they would roughly speak– SB.  

***     

197.The wise would refrain from empty words though they may speak unpleasantly —– EVS

***

197. நயனில சொல்லினுஞ் சொல்லுக சான்றோர்
பயனில சொல்லாமை நன்று

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198.Do the heavenward thoughts of a great soul ever descend to a light and trivial discourse?— ANM+2

***

198.The learned, who explores worthy thoughts, will not utter

Anything but words of deep import— SMD

***

198
The wise who weigh the worth of every utterance,
Speak none but words of deep significance.
The wise who seek after rare pleasures will not speak words that have not much weight in them. – GUP
***

198.The wise who weigh the worth refrain
From words that have no grain and brain– SB.        

***

198.The learned who are capable of searching investigation will not utter words which are not productive of much good–– EVS

***

198. அரும்பயன் ஆயும் அறிவினார் சொல்லார்
பெரும்பயன் இல்லாத சொல்

***

199.Rarely do the wise who are full of pure light of wisdom fall into a trivial talk even in their thoughtless mood— ANM+2

***

199.Men of clear vision, who have overcome human follies, will not speak

Meaningless and idle words, even by lapse of memory— SMD

***

199
The men of vision pure, from wildering folly free,
Not e’en in thoughtless hour, speak words of vanity.
Those wise men who are without faults and are freed from ignorance will not even forgetfully speak things that profit not. – GUP

***

199.The wise of spotless self-vision
Slip not to silly words-mention– SB.        

***

199.Those who are free from illusion  and have a clear vision of the truth will not utter profitless words even inadvertently–– EVS,

***

199. பொருள்தீர்ந்த பொச்சாந்துஞ் சொல்லார் மருள்தீர்ந்த
மாசறு காட்சி யவர்

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200.Let words of wisdom adorn your lips, but refrain from vain and fruitless speech– ANM+2

***

200.If you must speak , speak purposefully;

Eschew all vain and profitless words— SMD

***
200
If speak you will, speak words that fruit afford,
If speak you will, speak never fruitless word.
Speak what is useful, and speak not useless words. – GUP

***

200.To purpose speak the fruitful word
And never indulge in useless load– SB.  

***     

200.If you speak at all speak profitably. Speak not empty words which produce no good—– EVS

***     

200. சொல்லுக சொல்லிற் பயனுடைய சொல்லற்க
சொல்லிற் பயனிலாச் சொல்

To be continued………………………

Tags– Tirukkural Encyclopaedia- Chapter 20 (Kural 191-200), part 38, பயனில சொல்லாமை, Against vain speaking , The Not Speaking Profitless Words, Refraining from idle talk