Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 16,105

Date uploaded in London – 19 August 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

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tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

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Points to be noted

The most famous command of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is UTHTHSTA! YASO LABHA!!= Arise! Attain Fame!

Also we are reminded of Swami Vivekananda’s famous command from the Upanshad: ARISE! AWAKE! STOP NOT TILL THE GOAL IS REACHED!

Probably Valluvar had Bhagavad Gita  in his mind when he gave the title Pukaz= Fame, Glory, Reputation, Renown.

तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून्भुङ् क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् ।
मयैवैते निहता: पूर्वमेव
निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् ॥ 11-33॥

tasmāt tvam uttiṣhṭha yaśho labhasva
jitvā śhatrūn bhuṅkṣhva rājyaṁ samṛiddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sāchin

BG 11.33: Therefore, arise and attain fame/glory! Conquer your foes and enjoy prosperous rulership. These warriors stand already slain by Me, and you will only be an instrument of My work, O expert archer. (Compare it with Kural 236)

**

Isai (fame, glory) is linked to Yasas (fame) in Sanskrit; once again I emphasize that both languages came from one source (Lord Shiva); we have a word Yaso dhanam ( Fame Wealth) in Sanskrit literature.

The word Isai/Yasas is used in 4 Kurals.  Other Sanskrit words in this chapter are- Lokam (Ulakam) in two couplets ; also Viththakar in 235.

**

Kural 236 is the most popular and most quoted one; but look at the translations from five scholars! Even the title Pukaz in Tamil has four different words here!

Amazing are the different translations!

***

Following Translations are used:

1.A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( 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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Project Madurai website has all the Tamil books.

 

Part 42

Chapter 24  Renown 24. புகழ் Fame, Glory, Good Reputation

H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931 did not do any transaction for this chapter.

***

231.Give unto the poor; live in glory; there is no greater gain on earth— A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933

***

231.In life, nothing is as worthwhile as

The public esteem arising out of charity- S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000

***

231
See that thy life the praise of generous gifts obtain;
Save this for living man exists no real gain.
Give to the poor and live with praise. There is no greater profit to man than that. Rev.Dr.GU Pope  – GUP, Year 1886

***

231.They gather fame who freely give
The greatest gain for all that live– Suddhananda Bharathiyar – SB

***

231.There is no greater boon to man than the renown gained by giving the poor— EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986

***

231. ஈதல் இசைபட வாழ்தல் அதுவல்லது
ஊதியம் இல்லை உயிர்க்கு

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232.The theme of all ages is the one song of praise of the glory of those who help the needy and the poor– ANM+2

***

232.The fame of a man , who gives freely to sufferers

Will live forever in the words of all speakers and writers—– SMD

***

232
The speech of all that speak agrees to crown
The men that give to those that ask, with fair renown.
Whatsoever is spoken in the world will abide as praise upon that man who gives alms to the poor. – GUP

***

232.The glory of the alms-giver
Is praised aloud as popular– SB.       

***
232.All the praise that learned sing  centres on the fame of those who gives the needy— EVS

***

232. உரைப்பார் உரைப்பவை எல்லாம் இரப்பார்க்கொன்று
ஈவார்மேல் நிற்கும் புகழ்

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233.All things bloom and fade on earth; but the peerless renown of one stands forever– ANM+2

***

233.The outstandingly unique renown (of a benevolent man alone)

Will live for ever; all the rest will die out—– SMD

***

233
Save praise alone that soars on high,
Nought lives on earth that shall not die.
There is nothing that stands forth in the world imperishable, except fame, exalted in solitary greatness. – GUP

***

233.Nothing else lasts on earth for e’er
Saving high fame of the giver! – SB     
***
233.There is nothing that endures in the world other than matchless high renown– EVS

***

233. ஒன்றா உலகத்து உயர்ந்த புகழல்லால்
பொன்றாது நிற்பதொன்று இல்

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234.In the abode of the Gods, more honoured than the saints are those that has won lasting fame on earth– ANM+2

***

234.If one earns an outstanding reputation on earth,

Knowing people will honour him and not the Gods— SMD

***

234
If men do virtuous deeds by world-wide ample glory crowned,
The heavens will cease to laud the sage for other gifts renowned.
If one has acquired extensive fame within the limits of this earth, the world of the Gods will no longer praise those sages who have attained that world. – GUP

***

234.From hailing gods heavens will cease
To hail the men of lasting praise – SB      
***
234.The Gods will honour those who have earned rver lasting fame rather than  the sages who have attained the abode of the Gods– EVS

***

234. நிலவரை நீள்புகழ் ஆற்றின் புலவரைப்
போற்றாது புத்தேள் உலகு

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235.Out of the ruins and death of their selves, it is only the wise that fashion out a name for themselves – ANM+2

***

235.Poverty is wealth, if it arises from causes which give a man fame; such death too

Is life everlasting and welcome to the noble sages – SMD

***

235
Loss that is gain, and death of life’s true bliss fulfilled,
Are fruits which only wisdom rare can yield.
Prosperity to the body of fame, resulting in poverty to the body of flesh and the stability to the former arising from the death of the latter, are achievable only by the wise. – GUP
***

235.Fame in fall and life in death
Are rare but for the soulful worth– SB.     

*** 

235.Poverty, which conduces to fame, and death which brings glory, are the lot of none but the wise– EVS

*** 

235. நத்தம்போல் கேடும் உளதாகும் சாக்காடும்
வித்தகர்க் கல்லால் அரிது
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236.Better to be born covered with glory on earth than never to be born at all– ANM+2

***

236.If one is born at all, he should be born to glory;

Otherwise, it were better that he were not born– SMD

***

236
If man you walk the stage, appear adorned with glory’s grace;
Save glorious you can shine, ’twere better hide your face.
If you are born (in this world), be born with qualities conductive to fame. From those who are destitute of them it will be better not to be born. – GUP
***
236.Be born with fame if birth you want
If not of birth you must not vaunt– SB.        236

***

236.If one takes birth in this world one should come with qualities which bring fame; if not it is better not to appear at all— EVS

*** 
236. தோன்றின் புகழோடு தோன்றுக அஃதிலார்
தோன்றலின் தோன்றாமை நன்று
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237.Bemoan your own sloth that stands in your way to glory; why fret about the insults that others hurl at you– ANM+2

***

237.If some men are strangers to fame, they should blame themselves;

Why blame those who scorn them for it? – SMD

***

237
If you your days will spend devoid of goodly fame,
When men despise, why blame them? You’ve yourself to blame.
Why do those who cannot live with praise, grieve those who despise them, instead of grieving themselves for their own inability. – GUP

***

237.Why grieve at those who blame the shame
Of those who cannot live in fame? – SB      

***
237.Those who cannot achieve fame should blame themselves and not those who criticise them— EVS

*** 

237. புகழ்பட வாழாதார் தந்நோவார் தம்மை
இகழ்வாரை நோவது எவன்.

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238.Verily do the wise do cry shame on those that leave no foot-prints on the sands of time, when there is glory to be sought and won in the world of men– ANM+2

***

238.If, in the final analysis, one fails to earn the esteem of the public

One is sure to get the blame of all the world– SMD

***

238
Fame is virtue’s child, they say; if, then,
You childless live, you live the scorn of men.
Not to beget fame will be esteemed a disgrace by the wise in this world. – GUP

***

238.To men on earth it is a shame
Not to beget the child of fame– SB.       

***
238.If a man cannot acquire fame so that it may live after him, such failure is a source of ignominy to him— EVS

***
238. வசையென்ப வையத்தார்க் கெல்லாம் இசையென்னும்
எச்சம் பெறா விடின்

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239.The glory and the freshness of the earth shrivels into nothingness, before the unholy tread of an inglorious band of men– ANM+2

***

239.The earth that bears men of no renown,

Will itself shrink up its fruits– SMD

***

239
The blameless fruits of fields’ increase will dwindle down,
If earth the burthen bear of men without renown.
The ground which supports a body without fame will diminish in its rich produce. – GUP

***

239.The land will shrink in yield if men
O’erburden it without renown– SB.     

***
239.The land burdened with bodies of flesh and blood without fame will grow barren of useful products— EVS

***
239. வசையிலா வண்பயன் குன்றும் இசையிலா
யாக்கை பொறுத்த நிலம்

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240.Alive is the soul that is free from reproach; but dead is the heart that lives without a name– ANM+2

***

240.Only those who live shunning blame may be said to live, while the others

 Who live without a good name, do not live at all– SMD

***

240
Who live without reproach, them living men we deem;
Who live without renown, live not, though living men they seem.
Those live who live without disgrace. Those who live without fame live not. – GUP
***

240.They live who live without blemish
The blameful ones do not flourish– SB.       

***

240.Only those who live without creating a bad reputation may be said to live, and those that do not earn fame may be counted among the dead- EVS

 ***

240. வசைஒழிய வாழ்வாரே வாழ்வார் இசையொழிய
வாழ்வாரே வாழா தவர்

To be continued………………..Tags- Chapter 24 , Renown, 24. புகழ், Fame, Glory, Good Reputation, part 42