Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 16,268
Date uploaded in London – 4 October 2026
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
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Points to be noted:
Four points are interesting!
1.Some half baked “scholars” argued that Tiru Valluvar was a Jain or a Buddhist. That myth was exploded because Tiru Valluvar named his third chapter Kama (kaama); he boldly used Sanskrit word Kama to name his third chapter and used many slokas from Vatsyayana’s famous Kaama Suutraa. Neither a Jain nor a Buddhist will deal with that subject. In fact we have only two books on Kamasutra (SEX) until fifth century CE in the whole wide Big Blue Marble, that is Earth. Vaatsyaayana Maharishi wrote about sex 2000 years ago under the title Kaama Suutra and Valluvar boldly dealt with the same subject in fifth century CE. Here in Kural 402, he is using a simile – Woman without breasts!
2.Second interesting point is Valluvar’s remarks on castes. Purananuru verse dealt with he same before Valluvar. It is about an educated in the low caste and uneducated in the high caste. It is in Manu Smriti also. Manu allows even mixed caste love marriages if the girl of low caste is better than the one in high caste: please see the slokas given below. Valluvar is talking about low caste and high caste in Kural 409 which he copied from Purananuru verse 183 and earlier Manu Smriti.
3.Third interesting point is his simile about Chess board. Hindus invented Chess and spread it throughout the world via Persia(Iran). Even now India dominates in this board game. Chess simile is in Kural 401.
4.Valluvar’s barren land simile in Kural 406 is in Manu Smriti too. Please see the sloka given below. Valluvar used a few Sanskrit words as usual including Kaama in Kural 402.
Now to the slokas from Manu Smriti:
Barren land similein Manu:
यथैरिणे बीजमुप्त्वा न वप्ता लभते फलम् ।
तथाऽनृचे हविर्दत्त्वा न दाता लभते फलम् ॥ १४२ ॥ Manu smriti
yathairiṇe bījamuptvā na vaptā labhate phalam |
tathā’nṛce havirdattvā na dātā labhate phalam || 3-142 || Manu
Just as having sown the seed in barren soil, the sower reaps no harvest,—even so, having given the offerings to one ignorant of the Veda, the giver obtains no reward.—(3-142)
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Castes change if virtues lost:
शूद्रो ब्राह्मणतामेति ब्राह्मणश्चैति शूद्रताम् ।
क्षत्रियाज् जातमेवं तु विद्याद् वैश्यात् तथैव च ॥ ६५ ॥ Manu smriti
śūdro brāhmaṇatāmeti brāhmaṇaścaiti śūdratām |
kṣatriyāj jātamevaṃ tu vidyād vaiśyāt tathaiva ca || 10-65 || Manu smriti
The Śūdra attains the position of the Brāhmaṇa and the Brāhmaṇa sinks to the position of the Śūdra; the same should be understood to be the case with the offspring of the Kṣatriya or of the vaiśya.—(10-65)
**
Women, learning are accepted from Any Caste
स्त्रियो रत्नान्यथो विद्या धर्मः शौचं सुभाषितम् ।
विविधानि च शिल्पानि समादेयानि सर्वतः ॥ २४० ॥
striyo ratnānyatho vidyā dharmaḥ śaucaṃ subhāṣitam |
vividhāni ca śilpāni samādeyāni sarvataḥ ||2- 240 || Manu smriti
Wives, gems, learning, virtue, purity, wise saying (subhasitas) and the various arts may be obtained from all sources.—(2-240) Manu smriti
**
For each of the slokas, we have to see the context where and why he said it. Please go to wisdomlib.org for the slokas in English with commentary.
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41. கல்லாமை – Non-learning- Ignorance
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Go to Project Madurai website for all Tamil books; it is free and trouble free. No advertisements; no cookies!
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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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401.Venturing to discourse in an assembly of the learned without any wealth of knowledge is like the playing of dice without the chequered chess board– A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933
***
401.Men of no education holding forth to a learned audience resemble
The uninitiated playing chess without the board S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000
***
401
Like those at draughts would play without the chequered square,
Men void of ample lore would counsels of the learned share.
To speak in an assembly (of the learned) without fullness of knowledge, is like playing at chess (on a board) without squares.–Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886
***
401.Like play of chess on square less board
Vain is imperfect loveless word. Suddhananda Bharathiyar – SB
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401.To speak in assembly without a wide knowledge of books is like throwing a dice on a board without chequers- EVS Publishers, Singapore – EVS, Year 1986
***
401. அரங்கின்றி வட்டாடி யற்றே நிரம்பிய
நூலின்றிக் கோட்டி கொளல்.
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402.The ignorant person aspiring to speak in the councils of the learned
Is like the woman without the breasts seeking the charms of love – – SMD, Year 2000
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402.The yearning of an ignorant man to shine in the company of the wise is like yearning of a damsel for the beauty of womanhood without the charms of heaving breasts– ANM+2
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402
Like those who doat on hoyden’s undeveloped charms are they,
Of learning void, who eagerly their power of words display.
The desire of the unlearned to speak (in an assembly), is like a woman without breasts desiring (the enjoyment of ) woman-hood. – GUP
***
402.Unlearned man aspiring speech
Is breastless lady’s love-approach. – SB
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402.The unlettered man aspiring to speak is like a lady without her two breasts courting love– EVS
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402. கல்லாதான் சொற்கா முறுதல் முலையிரண்டும்
இல்லாதாள் பெண்காமுற் றற்று.
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403.Even a man of no learning may be considered wise,
If he holds his tongue in gatherings of the learned– – SMD, Year 2000
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403.Even a blockhead will be deemed wise, if he remains tongue-tied before the council of the learned– ANM+2
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403
The blockheads, too, may men of worth appear,
If they can keep from speaking where the learned hear!
The unlearned also are very excellent men, if they know how to keep silence before the learned. – GUP
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403.Ev’n unread men are good and wise
If before the wise, they hold their peace. – SB
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403.Should they abstain from speech before men that have learning, even ignorant men pass for the wise– EVS
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403.Even ignorant men may pass for men of worth
If among the wise they learn to hold their tongue- H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931
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403. கல்லா தவரும் நனிநல்லர் கற்றார்முன்
சொல்லா திருக்கப் பெறின்.
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404.The occasional flashes of mother- wit of an illiterate will never pass for real strokes of wisdom in the eyes of the wise– ANM+2
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404.The wise will not be taken in by flashes of good sense
Occasionally displayed by the ignorant– SMD, Year 2000
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404
From blockheads’ lips, when words of wisdom glibly flow,
The wise receive them not, though good they seem to show.
Although the natural knowledge of an unlearned man may be very good, the wise will not accept for true knowledge. – GUP
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404.The unread’s wit though excellent
Is not valued by the savant. – SB
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404.Although the innate knowledge of a man without learning may be very good it will not be accepted by the wise– EVS
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404. கல்லாதான் ஓட்பம் கழியநன் றாயினும்
கொள்ளார் அறிவுடை யார்.
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405.The false pride of learning of an ignorant man is shattered to pieces; the moment he addresses an assembly of the learned and the wise– ANM+2
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405.The self-esteem of the uneducated cannot stand the test
Of a single direct discourse with the learned– – SMD, Year 2000
***
405
As worthless shows the worth of man unlearned,
When council meets, by words he speaks discerned.
The self-conceit of an unlearned man will fade away, as soon as he speaks in an assembly (of thelearned). – GUP
***
405.A man untaught when speech he vaunts
Sadly fails before savants. – SB
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405.Anignorant man daring to speak before the learned sadly fails; his vanity is put to shame– EVS
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405. கல்லா ஒருவன் தகைமை தலைப்பெய்து
சொல்லாடச் சோர்வு படும்.
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406.Like a barren waste land that yields no fruit, are men devoid of learning; people say of them ‘They do not live but merely exist’– ANM+2
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406.The ignorant just exist like the barren land,
Which gives no yield to be counted fertile– SMD, Year 2000
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406
‘They are’: so much is true of men untaught;
But, like a barren field, they yield us nought!
The unlearned are like worthless barren land: all that can be said of them is, that they exist. – GUP
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406.People speak of untaught minds
“They just exist like barren lands”. – SB
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406.Men without learning are like worthless barren lands. Nothing more can be said of them than that they exist – EVS
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406.The ignorant are like useless brackish land;
They are—and that is all that can be said H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931
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406. உளரென்னும் மாத்திரையர் அல்லால் பயவாக்
களரனையர் கல்லா தவர்.
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407.The beauty and the grace of a fool, who knows not the charms of leaning, born of deep devotion to study, are like those of a painted doll of clay– ANM+2
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407.Where the human intellect is not developed by incisive learning
Such a man would be only a colourfully painted clay doll– SMD, Year 2000
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407
Who lack the power of subtle, large, and penetrating sense,
Like puppet, decked with ornaments of clay, their beauty’s vain pretence.
The beauty and goodness of one who is destitute of knowledge by the study of great and exquisite works, is like (the beauty and goodness) of a painted earthen doll. – GUP
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407.Like painted clay-doll is his show
Grand subtle lore who fails to know. – SB
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407.The pomp of a person without deep and subtle knowledge is like the fine painting on a clay wall – EVS
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407. நுண்மாண் நுழைபுலம் இல்லான் எழில்நலம்
மண்மாண் புனைபாவை யற்று
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408.The wealth in the hands of the ignorant brings more ills in its trail than the poverty of the wise– ANM+2
***
408.Poverty in men of learning is surely better,
But far worse are riches with the ignorant– SMD, Year 2000
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408
To men unlearned, from fortune’s favour greater-evil springs
Than poverty to men of goodly wisdom brings.
Wealth, gained by the unlearned, will give more sorrow than the poverty which may come upon the learned. – GUP
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408.Wealth in the hand of fools is worse
Than a learned man’s empty purse. – SB
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408.Wealth, gained by the unlearned, will give more sorrow than the poverty which may come upon the learned – EVS
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408. நல்லார்கண் பட்ட வறுமையின் இன்னாதே
கல்லார்கண் பட்ட திரு
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409.Men of learning, though born of a low descent, command more reverence than a high- born fool– ANM+2
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409.Men with learning, even of lower birth, are of greater worth
Than ignorant men though high born– SMD, Year 2000
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409
Lower are men unlearned, though noble be their race,
Than low-born men adorned with learning’s grace.
The unlearned, though born in a high caste, are not equal in dignity to the learned; though they may have been born in a low caste. – GUP
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409.Lower are fools of higher birth
Than low-born men of learning’s worth. – SB
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409.Though highborn, an unlettered man is deemed lower than a learned man of lower birth – EVS
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409. மேற்பிறந்தா ராயினும் கல்லாதார் கீழ்ப்பிறந்தும்
கற்றார் அனைத்திலர் பாடு.
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410.Beasts are lower than men in the scale of creation; even so are the fools before those who have delved deep in the mines of knowledge– ANM+2
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410.There is as much difference between the learned and the ignorant,
As between human beings and beasts– SMD, Year 2000
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410
Learning’s irradiating grace who gain,
Others excel, as men the bestial train.
As beasts by the side of men, so are other men by the side of those who are learned in celebrated works. – GUP
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410.Like beasts before men, dunces are
Before scholars of shining lore. – SB
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410.In relation to them that have studied noble books, others are like beasts in relation to men– EVS
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410. விலங்கொடு மக்கள் அனையர் இலங்குநூல்
கற்றாரோடு ஏனை யவர்.
–Subham—
Tags- Lady without Breasts! Chess! Casteism! Tirukkural Encyclopaedia Chapter 41 கல்லாமை – Non-learning- Ignorance, Part 59
