AIM HIGH
Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 16,395
Date uploaded in London – 12 November 2026
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Points to ponder
Valluvar agrees with Lord Krishna in Kural 596. Bhagavad Gita 6-4
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 5 teaches that you must elevate yourself through your own effort and that your mind can be either your greatest friend or your worst enemy.
• Sanskrit: उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् | आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: || 5||
• Transliteration:uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
“One must elevate oneself by one’s own self; one must not degrade oneself. The self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.”
• Self-Reliance in Growth: Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that no outside person, force, or circumstance can do your inner or spiritual work for you; progress depends on your own disciplined effort.
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All the couplets in this chapter fall under Self Improvement Category. One can succeed in life with the power of positive thinking.
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Tirukkural Encyclopaedia -Chapter 60 – Zeal, Energy
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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 (not used in this chapter)
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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Part 78; Chapter 60 in Tirukkural Book- Tirukkural Encyclopaedia -Chapter 60- Unflagging Energy- ஊக்கமுடைமை
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591.Unflagging industry marks out the prosperous. But poor indeed are the idle rich- A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933
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591
‘Tis energy gives men o’er that they own a true control;
They nothing own who own not energy of soul.
Energy makes out the man of property; as for those who are destitute of it, do they (really) possess what they possess ?- Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886
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591.To own is to own energy
All others own but lethargy- Suddhananda Bharathiyar – SB
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591.He said to have possessions who has devotion to work; can he be said to possess anything who is without it?- EVS Publishers, Singapore – EVS, Year 1986
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591.It is energy alone makes wealth worth while;
Who lack it own not even what they have- H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931
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591. உடைய ரெனப்படுவது ஊக்கம் அஃதில்லார்
உடையது உடையரோ மற்று.
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592.The wealth that flows from the restless energy of the soul is the only possession that lasts for ever. All other possessions fade and crumble away- – ANM+2
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592
The wealth of mind man owns a real worth imparts,
Material wealth man owns endures not, utterly departs.
The possession of (energy of) mind is true property; the possession of wealth passes away and abides not. – GUP
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592.Psychic heart is wealth indeed
Worldly wealth departs in speed. – SB
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592.To develop a psychic heart and will is real wealth. Material wealth will disappear quickly one day– EVS
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592. உள்ளம் உடைமை உடைமை பொருளுடைமை
நில்லாது நீங்கி விடும்.
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593.Despair seizes not the heart of the man of unconquerable will even when poverty stares him in the face– ANM+2
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593
‘Lost is our wealth,’ they utter not this cry distressed,
The men of firm concentred energy of soul possessed.
They who are possessed of enduring energy will not trouble themselves, saying, “we have lost our property.” – GUP
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593.The strong in will do not complain
The loss of worldly wealth and gain. – SB
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593.Those who are possessed of enduring energy will not become disconsolate on losing property– EVS
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593. ஆக்கம் இழந்தேமென்று அல்லாவார் ஊக்கம்
ஒருவந்தம் கைத்துடை யார்.
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594.Of her own accord does fortune open her door to the man of sleepless endeavour– ANM+2
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594
The man of en ergy of soul inflexible,
Good fortune seeks him out and comes a friend to dwell.
Wealth will find its own way to the man of unfailing energy. – GUP
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594.Fortune enquires, enters with boom
Where tireless strivers have their home. – SB
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594.Wealth will find its own way to the person of unfailing energy– EVS
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594. ஆக்கம் அதர்வினாய்ச் செல்லும் அசைவிலா
ஊக்க முடையா னுழை.
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595.The stem of the lotus plant is of the depths of the waters. The dignity of the man is of the stature of his soul– ANM+2
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595
With rising flood the rising lotus flower its stem unwinds;
The dignity of men is measured by their minds.
The stalks of water-flowers are proportionate to the depth of water; so is men’s greatness proportionate to their minds. – GUP
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595.Water depth is lotus height
Mental strength is men’s merit. – SB
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595.The lotus stem is high according to water depth. A man’s merit is the measure of his mental strength– EVS
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595.The lotus stalk is just as long as water’s depth;
So, too, men’s height on inner power depends– HAP
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595. வெள்ளத் தனைய மலர்நீட்டம் மாந்தர்தம்
உள்ளத் தனையது உயர்வு.
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596.Behold the man before whose mind float high ideals and lofty visions. There is a touch of grandeur even in the midst of the ruins of his shattered dreams– ANM+2
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596
Whate’er you ponder, let your aim be loftly still,
Fate cannot hinder always, thwart you as it will.
In all that a king thinks of, let him think of his greatness; and if it should be thrust from him (by fate), it will have the nature of not being thrust from him. – GUP
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596.Let thoughts be always great and grand
Though they fail their virtues stand. – SB
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596.All thought should be the thought of rising high though it fails; it is of the nature of success-EVS
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596. உள்ளுவ தெல்லாம் உயர்வுள்ளல் மற்றது
தள்ளினும் தள்ளாமை நீர்த்து.
AIM HIGH
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597.The mighty elephant quails not and its lofty mien retains amidst a shower of deadly arrows. Men of undaunted courage never let their spirits droop even in dire affliction– ANM+2
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597
The men of lofty mind quail not in ruin’s fateful hour,
The elephant retains his dignity mind arrows’ deadly shower.
The strong minded will not faint, even when all is lost; the elephant stands firm, even when wounded by a shower of arrows. – GUP
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597.Elephants are firm when arrows hit
Great minds keep fit ev’n in defeat. – SB
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597. சிதைவிடத்து ஒல்கார் உரவோர் புதையம்பிற்
பட்டுப்பா டூன்றும் களிறு.
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598.The pride and the glory of the generous heart are not for the sovereign sunk in indolent ease– ANM+2
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598
The soulless man can never gain
Th’ ennobling sense of power with men.
Those who have no (greatness of) mind, will not acquire the joy of saying in the world, “we have excercised liaberality”.– GUP
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598.Heartless persons cannot boast
“We are liberal to our best”. – SB
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598.They that are poor in spirit never win the glory of saying ‘I am generous among men’– EVS
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598. உள்ளம் இலாதவர் எய்தார் உலகத்து
வள்ளியம் என்னும் செருக்கு.
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599.The huge elephant, with his pointed tusks, skulks before the fierce attack of the tiger– ANM+2
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599
Huge bulk of elephant with pointed tusk all armed,
When tiger threatens shrinks away alarmed!
Although the elephant has a large body, and a sharp tusk, yet it fears the attack of the tiger. – GUP
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599.Huge elephant sharp in tusk quails
When tiger, less in form, assails. – SB
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599.The elephant is huge and has big tusks; but assailed by the tiger, he flinches in fear– EVS
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599. பரியது கூர்ங்கோட்டது ஆயினும் யானை
வெரூஉம் புலிதாக் குறின்.
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600.Inexhaustible fund of energy is man’s strength. Lacking it, he is one with the stocks and stones – ANM+2
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600
Firmness of soul in man is real excellance;
Others are trees, their human form a mere pretence.
Energy is mental wealth; those men who are destitute of it are only trees in the form of men. – GUP
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600.Mental courage is true manhood
Lacking that man is like a wood – SB
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600.Strong-willed mental courage is manliness . without it man is but wood in human form – EVS
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600.Firmness of soul is inward wealth
Who lack it are not men, but trees– HAP
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600. உரமொருவற்கு உள்ள வெறுக்கை அஃதில்லார்
மரம்மக்க ளாதலே வேறு.
—–subham—–
Tags- Part 78; Chapter 60 in Tirukkural Book- Tirukkural Encyclopaedia -Chapter 60- Unflagging Energy- Self improvement, Aim High, ஊக்கமுடைமை,
