WRITTEN by London Swaminathan

swami_48@yahoo.com

Date: 27 November 2018

GMT Time uploaded in London –14-55

Post No. 5707

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I have already posted three books of  Tamil poetess Avvaiyar with Englsih translation.This is Nal Vazi- ‘Good Path’ composed by Avvaiyar in 40 verses. Part 1 contains 20 verses.

Nalvazi ( The Good Path)

Prayer to Lord Ganesh

Milk, pure honey, molasses, pulses— these four blended, I will offer you, O Pure Gem, beautifying the exalted elephant faced, give me the Triple Tamil of the ancient Academy or Tamil Sanga.

4. நல்வழி

Tamil verses taken from Project Madurai website; thanks. English matter IS taken from two authors and edited by me.
கடவுள் வாழ்த்து

பாலும் தெளிதேனும் பாகும் பருப்புமிவை
நாலும் கலந்துனக்கு நான் தருவேன் – கோலம்செய்
துங்கக் கரிமுகத்து தூமணியே நீ எனக்கு
சங்கத் தமிழ் மூன்றும் தா

XXX

SHUN EVIL,DO GOOD

1.Virtue will accrue,sin will disappear, the past deeds are hoards to the earth born. On reflection naught; but this do men of all religions preach- Shun evil, Do good.

XXX

GIVERS AND NON GIVERS

2.No castes exist but two, if we are to speak of it. According to the unfailing moral system, the givers are the great in the world and the non givers are base born, the bare truth as set forth in the codes.

சாதி இரண்டொழிய வேறில்லை சாற்றுங்கால்
நீதி வழுவா நெறிமுறையின் – மேதினியில்
இட்டார் பெரியார் இடாதார் இழிகுலத்தார்
பட்டாங்கில் உள்ள படி.

XXX

DO CHARITY, LIBERATION IS ASSURED

3.This natural body is a bag of miseries. Don’t take this false body as true. Quickly do charity. If you do charity you, you will have moksha or liberation as those freed from mortal ills ordained by fate.
இடும்பைக்(கு) இடும்பை இயலுடம்(பு) இதன்றே
இடும்பொய்யை மெய்யென்(று) இராதே – இடுங்கடுக
உண்டாயின் உண்டாகும் ஊழில் பெருவலிநோய்
விண்டாரைக் கொண்டாடும் வீடு.

XXX

GOOD KARMA

4.It is hard for anyone to do good action as conceived by him unless his past merits favour it. It will be futile like the blind man throwing his walking stick, at the mango down unless the favourable time arrives for it.

XXX

WHAT IS YOURS WILL COME TO YOU

5 . The unattainable can never be attained, however hard we strive for the same. The attainable will never miss us, however kicked out they be. To sit in sorrow, ponder long by themselves, make the mind sore and die at best- is human lot.

வருந்தி அழைத்தாலும் வாராத வாரா
பொருந்துவன போமி(ன்) என்றால் போகா – இருந்தேங்கி
நெஞ்சம் புண்ணாக நெடுந்தூரம் தாம்நினைந்து
துஞ்சுவதே மாந்தர் தொழில்.

XXX

XXX

BE LIKE WATER ON LOTUS LEAF

7.Viewed in all possible ways, this body is a vile hut, replete with vile worms and foul diseases, and the sages who know it, don’t speak about it to others, but keep themselves in the world together and apart like the beautiful lotus leaf and the water about it: they live in the world and out of it at once.

எல்லாப்படியாலும் எண்ணினால் இவ்வுடம்பு
பொல்லாப் புழுமலிநோய் புன்குரம்பை -நல்லார்
அறிந்திருப்பார் ஆதலினால் ஆம்கமல நீர்போல்
பிறிந்திருப்பார் பேசார் பிறர்க்கு.

XXX

WEALTH FLIES AWAY

8.Though countless are ways in which efforts are made to gather riches, they will not succeed unless ordained by fate. O men of great world, hearken, what is fit to acquire is honour. Wealth is unstable (takes to itself and flies away).
ஈட்டும் பொருள்முயற்சி எண்ணிறந்த ஆயினும்ஊழ்
கூட்டும் படியன்றிக் கூடாவாம் – தேட்டம்
மரியாதை காணும் மகிதலத்தீர் கேண்மின்
தரியாது காணும் தனம்.

XXX

GREAT PEOPLE ARE LIKE WATER SPRINGS

9.Even when the flood in the river has dried away and when the solar heat scorches the feet, the world is fed with spring water. To the mendicant poor, men of good birth will not withhold their gifts nor will they willingly say no despite their own vicissitudes.

XXXX

GIVE  AND EAT

10.However we weep and wail year after year and roll on the earth, will the dead come back, O men of the great world? Let us not do so. That is our WAY too. Till we depart ask what have we here? So give, eat and rest in peace.

XXX

APPETITE IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL

11.O my body! Oppressed with appetites! If I say omit one day’s eating you will not. If I say take food for two days, you will not. You know not my trouble even for one day. To live with you is difficult indeed.

XXXX

AGRICULTURE IS THE BEST WORK

12.The tree standing on the river bank and the wealth acquired through intimacy with the king equally liable to fall. Is it not so? To plough and eat is the most excellent way of living. There is no work so noble as this. All other occupations are considered mean.

XXX

FATE DECIDES EVERYTHING

13.Indeed in this world, those that are destined to live long, who can destroy? Or those that are destined to be destroyed, who can enable to escape? Or those that are destined to always live by begging who can divert from that course?
ஆவாரை யாரே அழிப்பர் அதுவன்றிச்
சாவாரை யாரே தவிர்ப்பவர்- ஓவாமல்
ஐயம் புகுவாரை யாரே விலக்குவார்
மெய்அம் புவியதன் மேல்.

XXX

HONOUR IS MORE IMPORTANT

14.Living frugally is better than begging. If the matter be well considered, it is disgraceful to procure one meal by flattery. To lose one’s life is far better than to lose his honour for the sake of a livelihood.
பிச்சைக்கு மூத்த குடிவாழ்க்கை பேசுங்கால்
இச்சைபல சொல்லி இடித்துண்கை – சிச்சீ
வயிறு வளர்க்கைக்கு மானம் அழியாது
உயிர்விடுகை சால உறும்.

XXXX

LORD SIVA IS SUPREME

15.Those who meditate on Siva will have no suffering of any kind at any time. This is the way of over coming the decree of destiny. This is the true wisdom. None but these will ever subdue fate.

சிவாய நம என்று சிந்தித் திருப்போர்க்கு
அபாயம் ஒருநாளும் இல்லை – உபாயம்
இதுவே(;) மதியாகும் அல்லாத எல்லாம்
விதியே மதியாய் விடும்.

XXX

WOMEN AND CHASTITY

16.Know you that in the sea girt earth the quality of water is distinguished by the goodness of the soil. The quality of the good by liberality, quality of the eye by unvarying favour and the disposition of women, by a man not repugnant to chastity.

XXXX

DON’T BLAME GOD

17.Those who are instructed by the wise not to do evil in this world, do not behave accordingngly or give alms. Hence they suffer want ; Why should they then attribute it to god, and not to their vicious actions? Will they obtain great wealth? Will an empty pot boil over?

XXXX

MISERS CAUSE VIOLENCE

18.In this vast earth a niggard will not give anything to his parents, children, country men, relatives and friends, even though they prostrate themselves at his feet. But he will give to strangers who inflict pain on him.

XXX

19.For procuring a measure of rice in order to appease our hunger, we take uncommon pains to offer our services, or to beg from door to order, or to take long voyage s on the ocean of clear water, or to pay homage or to rule over kingdoms, or to make verses in honour of noble people.
சேவித்தும் சென்றிரந்தும் தெண்ணீர்க் கடல்கடந்தும்
பாவித்தும் பாராண்டும் பாட்டிசைத்தும் – போவிப்பம்
பாழின் உடம்பை வயிற்றின் கொடுமையால்
நாழி அரிசிக்கே நாம்.

XXX

PROSTITUTION

20.To satisfy pleasure ( not by means of a lawful wife) but by a prostitute, is like attempting to cross a river ( not by means of a boat) but by a grind stone: this way of living will destroy wealth and become the seed of poverty. It is not good for either this life or for the life to come.