Restraint and self-mastery

அடக்கம் · Adakkam

Valluvar does not treat appetite as an enemy. He treats mastery of the senses as the measure of a person, and the tongue is one of those senses.

6 couplets

121 Restraint lifts, its absence sinks

அடக்கம் அமரருள் உய்க்கும் அடங்காமை
ஆரிருள் உய்த்து விடும்.

Atakkam Amararul Uykkum Atangaamai · Aarirul Uyththu Vitum

Self-control will place (a man) among the Gods; the want of it will drive (him) into the thickest darkness (of hell)

Kural 121 · Chapter 13 அடக்கம் உடைமை (Atakkamutaimai — The Possession of Self-restraint) · அறத்துப்பால்

122 Guard restraint as treasure

காக்க பொருளா அடக்கத்தை ஆக்கம்
அதனினூஉங் கில்லை உயிர்க்கு.

Kaakka Porulaa Atakkaththai Aakkam · Adhaninooung Killai Uyirkku

Let self-control be guarded as a treasure; there is no greater source of good for man than that

Kural 122 · Chapter 13 அடக்கம் உடைமை (Atakkamutaimai — The Possession of Self-restraint) · அறத்துப்பால்

123 Restraint is itself knowledge

செறிவறிந்து சீர்மை பயக்கும் அறிவறிந்து
ஆற்றின் அடங்கப் பெறின்.

Serivarindhu Seermai Payakkum Arivarindhu · Aatrin Atangap Perin

Knowing that self-control is knowledge, if a man should control himself, in the prescribed course, such self-control will bring him distinction among the wise

Here Valluvar separates restraint from renunciation. Restraint is not a punishment but an understanding — knowing what is enough.

Kural 123 · Chapter 13 அடக்கம் உடைமை (Atakkamutaimai — The Possession of Self-restraint) · அறத்துப்பால்

126 Draw in the five, as a tortoise does

ஒருமையுள் ஆமைபோல் ஐந்தடக்கல் ஆற்றின்
எழுமையும் ஏமாப் புடைத்து.

Orumaiyul Aamaipol Aindhatakkal Aatrin · Ezhumaiyum Emaap Putaiththu

Should one throughout a single birth, like a tortoise keep in his five senses, the fruit of it will prove a safe-guard to him throughout the seven-fold births

Taste is one of the five. The tortoise does not cut its limbs off; it draws them in, and puts them out again when the time is right. That is the Kural's restraint.

Kural 126 · Chapter 13 அடக்கம் உடைமை (Atakkamutaimai — The Possession of Self-restraint) · அறத்துப்பால்

366 Fear desire

அஞ்சுவ தோரும் அறனே ஒருவனை
வஞ்சிப்ப தோரும் அவா.

Anjuva Thorum Arane Oruvanai · Vanjippa Thorum Avaa

It is the chief duty of (an ascetic) to watch against desire with (jealous) fear; for it has power to deceive (and destroy) him

Kural 366 · Chapter 37 அவா அறுத்தல் (Avaavaruththal — Curbing of Desire) · அறத்துப்பால்

367 Cut desire through

அவாவினை ஆற்ற அறுப்பின் தவாவினை
தான்வேண்டு மாற்றான் வரும்.

Avaavinai Aatra Aruppin Thavaavinai · Thaanventu Maatraan Varum

If a man thoroughly cut off all desire, the deeds, which confer immortality, will come to him, in the path in which he seeks them

Kural 367 · Chapter 37 அவா அறுத்தல் (Avaavaruththal — Curbing of Desire) · அறத்துப்பால்

← All themes

Chapter	Name	Kurals	Book
13	அடக்கம் உடைமை The Possession of Self-restraint	121, 122, 123, 126	அறத்துப்பால்
37	அவா அறுத்தல் Curbing of Desire	366, 367	அறத்துப்பால்

Source and credit
Tamil text and transliteration: tk120404/thirukkural (Apache-2.0). English: the Drew-Lazarus prose gloss of 1885, public domain. The Hindi renderings and the notes are Bhojanveda's own, not taken from any published translation. The source's modern Tamil commentaries are still in copyright and are not reproduced.

Corrected readings
90: நோக்கக் குழையும் -- the source reads குநழ்யும், against its own transliteration and commentary
943: அளவறிந்து -- the source reads அறவறிந்து, against its own commentary, which glosses அளவு (measure)
89 (English): exercises -- the source reads excercises
229 (English): completed to ‘...much more painful than begging’ -- the source stops at ‘much more’, and the Tamil reads இரத்தலின் இன்னாது (worse than begging)
926 (English): resemble the dead -- the source reads ‘the deed’, which reverses the line