As the red gold is found in the mountains, and the white pearl in the broad ocean; As the sweetness of honey pertaineth to the buds of flowers arrayed in beauty; as in chastity lieth The beauty of women, and to virtue belongeth the endless felicity of heaven; Know that the beauty peculiar to the eye is active mercy. NOTE. This is cited as an example in the Ton'nùl and is, I believe, the composition of the author, Víra-màmuni. A STANZA. நனமழைபெயதலுநற்பெண்ண்வீணைத்தலு 15 GST BOLA W BUT @ MAT STOLD CU SCUT GET TA C GT Not the fall of seasonable rain; not the embrace of beautiful women; Not listening to eloquent discourse; not the sight of finely finished pictures; Not the ornament of precious stones, nor the tasting of delicious viands; Think not that these constitute the good of man, but know that real good consisteth in benevolence. A STANZA. அருளுடைநீரளளுநீரனறெல்லோரக்குமதுநிகராம The quality of mercy is not strained, but is alike to all; NOTE. In this stanza an imitation of a well known passage in Shakespeare is attempted; the conclusion is somewhat compressed and the whole accommodated to the general style of Tamil poetry. L The following effusions on divine love, seem to deserve a place here as this · affection is the acme of that benevolence on which this Chapter treats.-There are two works in Tamil, consisting, chiefly, of selections, intermixed with original verses, from the Vedanta and Saiva Sástrams, arranged under the same general heads as the Cural and entitled Great compilations: they were composed by two Súdra Sanyási, named Tatwa-Ráya Swami and `Sivapracás a Swami. The work of latter was abbreviated by one of the disciples of the author and it is from this, called lesser compilation, that the last of these extracts is taken. The அன்பினிலையேயது If love exist in this world the highest bliss will be attained hereafter, for this is closely united to love. TIRUMULA-MANDIRAM. அன்புஞ்சிவமுமிரண்டெனபாரறிவிலார அன்பேசிவமாவதியாருமறிந்த அன்பேசிவமாய்மரந்திருந்தாரே என்பேவிற்காவிறைச்சியறுத்திடடுப் அன்போடுருகியகங்குழைவாரக்கனறி The ignorant think that God and love are different; none know that God and love are the same; did all men know that God and love were the same, they would dwell together in peace, considering love as God. To those of soft hearts, whose minds are melted by divine love, although their flesh be cut off their bones used as fuel and their moisture dried up by wasting in the golden flame, and to those alone it is not forbidden to approach the God, who is the golden jewel of my soul, அனபினபெருமை மறையினீறுவாசாமகோசரமெனமாலயனமயொலயத முழுதுந்தனவனயே தழுவிடநழுவிடுமூல்மாயிறைவாது அன்பாதஞ்சிறப்பு அவமறமறைகளெல்லாமருவமென்றுரைக்கு நீயே அன்பாதந்திறமிகுதி சடையிவணப்பரித்துநதவலையிவணப்பறித்துஞ்சீவர்ந்தாது கறக்கிங்கம் உடையெனப்புனைந்து முடைதவனத்தவிரந்து மூணுறக்கங்களைத்துறந்தும் படி தனிறசருகுமவாயுவுமயினறும் பாரிடைக்கல்விடைத்துயின்று யிடையதுற்றுழலும் வையருடசொரூபன்மெய்யருள்பெறாதவரக்கியல்பே செய்வன்மறையாரமறைவன் செய்யார்செகமெலாமசையி னுமசையார மெய்யல் துரையாரமேவிரைபவங்கள் வெந்து வீழ்ந்திடவலால்விழியார கைதவம்றியாரகாதலரபகைஞரக்கருளவாறகருதிடவறியார ஐயன்ற சொருபண்டியிவிணைக்குரியவழகுறுமனபரென்பவரே ON DIVINE LOVE, O God! I intreat that the high aspiration of my soul may be accomplished; on this only I think, this is the only thing I require. That on which I thus think, is that love of thy sacred feet may melt and soften my heart, and I desire, fervently desire, that it may never diminish, but for ever increase. O Almighty! It is thee I ever desire; O Instructor! It is thee I ever desire; O Eternal! It is thee I ever desire; O Immaculate! It is thee I ever desire; O Most holy! It is thee I ever desire ; O Enlightener! It is thee I ever desire; By all means and at all times I desire To be filled with the boundless love of the feet of our God! THE EXALTED NATURE OF DIVINE LOVE. The final object of the Scriptures, which cannot be expressed by words and which Vishnu and Brahmà are puzzled to comprehend; the eternal Being whom none can fully know, removeth darkness from the understanding of those who are steadfast in their love towards him, and dwelleth in their enlightened minds: who, therefore, can comprehend the greatness of divine love? When God, the cause of all, who even when wholly embraced eludeth the grasp, cometh and is taken in the net of the good deeds of sinless piety, where is the utility of letters, of science, of the brightest acts of devotion, or of contemplative wisdom? Unspeakable is the greatness of divine love which nothing can destroy. THE GLORY THE LOVERS (OF GOD). Thou, whom all the Scriptures, by which sin is dispelled, declare to be without form, taking on thee a form und entering into this world, searchest for those who rejoice in love, and, having tried their hearts, conferrest happiness upon them: where, O where, are they who know the greatness of those who feel divine love in its purity? THE EMINENT NATURE OF THE LOVERS (OF GOD). To wear tangled hair, to poll, or shave the head, to be clothed in garments dyed yellow or colored by ochre, to abstain from flesh-meats, to observe fasts and vigils, to swallow only the wind or dry leaves from the earth, to sleep on the bare ground or on stones; these painful inflictions appertain to those who have not attained to the true love of him, who is the manifestation of love. They who conceal nothing they do, who do nothing that ought to be concealed, who when the universe is shaken are unmoved, who speak nothing but truth, who open not their eyes to the faults of others but to consume them to ashes, who are ignorant of deceit, who have no thoughts, either of friend or foe, but such as proceed from benevolence, may truly be said to be adorned by the love they bear to his feet, who is the manifestation of goodness. NOTE. The different religionists of India are described in the last verse but one: tangled hair and garments colored by ochre are worn by the devotees of Siva, the saints of the Jainas polled their hair, which in their images, therefore, appears as if curled like the Negro's, and the priests of the Baudd,has are clothed in yellow vestments, while all abstain from meats, observe fasts and vigils, and practise other austerities. CHAP. IX. ருந்தோம்பல On Hospitality. This title, like most terms conveying an abstract idea in Tamil, is a compound, being formed from a guest and go to cherish. 1. ருந்தோம்பியில் வாழ்வதெல்லாம் QFCEILAL COUGHT IT GOUT COULD FULL ICUÍÁLÁ To honor guests with hospitable rite, To man was given. (=) "To honour guests &c"-Hospitality, the chief duty of the domestic order, includes both the reception of the stranger guest, ATIT,HYAM, which, as already stated, is a religious rite, and the entertainment of ordinary guests, friends, relations, or neighbours. The simplicity of ancient manners, while it made private hospitality necessary for the support of the pilgrim or traveller, rendered the entertainment of them neither inconvenient or dangerous. It was formerly the custom, therefore, in India, as in other parts of Asia, to solicit the casual passenger to partake of the family meal, and in places, remote from great towns, where the manners of primitive times in some degree yet prevail, instances of this practice occasionally occur at the present day. Generally, however, the private entertainment of strangers, becoming by de-grees incompatible with modern manners, and with the mixture of the several classes of society which has latterly taken place, has been superseded by the public establishments provided for their support, which, under the denomination of Shávadi (from ☛☛ food and foundation) in Tamil and of Sattram (from the root sad sit, rest) in Sanscrit, abound in southern India. Originally these edifices, as is the case in many instances at present, it is pro |