108.3 Unscrupulousness
(108.3 கயமை)
Question:
What are some of the
characteristics of the unscrupulous?
Answer:
The unscrupulous are luckier than
others because they
have no scruples. (Couplet
– 1072)
When the unscrupulous find others
meaner than them, they feel
that they are better than them and
feel proud of themselves. (Couplet
– 1074)
Fear is the code of conduct for the
base, but desire may also
motivate them to follow good behavior
to a small extent. Couplet –
1075)
Like a tom-tom (drum), the base will
broadcast whatever
secrets they hear from others. (Couplet
– 1076)
The base will not jerk their hands
moistened with food, except
to those who can break their jaws with
a clenched fist.
(Couplet – 1077)
Perfect men will help immediately upon
request, but the mean
will help only when they are crushed
like sugarcane. (Couplet 1078)
Upon seeing others having good food
and fine clothing, the base
would be capable of finding their
faults. (Couplet
– 1079)
What is the use of unscrupulous men?
If a misfortune befalls them,
they will rush to sell themselves. (Couplet
– 1080)
நன்றறி வாரிற் கயவர் திருவுடையர்
நெஞ்சத்து அவலம் இலர். (குறள் – 1072)
அகப்பட்டி ஆவாரைக் காணின் அவரின்
மிகப்பட்டுச் செம்மாக்கும் கீழ். (குறள் – 1074)
அச்சமே கீழ்களது ஆசாரம் எச்சம்
அவாவுண்டேல் உண்டாம் சிறிது. (குறள் – 1075)
அறைபறை அன்னர் கயவர்தாம் கேட்ட
மறைபிறர்க்கு உய்த்துரைக்க லான். (குறள் – 1076)
ஈர்ங்கை விதிரார் கயவர் கொடிறுடைக்கும்
கூன்கையர் அல்லா தவர்க்கு. (குறள் – 1077)
சொல்லப் பயன்படுவர் சான்றோர்
கரும்புபோல்
கொல்லப் பயன்படும் கீழ். (குறள் – 1078)
உடுப்பதூஉம் உண்பதூஉம் காணின் பிறர்மேல்
வடுக்காண வற்றாகும் கீழ். (குறள் – 1079)
எற்றிற் குரியர் கயவரொன்று உற்றக்கால்
விற்றற்கு உரியர் விரைந்து. (குறள் – 1080)
Explanation:
When a normal person commits a mistake, his conscience will
prick him, and he will feel bad. Since the unscrupulous willfully do evil
deeds, their conscience will not hurt them, and that is why Valluvar says somewhat
sarcastically in Couplet 1072 that they are luckier than others. In Couplet 1074,
Valluvar mentions that when a mean person comes across another one who is
meaner than him, he will be proud of himself. The only code of conduct the base
follows is fear. They will avoid doing evil deeds only out of fear of
punishment. Sometimes, they may be motivated by their desire to a small extent
to behave correctly. The unscrupulous will not keep the secrets they hear. They
will tell them to everyone and will not hesitate to embarrass the ones who
confided in them.
Another
mean quality of the base is that they will never help anybody, even to the
slightest extent. In Tamil, there is an expression to refer to an utter miser
who will not share anything with anyone. That expression is: He won’t even
shake his hand that is wet with food to chase a crow. That means he will not
shake his hands because the crow may eat the food particles scattered from his
hand. In Couplet 1077, Valluvar uses this idiomatic expression to refer to an
unscrupulous person who is, by nature, a miser. He also remarks that such a
person will help only the one who breaks his jaw with his clenched fist. In
other words, an unscrupulous person will only help if he is physically
attacked.
In
Couplet 1078, Valluvar says that a mean person will only help if subjected to
violence. Here he mentions that a perfect man will help upon request but getting
help from a mean person is like getting sugar from sugarcane by crushing it.
Also, a mean person is so jealous by nature that when he sees his neighbors eat
good food and wear fine clothes, he is ready to find their faults. Finally, in
Couplet 1080, Valluvar asks, “Of what use are the unscrupulous men to the
world?” Of course, they are useless to the world. Valluvar adds that if
misfortunes strike them, they will readily sell themselves. In summary, we see from
the couplets mentioned above that Valluvar describes an unscrupulous person as
an arrogant, self-serving miser who is totally worthless.
