108.3 Unscrupulousness

 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.