Poison

15 views
Skip to first unread message

Raji Iyer

unread,
Mar 11, 2023, 1:01:02 AM3/11/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com
Translation of a verse from nIthi veNbA:

ஈக்கு விடம்தலையில் எய்துமிருந் தேளுக்கு
வாய்த்த விடம் கொடுக்கில் வாழுமே-நோக்கரிய
பைங்கணர வுக்குவிடம் பல்லளவே துர்ச்சனருக்
கங்கமுழு தும்விடமே யாம்.

The fly has poison in his head,
The scorpion in his sting, instead;
In case of the serpent we observe
Its fangs, the poison do preserve;
While in the wicked and evil mind,
Poison all over their being we find
Thus worse indeed are the evil and sly,
More than the scorpion, serpent and fly
For unless the latter you hurt or alarm
They will not cause you any harm.
-Raji( ராஜி)

Anand Ramanujam

unread,
Mar 11, 2023, 10:37:09 AM3/11/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com
Very nice!

I like the way you have added the point that, unlike the scorpion and the fly and the serpent, the wicked mind will cause us harm even when it is not hurt or alarmed.

- Anand

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasanth...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/santhavasantham/CAD6KuXfXJPux9wU1ZgGqe1fz1e71zy8DnEjd0ZRBaGAM2OzU2g%40mail.gmail.com.

Raji Iyer

unread,
Mar 11, 2023, 11:22:55 AM3/11/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com
😊yes, took liberty in embellishing it.. sometimes the poem writes itself. 


On Saturday, March 11, 2023, Anand Ramanujam <anandbl...@gmail.com> wrote:
Very nice!

I like the way you have added the point that, unlike the scorpion and the fly and the serpent, the wicked mind will cause us harm even when it is not hurt or alarmed.

- Anand
On Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 1:01 AM Raji Iyer <kava...@gmail.com> wrote:
Translation of a verse from nIthi veNbA:

ஈக்கு விடம்தலையில் எய்துமிருந் தேளுக்கு
வாய்த்த விடம் கொடுக்கில் வாழுமே-நோக்கரிய
பைங்கணர வுக்குவிடம் பல்லளவே துர்ச்சனருக்
கங்கமுழு தும்விடமே யாம்.

The fly has poison in his head,
The scorpion in his sting, instead;
In case of the serpent we observe
Its fangs, the poison do preserve;
While in the wicked and evil mind,
Poison all over their being we find
Thus worse indeed are the evil and sly,
More than the scorpion, serpent and fly
For unless the latter you hurt or alarm
They will not cause you any harm.
-Raji( ராஜி)

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasantham+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasantham+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/santhavasantham/CABNk_rp3sJ3Ha2rkU9M0eTEi_N6z2b9iqnqiVAptU613GcZD2g%40mail.gmail.com.

Swaminathan Sankaran

unread,
Mar 11, 2023, 4:40:20 PM3/11/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com
Very nice. Good that you did take the liberty to explain further.

Sankaran

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasanth...@googlegroups.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasanth...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/santhavasantham/CABNk_rp3sJ3Ha2rkU9M0eTEi_N6z2b9iqnqiVAptU613GcZD2g%40mail.gmail.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasanth...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/santhavasantham/CAD6KuXfLc589UgGf0FZfwDyiEo1xM5pG3pM%3D3xDbYfWDOVULoA%40mail.gmail.com.


--
 Swaminathan Sankaran

VETTAI ANANTHANARAYANAN

unread,
Mar 12, 2023, 2:40:49 PM3/12/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com

Nice Raji I still remember all the avvaiyar and others நீதிநூல் poems learnt in school There is one about speaking nice to others 

Ananth
 

N. Ganesan

unread,
Mar 12, 2023, 8:54:53 PM3/12/23
to சந்தவசந்தம்

நீதிவெண்பா:

தஞ்சை சரசுவதி மகால் வெளியீடு, ஆய்வுப் பதிப்பு
https://archive.org/details/dli.jZY9lup2kZl6TuXGlZQdjZM7jZly.TVA_BOK_0008430/mode/2up

N. Ganesan

unread,
Mar 12, 2023, 10:40:31 PM3/12/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com

--

Raji Iyer

unread,
Mar 13, 2023, 4:45:03 AM3/13/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com
Ah.. could be.. not heard of this one( thanks for the link!)  but there are other types of fly poisons.. the ones that have alkaloids, release neurotoxins ( native to parks in Virginia I think) don’t remember the exact botanical name..then there are others. Poison can also refer to disease I guess that can cause bacterial infection, dysentery etc.. then there is the well known tsetse fly causing sleeping sickness ; even fruit flies known to cause food poisoning and allergic reactions..many others - any such insect that likely releases toxins I suppose. 


On Sunday, March 12, 2023, N. Ganesan <naa.g...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 12:01 AM Raji Iyer <kava...@gmail.com> wrote:
Translation of a verse from nIthi veNbA:

ஈக்கு விடம்தலையில் எய்துமிருந் தேளுக்கு
வாய்த்த விடம் கொடுக்கில் வாழுமே-நோக்கரிய
பைங்கணர வுக்குவிடம் பல்லளவே துர்ச்சனருக்
கங்கமுழு தும்விடமே யாம்.

The fly has poison in his head,
The scorpion in his sting, instead;
In case of the serpent we observe
Its fangs, the poison do preserve;
While in the wicked and evil mind,
Poison all over their being we find
Thus worse indeed are the evil and sly,
More than the scorpion, serpent and fly
For unless the latter you hurt or alarm
They will not cause you any harm.
-Raji( ராஜி)

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasantham+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/santhavasantham/CAD6KuXfXJPux9wU1ZgGqe1fz1e71zy8DnEjd0ZRBaGAM2OzU2g%40mail.gmail.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasantham+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/santhavasantham/CAA%2BQEUdhuhX9am9vyDA5MYx%3Dc0CQgi%2BRsRUWUotP-wzn8Fa3AQ%40mail.gmail.com.

N. Ganesan

unread,
Mar 13, 2023, 8:13:24 AM3/13/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com
On Mon, Mar 13, 2023 at 3:45 AM Raji Iyer <kava...@gmail.com> wrote:
Ah.. could be.. not heard of this one( thanks for the link!)  but there are other types of fly poisons.. the ones that have alkaloids, release neurotoxins ( native to parks in Virginia I think) don’t remember the exact botanical name..then there are others. Poison can also refer to disease I guess that can cause bacterial infection, dysentery etc.. then there is the well known tsetse fly causing sleeping sickness ; even fruit flies known to cause food poisoning and allergic reactions..many others - any such insect that likely releases toxins I suppose. 

These are in foreign lands. But in India, these are abundant:
Common housefly does not have poison. Hence, my note.

NG
 

On Sunday, March 12, 2023, N. Ganesan <naa.g...@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 12:01 AM Raji Iyer <kava...@gmail.com> wrote:
Translation of a verse from nIthi veNbA:

ஈக்கு விடம்தலையில் எய்துமிருந் தேளுக்கு
வாய்த்த விடம் கொடுக்கில் வாழுமே-நோக்கரிய
பைங்கணர வுக்குவிடம் பல்லளவே துர்ச்சனருக்
கங்கமுழு தும்விடமே யாம்.

The fly has poison in his head,
The scorpion in his sting, instead;
In case of the serpent we observe
Its fangs, the poison do preserve;
While in the wicked and evil mind,
Poison all over their being we find
Thus worse indeed are the evil and sly,
More than the scorpion, serpent and fly
For unless the latter you hurt or alarm
They will not cause you any harm.
-Raji( ராஜி)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasanth...@googlegroups.com.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasanth...@googlegroups.com.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "சந்தவசந்தம்" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to santhavasanth...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/santhavasantham/CAD6KuXeuNVkG_UV8PVM%3DPvaLFAG1t2eqxW71ZOfWf%2BrsidBg5Q%40mail.gmail.com.

N. Ganesan

unread,
Mar 13, 2023, 8:27:55 AM3/13/23
to santhav...@googlegroups.com
This veNpA comes from Chanakyaniiti:

Attributed to Chanakya (Chanakya neeti)
"There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it."
(from Dr. NVK Ashraf, Director, Wildlife Trust of India, N. Delhi).

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages