<!--QuoteBegin-SwamyG+May 16 2007, 05:41 PM-->QUOTE(SwamyG @ May 16 2007, 05:41 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->in tamil "Dooshtanai kandal dura villagu" - translation: Keep away from a vile/evil person. I have heard it being pluralized too - "Doosht<b>arai</b> kandal dura villagu" - translation: Keep away from vile/evil <b>people</b>
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I am not sure about etymology, although at least two words - DuSTa and dUra are in sanskrit. villagu - might have something to do with 'vilag' dhatu (which means 'to separate', and from which probably the Hindi 'alag' came). I don't know what villagu means in Tamil though.
But there is one saying attributed to Sri Rahimdas, which means the same thing:
Rahiman ochhe naran se preeti karahu na vair
kaaTe chaaTe swaan ke doonahu kushal bagair
[O Rahim, dont engage with lowly <b>people</b>, neither in love nor in hate
Getting bitten by a dog, or getting licked, either are far from any good]
But at another place, in another context same Rahimdasji says:
kah Rahim uttam prakriti, kaa kari sakat kusang
chandan vish vyaapat nahi, lipaTe rahat bhujang
[Say Rahim, for those of highest nature, what can the bad company do?
(like) Sandal never become poisonous, although embrced by verminous snakes.]
In my mind, the latter only applies to those of the highest nature, not to common folks. For common folks, Rahim's advice is the earlier one. Keep away from bad company. Keep away from evil <b>people</b> he explicitly said.
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I am not sure about etymology, although at least two words - DuSTa and dUra are in sanskrit. villagu - might have something to do with 'vilag' dhatu (which means 'to separate', and from which probably the Hindi 'alag' came). I don't know what villagu means in Tamil though.
But there is one saying attributed to Sri Rahimdas, which means the same thing:
Rahiman ochhe naran se preeti karahu na vair
kaaTe chaaTe swaan ke doonahu kushal bagair
[O Rahim, dont engage with lowly <b>people</b>, neither in love nor in hate
Getting bitten by a dog, or getting licked, either are far from any good]
But at another place, in another context same Rahimdasji says:
kah Rahim uttam prakriti, kaa kari sakat kusang
chandan vish vyaapat nahi, lipaTe rahat bhujang
[Say Rahim, for those of highest nature, what can the bad company do?
(like) Sandal never become poisonous, although embrced by verminous snakes.]
In my mind, the latter only applies to those of the highest nature, not to common folks. For common folks, Rahim's advice is the earlier one. Keep away from bad company. Keep away from evil <b>people</b> he explicitly said.