Kural #1031
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Tamil text
சுழன்றும்ஏர்ப் பின்னது உலகம்
அதனால் உழந்தும் உழவே தலை
Cuḻaṉṟumērp piṉṉatu ulakam
Ataṉāl uḻantum uḻavē talai
English translation
The world turns following the plough; therefore, though toilsome, agriculture is the foremost occupation.
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Explanation
Agriculture is the foundation of civilization. Despite being laborious, farming deserves the highest respect because all human sustenance depends on it.
விளக்கம்
உழவுத் தொழிலே உலகை இயக்குகிறது. எவ்வளவு கஷ்டமான வேலையென்றாலும், உணவு அளிப்பதால் இதுவே முதன்மையானது. 'பொருள்' பாலில் வரும் உழவு அதிகாரத்தின் முக்கிய கருத்தும் இதுவே.
Word meanings
- சுழன்றும்cuḻaṉṟumturning/revolving
- ஏர்ērplough
- பின்னதுpiṉṉatufollowing
- உலகம்ulakamworld
- அதனால்ataṉāltherefore
- உழந்தும்uḻantumthough toilsome
- உழவுuḻavuagriculture
- தலைtalaichief/foremost
Story behind this kural
In a bustling village nestled beside a fertile valley, lived a wealthy merchant named Silas. He traded in silks and spices, his coffers overflowing. He scorned the farmers, calling their work slow and their lives dull. "Why toil in the sun," he'd scoff, "when riches await in the city?" One year, a terrible drought struck. The river dried, and the crops withered. Silas's silks lost their sheen, his spices gathered dust. The villagers, once reliant on the merchant's goods, had no coin to spend. Desperate, Silas went to the fields. He found old Thomas, the farmer, still working, his brow furrowed, but his spirit unbroken. Thomas shared his meager harvest, a small store of grains, enough to keep the village alive. Silas, humbled and hungry, realized the true source of wealth. The merchant's riches had vanished, but the farmer's toil had sustained them all.