Kural #1034
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
பலகுடை நீழலும் தங்குடைக் கீழ்க்காண்பர்
அலகுடையார் அல்லாத வர்க்கு
Palakuṭai nīḻalum taṅkuṭaik kīḻkkāṇpar
Alakuṭaiyār allāta varkku
English translation
Even those under many royal umbrellas will see themselves beneath the umbrella of those who have the plough.
Listen
Explanation
Kings and nobles ultimately depend on farmers. The plough's protection is greater than royal parasols, as food sustains even monarchs.
விளக்கம்
உழவு செய்பவரின் பெருமையை இக்குறள் சொல்கிறது. அரசர்கள் பல குடைகளின் கீழ் இருந்தாலும், உணவுக்காக உழவரைச் சார்ந்தே இருப்பர். உழவுத் தொழிலே எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் மேலானது என்பதை உணர்த்துகிறது.
Word meanings
- பலகுடைpalakuṭaimany umbrellas (royalty)
- நீழல்nīḻalshade/protection
- தம்குடைtaṅkuṭaitheir umbrella (plough)
- கீழ்kīḻbeneath
- காண்பர்kāṇparwill see themselves
- அலகுalakuplough
- உடையார்uṭaiyārthose who have
- அல்லாதவர்க்குallātavarkkufor those who are not
Story behind this kural
In a prosperous kingdom nestled beside emerald fields, lived two men: King Theron, known for his lavish feasts, and Farmer Silas, whose hands were perpetually stained with earth. King Theron, under his golden parasol, held court, his every whim catered to by a throng of servants. He reveled in his power, oblivious to the source of his abundance. One year, the rains failed. The fields withered, and Silas’s harvest was meager. The royal granaries, usually overflowing, began to empty. The King's grand feasts dwindled. His courtiers, once eager to please, grew thin and anxious. The golden parasol offered no protection from the gnawing hunger. Silas, though his harvest was small, shared his meager grains, enough to sustain his family. His neighbors, also farmers, did the same. Eventually, they offered what they could to the King. The King, humbled and weakened, realized the true source of his kingdom's sustenance. He understood where true power resided.