Kural #1068
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Tamil text
இரப்பன் எனினும் இழிவுஇன்னல் என்னினும்
அரப்பளவு ஆற்றாது உயிர்
Irappan eṉiṉum iḻivuiṉṉal eṉṉiṉum
Arappaḷavu āṟṟātu uyir
English translation
Even if one says "I will beg," though one knows it is degrading pain, the soul cannot bear even a fraction of it.
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Explanation
The mind may resolve to beg out of necessity, but the soul rejects it. Even a tiny measure (அரப்பளவு) of begging is unbearable to the inner self.
விளக்கம்
இரப்பது இழிவானது, துன்பம் தருவது என்று தெரிந்தும், உயிர் அதைச் சிறிதளவும் பொறுக்காது. "இரக்கிறேன்" என்று வாய் சொன்னாலும், மனம் அதை ஏற்க மறுக்கும். இரவச்சம் அதிகாரத்தில், யாசிப்பதன் அவமானத்தை வள்ளுவர் உணர்த்துகிறார்.
Word meanings
- இரப்பன்irappanI will beg
- எனினும்eṉiṉumeven if
- இழிவுiḻivudegradation
- இன்னல்iṉṉalpain
- என்னினும்eṉṉiṉumeven saying
- அரarahalf/fraction
- பளவுpaḷavumeasure/extent
- ஆற்றாதுāṟṟātucannot bear
- உயிர்uyirsoul/life
Story behind this kural
In a humble village nestled beside a whispering river lived a potter named Kumar. A drought withered his crops and emptied his workshop. Hunger gnawed at his belly. His neighbor, a wealthy merchant, offered Kumar a solution: “Beg from the rich. They will surely give.” Kumar, desperate, walked towards the grand manor. His hand trembled as he approached the gates. He imagined the shame, the lowered head, the unspoken pity in their eyes. He imagined the hollowness within. He stood there, frozen, the words catching in his throat. He tried to force himself forward, to utter the plea that would save his family. But his feet remained rooted to the ground. His spirit recoiled. Finally, Kumar turned and walked back to his empty workshop. He spent the day mending his broken tools. Though his stomach ached, a strange lightness filled his heart. He would find another way, he decided, a way that honored the spirit within.