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Kural #12

Virtue· அறம்The Excellence of Rain· வான்சிறப்பு

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Tamil text

துப்பார்க்குத் துப்பாய துப்பாக்கித்

துப்பார்க்குத் துப்பாய தூஉம் மழை

Tuppārkku tuppāya tuppākkit

Tuppārkku tuppāya tūum maḻai

English translation

Rain produces the food that people eat, and rain itself becomes the drink (water) for those who consume that food.

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Explanation

This kural illustrates rain's dual role: it grows the crops we eat AND provides the water we drink. The repetition of துப்பு (tuppu) four times creates a poetic rhythm while emphasizing that rain is both solid food and liquid sustenance.

விளக்கம்

உணவு உண்பவர்க்கு உணவை உண்டாக்கி, அந்த உணவை உண்பவர்க்கு நீராகவும் மழை உதவுகிறது. இது வான்சிறப்பு அதிகாரத்தில் மழையின் முக்கியத்துவத்தை காட்டுகிறது. மழை உணவாகவும் நீராகவும் இருப்பதால், அதை போற்றி பாதுகாக்க வேண்டும்.

Word meanings

  • துப்பார்க்குtuppārkkufor those who eat
  • துப்புtuppufood
  • ஆயāyabeing/as
  • ஆக்கிākkicreating/making
  • தூஉம்tūumalso
  • மழைmaḻairain

Story behind this kural

In a parched village nestled beside a vast desert, lived a farmer named Arul. He toiled tirelessly, yet the unforgiving sun withered his crops before they could yield much. One year, despair nearly consumed him. The rains, the village's lifeline, had forsaken them. Then, a miracle. Dark clouds gathered, and a gentle shower began. Soon, a downpour transformed the barren land. Arul planted his remaining seeds, and within weeks, a vibrant field of grain flourished. The villagers rejoiced, feasting on the harvest. They ground the grain into flour for bread and brewed it into a hearty porridge. As they ate, they realized the very source of their nourishment – the rain – had also filled their wells, providing the water they drank. The rain, having given them food, also quenched their thirst. Life, it seemed, offered a double blessing.