Kural #13
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Tamil text
விண்இன்று பொய்ப்பின் விரிநீர்
வியனுலகத்து உள்நின்று உடற்றும் பசி
Viṇiṉṟu poyppiṉ virinīr
Viyaṉulakattu uḷniṉṟu uṭaṟṟum paci
English translation
If rain fails, hunger will torment the dwellers of this vast world surrounded by wide oceans.
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Explanation
Even though Earth is surrounded by vast oceans (விரிநீர்), that salt water cannot sustain life. Only rain can prevent famine. This shows profound ecological understanding.
விளக்கம்
வானம் பொய்த்தால், பரந்த கடல்கள் சூழ்ந்த உலகிலும் பசி வாட்டும். மழை பெய்யாவிட்டால் உணவு கிடைக்காது. இது வான்சிறப்பு அதிகாரத்தில் மழையின் முக்கியத்துவத்தை உணர்த்துகிறது. மழையே உயிர்களின் ஆதாரம்.
Word meanings
- விண்viṇsky/rain
- இன்றுiṉṟuwithout
- பொய்ப்பின்poyppiṉif it fails
- விரிநீர்virinīrwide waters/ocean
- வியன்viyaṉvast
- உலகத்துulakattuin the world
- உள்நின்றுuḷniṉṟudwelling
- உடற்றும்uṭaṟṟumwill torment
- பசிpacihunger
Story behind this kural
The village of Eldoria nestled beside a sparkling sea, its people thriving on bountiful harvests. The farmers, however, noticed a change in the sky. The clouds, once plump with promise, grew thin and weary. The rains, which usually arrived with gentle persistence, began to dwindle. The wells ran dry, and the river became a mere trickle. The vibrant green fields turned brown and cracked. The villagers, once full of laughter, grew silent, their faces etched with worry. The granaries emptied, and the children began to cry from hunger. The sea, vast and shimmering, offered no relief. Its salty water was useless to quench their thirst or nourish their crops. The wise elder, his face weathered like the parched earth, watched the suffering of his people. He understood that even with the endless ocean at their doorstep, life depended on a gift from above, a gift that was slowly vanishing. He knew that without the rain, the world, even one surrounded by abundance, would be tormented by emptiness.