Kural #144
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Tamil text
எனைத்துணையர் ஆயினும் என்னாம்
தினைத்துணையும் தேரான் பிறனில் புகல்
Eṉaittuṇaiyar āyiṉum eṉṉām
Tiṉaittuṇaiyum tērāṉ piṟaṉil pukal
English translation
Of what use is any amount of greatness to one who, without even a millet-seed's worth of thought, enters another's home with ill intent?
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Explanation
No matter how great or accomplished a person may be (எனைத்துணையர்), if they enter another's home with improper intentions without even minimal reflection (தினைத்துணையும் தேரான்), all their greatness becomes worthless.
விளக்கம்
பிறனில் விழையாமை அதிகாரத்தில், ஒருவர் எவ்வளவு பெரியவராக இருந்தாலும், பிறர் மனைவியை விரும்பினால் பெருமை பயனில்லை. தினை அளவாவது யோசிக்காமல் பிறர் வீட்டுக்குள் தவறான எண்ணத்துடன் நுழைந்தால், அவரின் புகழெல்லாம் வீண். ஒழுக்கமே முக்கியம்.
Word meanings
- எனைத்துணையர்eṉaittuṇaiyarhowever great
- ஆயினும்āyiṉumeven if
- என்னாம்eṉṉāmwhat use is it
- தினைtiṉaimillet seed
- துணையும்tuṇaiyumeven that much
- தேரான்tērāṉwithout considering
- பிறன்piṟaṉanother's
- இல்ilhome
- புகல்pukalentering
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering river lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. Arun was known for his bountiful harvests, his granary always overflowing. Bala, however, envied Arun's success. He possessed a keen mind and built a fine house, yet his fields yielded meager crops. One harvest season, a terrible drought struck. Arun’s crops, though plentiful, were stored away, while Bala's family faced starvation. Seeing his neighbor’s distress, Arun offered Bala grain, enough to see his family through the hardship. Bala, filled with gratitude, began to help Arun with his farming. He admired Arun's wife, a kind and hardworking woman. Temptation grew in Bala's heart; he began to imagine a life with her. Driven by his desires, he started spending more time at Arun's home, offering subtle flattery. One day, Arun returned to find Bala gone and his wife in tears. The next season, Arun's crops withered, and Bala's were destroyed by a storm. Despite their initial success, nothing seemed to prosper for Bala. The village, witnessing the events, quietly shook their heads.