Kural #15
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Tamil text
கெடுப்பதூஉம் கெட்டார்க்குச் சார்வாய்
மற்றாங்கே எடுப்பதூஉம் எல்லாம் மழை
Keṭuppatūum keṭṭārkkuc cārvāy
Maṟṟāṅkē eṭuppatūum ellām maḻai
English translation
It is rain that ruins (by its absence) and it is rain that supports and uplifts those who are ruined.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar presents rain's paradoxical power: lack of rain destroys lives, yet rain also restores the ruined to prosperity. This shows the cyclical nature of agricultural life.
விளக்கம்
மழை பெய்யாமல் போனால் எல்லாம் கெடும். அழிந்தவர்க்குத் துணையாக வந்து, திரும்பவும் செழிப்பாக்கும் சக்தியும் மழைக்கே உண்டு. இது 'வான்சிறப்பு' அதிகாரத்தில் மழையின் முக்கியத்துவத்தை உணர்த்துகிறது. மழை இல்லாவிட்டால் வாழ்க்கை இல்லை.
Word meanings
- கெடுப்பதூஉம்keṭuppatūumthat which destroys
- கெட்டார்க்குkeṭṭārkkufor those who are ruined
- சார்வாய்cārvāyas support
- மற்றுmaṟṟuand
- ஆங்கேāṅkēthere itself
- எடுப்பதூஉம்eṭuppatūumthat which uplifts
- எல்லாம்ellāmall
- மழைmaḻairain
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a parched riverbed, Farmer Arul watched his crops wither under a relentless sun. The earth cracked, the leaves turned brittle, and despair settled upon the villagers. Their granaries emptied, and the market stalls stood bare. Many families struggled to find even a meager meal. Then, the sky darkened. Thunder rumbled, and fat drops began to fall. The rain poured down, a torrent that surged through the dry riverbed, bringing life back to the land. Arul and his neighbors rejoiced as their crops revived, growing green and strong. Soon, the harvest overflowed, filling the granaries and markets once more. The villagers shared their bounty, their faces beaming with gratitude. They understood then that both ruin and restoration were gifts, and that the greatest hope often follows the deepest sorrow.