Kural #163
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Tamil text
அறன்ஆக்கம் வேண்டாதான் என்பான்
பிறனாக்கம் பேணாது அழுக்கறுப் பான்
Aṟaṉākkam vēṇṭātāṉ eṉpāṉ
Piṟaṉākkam pēṇātu aḻukkaṟup pāṉ
English translation
He who is envious of another's prosperity, disregarding it with displeasure, is one who does not desire the prosperity of virtue.
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Explanation
Envy of others' success reveals that one does not truly desire virtuous prosperity for oneself. The envious person's mindset is focused on others' downfall rather than their own growth.
விளக்கம்
பிறர் உயர்வு கண்டு பொறாமை கொள்பவன், அறத்தின் மூலம் வரும் நன்மையை விரும்பாதவன் ஆகிறான். அழுக்காறு என்னும் தீய குணம், நமக்கு நல்ல விஷயங்கள் நடக்க விடாமல் தடுக்கும். பிறர் வளர்ச்சியில் மகிழ்ச்சி அடைவதே அறம்.
Word meanings
- அறன்aṟaṉvirtue
- ஆக்கம்ākkamprosperity
- வேண்டாதான்vēṇṭātāṉone who does not desire
- என்பான்eṉpāṉis said to be
- பிறன்piṟaṉanother
- பேணாதுpēṇātunot cherishing/disregarding
- அழுக்கறுப்பான்aḻukkaṟuppāṉone who is envious
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering river, lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. Arun toiled diligently, his fields yielding bountiful harvests. His neighbors praised his work ethic and the richness of his crops. Bala, on the other hand, watched Arun’s success with a furrowed brow. He grumbled about Arun’s good fortune, muttering that the soil favored him unfairly. Bala spent his days not improving his own fields, but finding fault with Arun's. He’d spread rumors about Arun's methods, hoping to tarnish his reputation. He neglected his own crops, allowing weeds to choke the young plants. As the seasons turned, Arun’s farm flourished, while Bala’s withered. The villagers, witnessing both men's fates, understood that true prosperity blossomed not from wishing ill on others, but from tending one's own garden with care and a generous spirit. They saw that a heart filled with envy could never cultivate the seeds of its own success.