Kural #186
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Tamil text
பிறன்பழி கூறுவான் தன்பழி யுள்ளும்
திறன்தெரிந்து கூறப் படும்
Piṟaṉpaḻi kūṟuvāṉ taṉpaḻi yuḷḷum
Tiṟaṉterintu kūṟap paṭum
English translation
The faults of one who speaks ill of others will be thoroughly searched out and spoken of.
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Explanation
Karma of speech: those who search out and spread others' faults will have their own faults searched out and publicized. The gossiper becomes the subject of gossip.
விளக்கம்
பிறர் குறையைச் சொல்பவன் தன் குறைகளைத் தேடிச் சொல்லப்படுவான். புறங்கூறுதல் அறமல்ல. பிறர் மீது பழி சுமத்தினால், அது நமக்கே திரும்பி வரும். இதுவே இக்குறளின் நீதி.
Word meanings
- பிறன்piṟaṉanother
- பழிpaḻifault/blame
- கூறுவான்kūṟuvāṉone who speaks
- தன்taṉone's own
- உள்ளும்uḷḷumwithin
- திறன்tiṟaṉability/method
- தெரிந்துterintusearching out
- கூறப்படும்kūṟappaṭumwill be spoken
Story behind this kural
In a quiet village nestled beside a shimmering river, lived a weaver named Thomas. He was known for his sharp tongue, always quick to find fault with others. He'd whisper criticisms of the baker's burnt bread, the farmer's crooked fence, and the potter's clumsy hands. The villagers, though initially amused, soon grew weary of his constant fault-finding. One day, Thomas’s own loom broke, leaving him unable to weave. He needed help, but when he approached the villagers, they turned away. The baker recalled Thomas's harsh words about his bread. The farmer remembered the ridicule of his fence. The potter, too, remembered Thomas's cutting remarks. Thomas, alone and without work, sat by the river, his own flaws now laid bare for all to see. He realized, with a heavy heart, that the words he had cast upon others had returned to him, leaving him isolated and in need.