Kural #189
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Tamil text
அறன்நோக்கி ஆற்றுங்கொல் வையம்
புறன்நோக்கிப் புன்சொல் உரைப்பான் பொறை
Aṟaṉnōkki āṟṟuṅkol vaiyam
Puṟaṉnōkkip puṉcol uraippāṉ poṟai
English translation
Can the earth, considering virtue, bear the burden of one who speaks base words about others behind their backs?
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Explanation
A poetic question: The patient earth bears all burdens, but can even she bear the weight of a backbiter? The gossiper is so morally heavy that even the earth might refuse to support them.
விளக்கம்
புறங்கூறிப் பயனற்ற சொல் பேசுபவன் பாரத்தை பூமி தாங்குமா? அறம் முக்கியம் என பூமி நினைத்தால் அவனைத் தாங்காது. புறங்கூறாமை அதிகாரத்தில், பிறரை இகழ்ந்து பேசாதே என்பதே நீதி. இது அறம் சார்ந்த வாழ்க்கைக்கான அறிவுரை.
Word meanings
- அறன்aṟaṉvirtue
- நோக்கிnōkkiconsidering
- ஆற்றும்āṟṟumcan bear
- கொல்kol(question particle)
- வையம்vaiyamearth
- புறன்puṟaṉbehind
- நோக்கிnōkkilooking
- புன்சொல்puṉcolbase words
- உரைப்பான்uraippāṉone who speaks
- பொறைpoṟaiburden
Story behind this kural
In a quiet village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a baker named Elara. Her bread was the finest, but her tongue was sharper than any knife. She delighted in whispering complaints about others to anyone who would listen. One day, a wise old woman, Anya, noticed a strange tremor in the earth near Elara’s bakery. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground. Anya warned Elara, “Your words, like stones, are a heavy burden.” Elara scoffed, continuing her gossip. The next morning, the ground around the bakery crumbled. The bakery began to sink. The villagers tried to help, but the more Elara spoke ill of others, the deeper the bakery sank. Finally, Anya spoke softly, “The earth cannot bear the weight of unkind words.” Elara fell silent, ashamed. Slowly, the ground stilled, and the bakery ceased its descent, though it remained forever a little crooked.