Kural #196
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Tamil text
பயனில் சொல்பாராட்டுவானை மகன்எனல்
மக்கட் பதடி யெனல்
Payaṉil colpārāṭṭuvāṉai makaṉeṉal
Makkaṭ pataṭi yeṉal
English translation
Call not one who delights in useless words a man; call him the chaff among men.
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Explanation
A harsh judgment: those who enjoy meaningless speech are not truly human but chaff - the worthless outer husk separated from valuable grain. They lack the substance that makes one human.
விளக்கம்
பயனில்லாத வார்த்தைகளையே பேசி மகிழ்பவனை மனிதன் என்று சொல்லாதே. அவன் மக்களிடையே பதரைப் போன்றவன். பயனற்ற சொற்களைப் பேசாமல், பயனுள்ளதை பேச வேண்டும் என்பதே இந்த அதிகாரத்தின் கருத்து.
Word meanings
- பயன்payaṉbenefit
- இல்ilwithout
- சொல்colwords
- பாராட்டுவான்pārāṭṭuvāṉone who delights in
- மகன்makaṉman/son
- எனல்eṉalcall not
- மக்கள்makkaḷpeople
- பதடிpataṭichaff
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a weaver named Arul. He was known for his beautiful tapestries. However, Arul also loved to gossip. He’d spend his days weaving intricate designs, and his evenings recounting every trivial event in the village square. One day, a wise old farmer brought Arul a bag of golden wheat. "Weave a tapestry of this harvest," he requested. Arul, eager to please, agreed. But instead of focusing on his craft, he chattered endlessly about the farmer's family and the village baker's new wife. The tapestry, though started, remained unfinished. Weeks turned into months. The wheat lay untouched. Finally, the farmer returned. He saw the tangled threads and the unused wheat. Disappointed, he shook his head and took the wheat to another weaver, one known for quiet diligence. That weaver created a beautiful tapestry that celebrated the harvest.