Kural #20
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Tamil text
நீர்இன்று அமையாது உலகெனின்
யார்யார்க்கும் வான்இன்று அமையாது ஒழுக்கு
Nīriṉṟu amaiyātu ulakeṉiṉ
Yāryārkkum vāṉiṉṟu amaiyātu oḻukku
English translation
If it is said that the world cannot exist without water, then know that without rain, no one can maintain moral conduct.
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Explanation
Rain is essential not just for physical life (water) but for moral life (ஒழுக்கு). When people lack basic necessities, ethical behavior breaks down. Without rain, both life and virtue perish.
விளக்கம்
மழை இல்லாமல் உலகம் இல்லை. நீரின்றி வாழ்க்கை இல்லை என்றால், ஒழுக்கம் நிலைக்க வானம் வேண்டும். வான்சிறப்பு அதிகாரத்தில், மழை அறத்தின் அடிப்படை என்கிறது குறள். பஞ்சம் வந்தால், நல்லொழுக்கம் கெடும்.
Word meanings
- நீர்nīrwater
- இன்றுiṉṟuwithout
- அமையாதுamaiyātucannot exist
- உலகுulakuworld
- எனின்eṉiṉif said
- யார்யார்க்கும்yāryārkkumfor everyone
- வான்vāṉrain
- ஒழுக்குoḻukkumoral conduct
Story behind this kural
The village of Valluvar thrived, nestled beside a fertile valley. The villagers were known for their kindness and honesty. Their fields yielded bountiful harvests, and their lives flowed like the river that watered their land. But one year, the rains failed. The river dwindled, the crops withered, and hunger gnawed at the bellies of the people. As food became scarce, a subtle shift occurred. The baker, once generous with his bread, began to hoard his loaves. The merchant, who had always offered fair prices, now inflated them. Whispers of theft and deceit spread through the village. Friends turned against each other, their faces etched with desperation. One day, a wise old woman sat by the dry riverbed, her gaze fixed on the empty sky. A young boy, once known for his playful spirit, kicked a stone, his eyes filled with a new, hardened look. He looked at the old woman and asked why the people had changed. She simply sighed, pointing to the cracked earth, and said, "Look what the lack of water has done."