Kural #23
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Tamil text
இருமை வகைதெரிந்து ஈண்டுஅறம் பூண்டார்
பெருமை பிறங்கிற்று உலகு
Irumai vagaitarintu īṇṭuaṟam pūṇṭār
Perumai piṟaṅkiṟṟu ulaku
English translation
The world shines by the greatness of those who, understanding the two-fold nature of existence, have embraced virtue here.
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Explanation
Those wise souls who understand the two aspects of existence - this life and the next, or good and evil, or attachment and liberation - and choose to follow the path of virtue (dharma), their greatness illuminates and uplifts the entire world. The world itself is made brighter by their presence.
விளக்கம்
இருமை என்றால் நன்மை தீமை. அதை உணர்ந்து அறம் செய்பவரின் பெருமை உலகை ஒளிமயமாக்கும். துறவறத்தின் மேன்மையை இது காட்டுகிறது. நல்லொழுக்கம் உலகிற்கு வெளிச்சம்.
Word meanings
- இருமைirumaitwo-fold nature
- வகைvagaikind/type
- தெரிந்துtarintuhaving known/understood
- ஈண்டுīṇṭuhere
- அறம்aṟamvirtue/dharma
- பூண்டார்pūṇṭārthose who embraced
- பெருமைperumaigreatness
- பிறங்கிற்றுpiṟaṅkiṟṟushines/flourishes
- உலகுulakuworld
Story behind this kural
In a humble village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. Arun toiled tirelessly, his days consumed by the immediate needs of his land, his mind fixed on bountiful harvests and the comforts they provided. Bala, however, balanced his farming with acts of kindness. He shared his produce, mended broken tools for others, and offered counsel to those in distress. One year, a terrible drought struck. Arun’s crops withered, his granary emptied, and despair clouded his face. But Bala’s fields, though affected, still yielded enough to feed his family and share with his neighbors. He also used the dry leaves to mulch the other farmer's fields. Arun, watching Bala’s calm amidst the hardship, felt a pang of envy, then of shame. He realized Bala’s generosity, his understanding of a world beyond mere possessions, had fortified him, and by extension, the entire village, against the storm. Even in the face of scarcity, the villagers had a sense of hope.