Kural #24
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Tamil text
உரனென்னும் தோட்டியான் ஓரைந்தும் காப்பான்
வரனென்னும் வைப்பிற்கோர் வித்து
Uraṉeṉṉum tōṭṭiyāṉ ōraintum kāppāṉ
Varaṉeṉṉum vaippiṟkōr vittu
English translation
He who controls the five senses with the goad of wisdom is a seed for the land called heaven.
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Explanation
The one who uses wisdom (uran) as an elephant goad (thotti) to control the five senses (the five elephants - sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) becomes like a seed that will sprout in the fertile land of heaven or liberation. Self-control through wisdom leads to the highest spiritual attainment.
விளக்கம்
உரன் என்னும் அறிவாலே ஐம்புலன்களையும் அடக்குபவர், துறவறத்தின் பெருமையால் மேலான வீட்டுலகிற்கு ஒரு விதையைப் போன்றவர். புலனடக்கம் மிக முக்கியம்; அதுவே மோட்சத்திற்கு வழி. நீத்தார் பெருமை அதிகாரத்தில் இது முக்கியமானது.
Word meanings
- உரன்uraṉwisdom/mental strength
- என்னும்eṉṉumcalled
- தோட்டியான்tōṭṭiyāṉwith the goad
- ஓரைந்தும்ōraintumthe five (senses)
- காப்பான்kāppāṉone who guards/controls
- வரன்varaṉexcellence/heaven
- வைப்பிற்குvaippiṟkufor the land/place
- ஓர்ōra/one
- வித்துvittuseed
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest lived a young man named Arul. He was known for his restless spirit, always chasing after the fleeting pleasures of the world. He'd feast on sweet fruits until his stomach ached, listen to gossip until his ears buzzed, and spend his days admiring shiny trinkets. One day, an old sage arrived in the village. He carried nothing but a simple staff and a serene smile. Arul, curious, asked the sage for the secret to happiness. The sage pointed towards a wild, untamed elephant, its senses constantly distracted. "True strength," he said, "is not in the elephant's might, but in the mahout's control." Arul, taking the sage's words to heart, began to practice restraint. He savored a single piece of fruit, listened to the birdsong instead of village rumors, and focused his gaze on the beauty of the setting sun. Slowly, he found a peace he had never known, a quiet joy that bloomed within him like a lotus in a still pond.