Kural #25
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Tamil text
ஐந்தவித்தான் ஆற்றல் அகல்விசும்பு ளார்கோமான்
இந்திரனே சாலுங் கரி
Aintavittāṉ āṟṟal akalvicumpu ḷārkōmāṉ
Intiraṉē cāluṅ kari
English translation
Indra, the king of the vast heavens, stands as sufficient proof of the power of one who has conquered the five senses.
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Explanation
Valluvar presents Indra, the king of gods who rules over the vast heavens, as evidence of the power achieved by conquering the five senses. According to tradition, Indra attained his exalted position through penance and self-control. This demonstrates the immense spiritual power that comes from mastering one's senses.
விளக்கம்
ஐம்புலன்களையும் வென்றவரின் வலிமைக்கு வானுலகத் தலைவன் இந்திரனே சாட்சி. புலனடக்கம் மிக உயர்ந்த நிலையைத் தரும். துறவறத்தின் பெருமையை இது காட்டுகிறது.
Word meanings
- ஐந்துaintufive (senses)
- அவித்தான்avittāṉone who destroyed/conquered
- ஆற்றல்āṟṟalpower/strength
- அகல்akalvast/wide
- விசும்புvicumpusky/heaven
- உளார்uḷārthose who dwell
- கோமான்kōmāṉking
- இந்திரனேintiraṉēIndra himself
- சாலும்cālumsufficient
- கரிkariwitness/proof
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a woodcutter named Arun. He toiled tirelessly, yet his heart often yearned for the finer things – a soft bed, a feast of roasted meats, the finest silks. One day, a traveling sage arrived, his face serene, his possessions few. The villagers offered him shelter, but Arun scoffed, “What use is a life of denial?” The next day, a fearsome storm swept through the village. The wind howled, tearing roofs from houses. Panic seized the villagers. But the sage, unperturbed, sat in meditation. When the storm passed, his hut was untouched. Inside, he had created a shield of focused energy. Arun, whose own home lay in ruins, watched in awe. He saw the sage's quiet strength, born not from possessions, but from mastery over his desires. Arun began to understand that true power wasn't in what one had, but in what one controlled.