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Kural #269

Virtue· அறம்Penance· தவம்

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Tamil text

கூற்றம் குதித்தலும் கைகூடும்

நோற்றலின் ஆற்றல் தலைப்பட் டவர்க்கு

Kūṟṟam kutittalum kaikūṭum

Nōṟṟaliṉ āṟṟal talaippaṭ ṭavarkku

English translation

Even leaping over Death becomes possible for those who have attained the power of penance.

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Explanation

The ultimate power of penance: victory over death itself. Those who have mastered austerity can transcend mortality. This hyperbolic statement emphasizes the extraordinary spiritual power that comes from dedicated practice.

விளக்கம்

குறள் 269 விளக்கம்: தவம் செய்வதால் கிடைக்கும் சக்தியால், மரணத்தையே வெல்லலாம். விடாமுயற்சியுடன் தவம் செய்தால், முடியாதது எதுவுமில்லை. தவத்தின் வலிமையை உணர்ந்து நல்வழி நடக்க வேண்டும். இது தவத்தின் சிறப்பை கூறுகிறது.

Word meanings

  • கூற்றம்kūṟṟamDeath (personified)
  • குதித்தல்kutittalleaping over
  • கைகூடும்kaikūṭumwill become possible
  • நோற்றலின்nōṟṟaliṉof penance
  • ஆற்றல்āṟṟalpower
  • தலைப்பட்டவர்க்குtalaippaṭṭavarkkufor those who have attained

Story behind this kural

In a village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived an old woman named Elara. Her days were a quiet tapestry of simple acts: tending her small garden, offering food to passing travelers, and meditating beneath the ancient banyan tree. The villagers whispered of her strange power, a calm that seemed to ward off illness and misfortune. One harsh winter, a cruel blizzard swept through the village, claiming lives. Death, a shadowy figure, came for Elara. But as he reached for her, a radiant light enveloped her. She stood, not in fear, but with serene acceptance. Death hesitated, his icy grip faltering. He found he could not touch her. Instead, he retreated into the storm, defeated. When the blizzard passed, Elara remained, her garden blooming even in the frozen earth. The villagers, awestruck, understood. The strength of the spirit, cultivated through a life of devotion, could overcome even the inevitable.