Kural #27
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Tamil text
சுவையொளி ஊறோசை நாற்றமென்று ஐந்தின்
வகைதெரிவான் கட்டே உலகு
Cuvaiyoḷi ūṟōcai nāṟṟameṉṟu aintiṉ
Vagaitarivāṉ kaṭṭē ulaku
English translation
The world is under the control of one who has understood the nature of the five: taste, sight, touch, sound, and smell.
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Explanation
The five senses - taste (suvai), sight (oli), touch (ooru), sound (osai), and smell (naatram) - bind ordinary people to worldly existence. But one who truly understands their nature and transcends them gains mastery not just over themselves but over the world itself. The world honors and follows such a realized soul.
விளக்கம்
ஐம்புலன்களின் இயல்பை அறிந்தவன் உலகை ஆள்கிறான். புலன்களை வென்ற துறவியின் பெருமையை இது சொல்கிறது. ஆசையை ஒழித்து, உலக வாழ்வில் இருந்து விடுதலை பெறலாம்.
Word meanings
- சுவைcuvaitaste
- ஒளிoḷilight/sight
- ஊறுūṟutouch
- ஓசைōcaisound
- நாற்றம்nāṟṟamsmell
- என்றுeṉṟucalled/as
- ஐந்தின்aintiṉof the five
- வகைvagainature/kind
- தெரிவான்tarivāṉone who knows
- கட்டேkaṭṭēunder control of
- உலகுulakuworld
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a wise old woman named Elara. Unlike the other villagers, consumed by the delights of the market – the sweetmeats, the vibrant cloths, the lively music – Elara remained serene. She ate simple meals, wore plain garments, and preferred the quiet of her garden. One day, a wealthy merchant arrived, laden with treasures. He offered Elara riches, fine silks, and a grand house if she would join his lavish lifestyle. He flaunted the pleasures of taste, sight, touch, sound, and smell, the very things that captivated the villagers. Elara smiled, her gaze steady. She listened to his offer, examined the jewels, felt the silk, but remained unmoved. The merchant, perplexed, demanded to know her secret. "I see the nature of these things," she said gently. "They are fleeting. True joy lies not in their possession, but in understanding their transient nature." The merchant, though wealthy, felt a pang of emptiness. The villagers, witnessing her peace, began to question their own pursuits. They saw that Elara, though possessing nothing of material value, held something far more precious: freedom.