Kural #293
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
தன்நெஞ்சு அறிவது பொய்யற்க
பொய்த்தபின் தன்நெஞ்சே தன்னைச் சுடும்
Taṉneñcu aṟivatu poyyaṟka
Poyttapiṉ taṉneñcē taṉṉaic cuṭum
English translation
Do not lie about what your heart knows to be true; for if you lie, your own heart will burn you.
Listen
Explanation
One cannot deceive one's own conscience. If you lie about what you know to be true, your heart becomes your torturer. The inner witness creates guilt that burns from within.
விளக்கம்
உள்ளம் அறிந்ததை மறைக்காதே. பொய் சொன்னால், உன் மனசாட்சியே உன்னை வருத்தும். வாய்மை அதிகாரத்தில், உண்மை பேசினால் மன அமைதி கிடைக்கும் என்பதே நீதி.
Word meanings
- தன்taṉone's own
- நெஞ்சுneñcuheart
- அறிவதுaṟivatuwhat it knows
- பொய்யற்கpoyyaṟkado not lie about
- பொய்த்தபின்poyttapiṉafter lying
- தன்னைtaṉṉaioneself
- சுடும்cuṭumwill burn
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a woodcutter named Arul. He was known for his honesty, until one harsh winter. A wealthy merchant offered Arul a small fortune for a rare, perfectly-formed oak. Arul found the tree, but as he raised his axe, a little bird with a broken wing landed on the oak. He knew he should cut the tree, as he had promised the merchant. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he told the merchant the tree was diseased. The merchant, suspicious, left. Arul rescued the bird and nursed it back to health. Though the villagers praised his kindness, Arul felt a knot in his chest. Every sunrise, the memory of the lie weighed on him. He found no joy in his work, and the forest, once a comfort, now echoed with the silent judgment of the trees. His heart, once light, now felt heavy with a secret he could not escape.