Kural #32
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Tamil text
அறத்தினூஉங்கு ஆக்கமும் இல்லை அதனை
மறத்தலின் ஊங்கில்லை கேடு
Aṟattiṉūuṅku ākkamum illai ataṉai
Maṟattaliṉ ūṅkillai kēṭu
English translation
There is no greater gain than virtue; no greater loss than forgetting it.
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Explanation
This kural presents a powerful contrast: just as there is no profit or benefit (akkam) greater than practicing virtue, there is no ruin or destruction (kedu) greater than neglecting or forgetting it. Thiruvalluvar emphasizes that virtue is both the highest positive path and its abandonment the greatest negative consequence.
விளக்கம்
அறத்தை விட பெரிய நன்மை வேறில்லை. அறத்தை மறப்பதை விட பெரிய தீமை வேறில்லை. அறம் செய்வதால் உயர்வு கிடைக்கும்; மறந்தால் அழிவு வரும். இது அறன்வலியுறுத்தல் அதிகாரத்தில் அறத்தின் முக்கியத்துவத்தை காட்டுகிறது.
Word meanings
- அறத்தினூஉங்குaṟattiṉūuṅkuthan virtue
- ஆக்கமும்ākkamumgain also
- இல்லைillaithere is not
- அதனைataṉaiit (virtue)
- மறத்தலின்maṟattaliṉthan forgetting
- ஊங்கில்லைūṅkillainothing greater
- கேடுkēṭuruin/destruction
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering river, lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. Arun was known for his honesty; he shared his harvest generously and helped his neighbors. Bala, however, was shrewd. He hoarded his crops and often cheated in trade, always seeking personal gain. A drought struck the land, withering the fields. Arun, though his stores were small, shared what he had, ensuring everyone had enough to survive. He found joy in the shared struggle. Bala, on the other hand, lost his entire harvest to pests, his granary empty and his neighbors wary of helping him. He had nothing left. When the rains returned, Arun’s fields, though initially small, flourished due to the shared care and kindness. The village thrived together. Bala, now alone and with nothing to sow, watched the bounty from afar. His heart felt heavier than his empty hands.