Kural #332
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Tamil text
கூத்தாட்டு அவைக்குழாத் தற்றே
பெருஞ்செல்வம் போக்கும் அதுவிளிந் தற்று
Kūttāṭṭu avaikuḻāt taṟṟē
Peruñcelvam pōkkum atuviḷin taṟṟu
English translation
Great wealth gathering is like a crowd at a theatre; its departure is like that crowd dispersing when the show ends.
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Explanation
Wealth comes and goes like an audience at a performance. People gather excitedly for the show, then scatter when it ends. Similarly, fortune arrives with fanfare but leaves silently.
விளக்கம்
செல்வம் ஒரு கூத்து மாதிரி. கூடி வரும் மக்கள் கூட்டம் போல செல்வம் சேரும்; கூத்து முடிந்ததும் கலைவது போல செல்வம் போகும். நிலையாமை அதிகாரத்தில், செல்வம் நிலையற்றது என வள்ளுவர் கூறுகிறார். பற்று வைக்காமல் அறம் செய்யுங்கள்.
Word meanings
- கூத்துkūttudrama/performance
- ஆட்டுāṭṭuof the dance
- அவைavaiassembly
- குழாம்kuḻāmcrowd
- தற்றுtaṟṟulike
- பெரும்perumgreat
- செல்வம்celvamwealth
- போக்கும்pōkkumdeparture
- விளிந்துviḷintudispersing/ending
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a woodcutter named Tharan. He toiled tirelessly, his days marked by the rhythmic swing of his axe. One day, a traveling merchant, captivated by Tharan’s strength, offered him a king’s ransom for his service. Tharan, overjoyed, abandoned his axe and reveled in newfound luxury. He built a grand house, adorned with silks and jewels. Villagers, once his equals, now bowed before him. Years passed. The merchant, his business failing, could no longer afford Tharan's lavish wages. The riches dwindled. The grand house felt empty. The villagers, their needs unmet, turned away. Tharan, once admired, found himself alone, the echo of his laughter replaced by the rustle of leaves in the very forest he had once known so well. He picked up his axe again, his hands calloused, his spirit humbled, understanding that true value lies elsewhere.