Kural #360
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Tamil text
காமம் வெகுளி மயக்கம் இவைமூன்றன்
நாமம் கெடக்கெடும் நோய்
Kāmam vekuḷi mayakkam ivaimūṉṟaṉ
Nāmam keṭakkeṭum nōy
English translation
When the very names of desire, anger, and delusion are destroyed, all suffering is destroyed.
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Explanation
The chapter concludes by identifying the three root causes of suffering: காமம் (desire/lust), வெகுளி (anger), and மயக்கம் (delusion/confusion). Eliminating these three eliminates all suffering - a teaching shared with Buddhism.
விளக்கம்
மெய்யுணர்தல் அதிகாரத்தில், ஆசை, கோபம், அறியாமை என்னும் மூன்று தீய குணங்களையும் அழித்தால் துன்பம் நீங்கும் என்கிறார் வள்ளுவர். இந்த மூன்றின் பெயரே இல்லாமல் போனால், எந்த நோயும் நம்மை அணுகாது. இதுவே உண்மையான ஞானம்.
Word meanings
- காமம்kāmamdesire/lust
- வெகுளிvekuḷianger
- மயக்கம்mayakkamdelusion/confusion
- இவைivaithese
- மூன்றன்mūṉṟaṉthree (possessive)
- நாமம்nāmamname/very existence
- கெடkeṭato be destroyed
- கெடும்keṭumwill be destroyed
- நோய்nōysuffering/disease
Story behind this kural
In a sun-drenched village nestled beside a whispering river, lived three brothers. The eldest, filled with *desire*, coveted the merchant's silken robes. He schemed, his heart heavy with longing. The middle brother, consumed by *anger*, flared at the slightest offense, his voice like cracking thunder. He held grudges, his spirit darkened by resentment. The youngest, mired in *delusion*, chased shadows, believing the forest held magical treasures. He wandered lost, his mind a tangled maze. One harsh winter, a famine struck. The brothers, each clinging to their vices, found themselves alone and miserable. The eldest, unable to buy food, grew thin and weak. The middle brother, isolated by his temper, had no one to help. The youngest, still searching for phantoms, starved. As spring returned, the villagers, working together, planted crops and shared their meager harvest. The brothers, seeing the villagers' kindness and cooperation, slowly let go of their selfish desires, their anger, and their confused notions. They began to heal, finding solace in simple acts of kindness. Their suffering lessened as they changed.