Kural #361
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Tamil text
அவாஎன்ப எல்லா உயிர்க்கும் எஞ்ஞான்றும்
தவாஅப் பிறப்பீனும் வித்து
Avāeṉpa ellā uyirkkum eññāṉṟum
Tavāap piṟappīṉum vittu
English translation
Desire, they say, is the seed that produces endless births for all beings at all times.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar identifies அவா (desire) as the வித்து (seed) that causes the endless cycle of birth. This desire is universal, affecting all souls, and is inexhaustible unless consciously eliminated.
விளக்கம்
ஆசையே எல்லா உயிர்களுக்கும் எப்போதும் பிறப்பைத் தரும் விதை. ஆசையை விட்டொழித்தால் பிறப்பில்லா நிலை கிடைக்கும். இது அவாவறுத்தல் அதிகாரத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆசை துன்பத்தின் மூலம்.
Word meanings
- அவாavādesire
- என்பeṉpathey say
- எல்லாellāall
- உயிர்க்கும்uyirkkumfor beings
- எஞ்ஞான்றும்eññāṉṟumat all times
- தவாஅtavāaunceasing
- பிறப்புpiṟappubirth
- ஈனும்īṉumproducing
- வித்துvittuseed
Story behind this kural
In a humble village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a woodcutter named Arul. He was content, his needs met by the trees he felled. One day, a wealthy merchant passed through, displaying shimmering jewels. Arul, captivated, felt a yearning he’d never known. He craved the riches. He began to work harder, felling more trees, selling them for higher prices. Soon, he had enough to buy a small gem. The gem brought him joy, but also a new desire: a larger gem, a finer house, more land. His peaceful life vanished, replaced by endless striving. He acquired more and more, yet his happiness dwindled. He became a man consumed by the pursuit of possessions, forever restless, never satisfied. His once-clear eyes were now clouded with a perpetual hunger. The forest, once a source of simple provision, was now just a means to an unending end. The gem, the house, the land – each brought a new craving, a new want, a new dissatisfaction.