Kural #362
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Tamil text
வேண்டுங்கால் வேண்டும் பிறவாமை
மற்றது வேண்டாமை வேண்ட வரும்
Vēṇṭuṅkāl vēṇṭum piṟavāmai
Maṟṟatu vēṇṭāmai vēṇṭa varum
English translation
If you must desire something, desire freedom from birth; that comes by desiring desirelessness.
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Explanation
A paradox: if desire is inevitable, desire the highest goal - liberation from rebirth. And this liberation comes through வேண்டாமை - the state of not desiring. The ultimate desire is to be free from desire.
விளக்கம்
ஆசைப்படணும்னா, பிறப்பில்லாத நிலையை விரும்பு. அந்த நிலையை அடைய ஆசையற்ற தன்மையை விரும்பணும். ஆசைய அறுக்குறதுதான் இந்த அதிகாரத்தோட கருத்து. ஆசைய அறுத்தா மோட்சம் கிடைக்கும்.
Word meanings
- வேண்டுங்கால்vēṇṭuṅkālif one must desire
- வேண்டும்vēṇṭumshould desire
- பிறவாமைpiṟavāmainon-birth/liberation
- மற்றதுmaṟṟatuthat
- வேண்டாமைvēṇṭāmaidesirelessness
- வேண்டvēṇṭaby desiring
- வரும்varumwill come
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a woodcutter named Arun. He toiled tirelessly, yet yearned for more – a finer home, richer clothes, a life free from labor. One day, a wise old sage visited the village. Arun, drawn by the sage's peaceful aura, asked how to achieve his desires. The sage smiled. "The more you grasp, the more you crave. True contentment lies not in acquiring, but in letting go. Observe the river – it flows freely, not clinging to its banks." Arun, initially confused, began to practice the sage's words. He still worked, but his focus shifted from accumulation to the joy of his craft. He found satisfaction in the warmth of his small hut, the simple meals, and the company of his neighbors. Gradually, the yearning faded, replaced by a quiet joy that needed nothing more. He found a peace he never knew existed.