Kural #379
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
நன்றாங்கால் நல்லவாக் காண்பவர்
அன்றாங்கால் அல்லற் படுவ தெவன்
Naṉṟāṅkāl nallavāk kāṇpavar
Aṉṟāṅkāl allaṟ paṭuva tevaṉ
English translation
Why should those who see good in good times grieve when bad times come?
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Explanation
Those who praise their situation when fortune smiles should not complain when it frowns. Both are manifestations of fate. Equanimity in both conditions is the wise response.
விளக்கம்
நன்மை வரும்போது மகிழ்பவர், தீமை வரும்போது ஏன் வருத்தப்பட வேண்டும்? எல்லாம் ஊழின் விளைவே. நல்லதும் கெட்டதும் மாறி மாறி வரும் என்பதை உணர்ந்து சமமாக இருத்தலே அறம்.
Word meanings
- நன்றுnaṉṟugood
- ஆங்கால்āṅkālwhen it is
- நல்லவாnallavāas good
- காண்பவர்kāṇpavarthose who see
- அன்றுaṉṟunot so (adverse)
- அல்லல்allalsuffering
- படுவதுpaṭuvatuundergoing
- எவன்evaṉwhy
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a shimmering river, lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. Arun's fields overflowed with grain, his granary bursting with plenty. He hosted lavish feasts, boasting of his good fortune and the bountiful harvest. Bala, though his fields yielded less, was content. He shared his modest harvest with neighbors and offered thanks for what he had. A harsh drought soon descended. Arun’s crops withered, and his granary emptied. He lamented his fate, cursing the heavens and the scarcity. He grew bitter and isolated. Bala, on the other hand, faced the hardship with quiet resolve. He rationed his remaining stores, helped others, and continued to tend his parched land. He understood the changing seasons, the ebb and flow of fortune. When the rains finally returned, Bala's resilient fields began to revive, while Arun, consumed by his past woes, struggled to rebuild.