Kural #38
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Tamil text
வீழ்நாள் படாஅமை நன்றாற்றின் அஃதொருவன்
வாழ்நாள் வழியடைக்கும் கல்
Vīḻnāḷ paṭāamai naṉṟāṟṟiṉ aḵtoruvaṉ
Vāḻnāḷ vaḻiyaṭaikkum kal
English translation
If one does good without wasting a single day, it becomes the stone that blocks rebirth.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar states that if one practices virtue every day without letting any day fall away wasted (veezhnaal pataamai nanraatrin), that accumulated virtue becomes like a stone (kal) that blocks the path (vazhiyadaikkum) of future births (vaazhnnaal) - meaning it leads to liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
விளக்கம்
ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் அறம் செய்தால், அது மறுபிறவி எடுக்காமல் தடுக்கும் கல்லைப் போலாகும். அறன்வலியுறுத்தல் அதிகாரத்தில், அறத்தின் முக்கியத்துவத்தை வள்ளுவர் கூறுகிறார். நல்ல செயல்கள் பிறவிச் சுழற்சியிலிருந்து விடுதலை தரும். நேரத்தை வீணாக்காமல் அறம் செய்வதே சிறப்பு.
Word meanings
- வீழ்நாள்vīḻnāḷwasted day
- படாஅமைpaṭāamaiwithout falling/wasting
- நன்றாற்றின்naṉṟāṟṟiṉif good is done
- அஃதுaḵtuthat
- ஒருவன்oruvaṉa person
- வாழ்நாள்vāḻnāḷlifetime/rebirth
- வழியடைக்கும்vaḻiyaṭaikkumblocks the path
- கல்kalstone
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest lived an old potter named Kumar. Every morning, he’d rise before dawn, his hands already shaping clay. He didn't just make pots; he mended broken ones for free, offered water to thirsty travelers, and always spoke kindly. His neighbor, the wealthy merchant, often scoffed. "Why waste time on such small deeds, Kumar? Focus on profit!" Kumar would simply smile and continue his work. Years passed. The merchant, consumed by his riches, grew increasingly unhappy. Kumar, however, aged gracefully, his face etched with contentment. When Kumar finally passed, the villagers gathered, remembering his gentle spirit. The merchant, though wealthier, felt a profound emptiness. He wandered the village, but the light that had emanated from Kumar's small clay workshop was gone, replaced by a strange, impenetrable stillness. The merchant could not find the path to follow, but Kumar's legacy was clear.