Kural #383
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Tamil text
தூங்காமை கல்வி துணிவுடைமை இம்மூன்றும்
நீங்கா நிலனாள் பவர்க்கு
Tūṅkāmai kalvi tuṇivuṭaimai immūṉṟum
Nīṅkā nilaṉāḷ pavarkku
English translation
Vigilance, learning, and decisiveness - these three must never leave those who rule the land.
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Explanation
Three inseparable companions of rulers: தூங்காமை (sleeplessness/vigilance), கல்வி (education), துணிவுடைமை (decisiveness). These must நீங்கா (never depart) from a நிலனாள்பவர் (one who rules the land).
விளக்கம்
நிலத்தை ஆள்பவர்க்கு தூங்காமை, கல்வி, துணிவுடைமை இம்மூன்றும் இன்றியமையாதவை. விழிப்போடு, கற்றுணர்ந்து, சரியான முடிவெடுக்கும் திறனே இறைமாட்சிக்கு வழி. இவை விலகாமல் காப்பதே நல்லாட்சி.
Word meanings
- தூங்காமைtūṅkāmaivigilance/not sleeping
- கல்விkalvilearning
- துணிவுடைமைtuṇivuṭaimaidecisiveness
- இம்மூன்றும்immūṉṟumthese three
- நீங்காnīṅkānever leaving
- நிலன்nilaṉland
- ஆள்பவர்க்குāḷpavarkkufor those who rule
Story behind this kural
The old King, weary from years of rule, decided to test his son, the Prince. He announced a contest: whoever could bring the most prosperity to the village in one year would inherit the throne. The first son, known for his love of leisure, threw lavish feasts and built grand monuments, hoping to impress the villagers. The second, a scholar, spent his days reading ancient texts, seeking wisdom in forgotten scrolls, but the village remained unchanged. The Prince, however, spent his days and nights observing. He listened to the farmers’ concerns, learned the craft of the blacksmith, and studied the patterns of the river. He then proposed a new irrigation system and a fair tax system. With the help of the villagers, the land flourished. At the year's end, the village was prosperous, with full granaries and happy faces. The King smiled, knowing his kingdom was in capable hands.