Kural #42
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Tamil text
துறந்தார்க்கும் துவ்வா தவர்க்கும் இறந்தார்க்கும்
இல்வாழ்வான் என்பான் துணை
Tuṟantārkkum tuvvā tavarkkum iṟantārkkum
Ilvāḻvāṉ eṉpāṉ tuṇai
English translation
The householder is the support for renunciates, for those who cannot sustain themselves, and for the departed ancestors.
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Explanation
This kural expands on who depends on the householder: துறந்தார் (those who have renounced worldly life), துவ்வாதவர் (those who cannot afford to live - the poor and helpless), and இறந்தார் (the departed, who receive oblations through the householder). The householder thus connects the living and the dead, the worldly and the spiritual.
விளக்கம்
இக்குறள் இல்லறத்தானின் கடமையைச் சொல்லுது. துறவிகள், ஏழைகள், முன்னோர்கள் ஆகியோருக்கு இல்லறத்தாரே உதவி. இல்லறம் அறத்தின் அடிப்படை; பிறருக்கு உதவும் வாழ்க்கை சிறந்தது.
Word meanings
- துறந்தார்க்கும்tuṟantārkkumfor the renunciates/ascetics
- துவ்வாதவர்க்கும்tuvvātavarkkumfor those who cannot sustain themselves
- இறந்தார்க்கும்iṟantārkkumfor the departed ancestors
- இல்வாழ்வான்ilvāḻvāṉthe householder
- என்பான்eṉpāṉcalled/is
- துணைtuṇaisupport/help
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest lived a kind farmer named Arul. His days were filled with tending his fields, but his heart held a wider purpose. One day, a weary traveler, a Sanyasi, arrived seeking rest. Arul welcomed him, sharing his humble meal and providing shelter. Later, a beggar, thin and frail, stumbled into the village, his stomach empty. Arul, seeing his plight, offered him food and work on his farm. He cared for the man, helping him regain his strength. Each year, Arul would perform a ritual, offering food and prayers to his ancestors, remembering their lives and their journey beyond. He believed their blessings guided him. The villagers noticed Arul's generosity. They saw the Sanyasi depart, refreshed, the beggar regain his health, and the ancestral spirits honored. They realized that Arul’s simple life, filled with kindness and support, created a web of connection, sustaining all who came within its reach, both seen and unseen.