Kural #433
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
தினைத்துணையாங் குற்றம் வரினும்
பனைத்துணையாக் கொள்வர் பழிநாணு வார்
Tiṉaittuṇaiyāṅ kuṟṟam variṉum
Paṉaittuṇaiyāk koḷvar paḻināṇu vār
English translation
Those who fear blame will consider even a millet-sized fault as big as a palm tree.
Listen
Explanation
People with strong moral conscience magnify their own small mistakes, treating them as major errors. This heightened sensitivity to one's own faults leads to self-correction and moral growth.
விளக்கம்
பழிக்கு அஞ்சுபவர், சிறிய தவறைக்கூட பெரியதாக நினைப்பர். 'குற்றங்கடிதல்' அதிகாரப்படி, தவற்றை உணர்ந்து திருந்தினால் நன்மை பெருகும். சிறிய தவறே பின்னாளில் பெரிய விளைவை ஏற்படுத்தும்.
Word meanings
- தினைtiṉaimillet seed
- துணையாtuṇaiyāsized
- குற்றம்kuṟṟamfault
- வரினும்variṉumeven if comes
- பனைpaṉaipalm tree
- துணையாtuṇaiyāsized
- கொள்வர்koḷvarwill consider
- பழிpaḻiblame
- நாணுவார்nāṇuvārthose who fear/are ashamed
Story behind this kural
In a humble village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived two potters, Arun and Bala. Arun, known for his careless ways, often shrugged off minor imperfections in his creations. A small crack here, a slightly uneven rim there – "No matter," he'd say, "The customer won't notice." His pots, though plentiful, lacked true beauty. Bala, however, was a craftsman of a different sort. If a single grain of sand marred the smoothness of his clay, he'd restart the entire pot. If a handle felt even a hair's breadth off-center, he'd discard it. Villagers often teased him for his meticulousness, yet his pots, flawless and strong, were prized possessions. One day, a wealthy merchant arrived, seeking the finest water vessel. He examined Arun's wares, scoffing at the flaws. Then, he saw Bala's work. Admiring its perfection, he purchased a vessel. As he departed, he glanced back at Arun and shook his head, understanding why some mistakes appear far larger than others.