Kural #437
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Tamil text
செயற்பால செய்யா திவறியான் செல்வம்
உயற்பால தன்றிக் கெடும்
Ceyaṟpāla ceyyā tivaṟiyāṉ celvam
Uyaṟpāla taṉṟik keṭum
English translation
The wealth of the miser who does not do what ought to be done will perish without benefiting anyone.
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Explanation
Wealth that is hoarded and not used for its proper purpose - charity, investment, helping others - will eventually disappear without bringing any good. Money must circulate to create value.
விளக்கம்
செய்ய வேண்டியதைச் செய்யாத கஞ்சனின் செல்வம் வளராமல் அழியும். பிறருக்கு உதவாமல் சேர்த்து வைக்கும் பணம் வீணாகும். குற்றங்களை நீக்கிப் பொருளைப் பயனுள்ளதாக்க வேண்டும்.
Word meanings
- செயற்பாலceyaṟpālawhat ought to be done
- செய்யாதுceyyātunot doing
- இவறியான்ivaṟiyāṉthe miser
- செல்வம்celvamwealth
- உயற்பாலuyaṟpālafor rising/benefit
- அன்றிaṉṟinot
- கெடும்keṭumwill perish
Story behind this kural
In a sun-baked village lived a merchant named Silas. He possessed a vast store of grain, more than any other villager. Yet, Silas was known for his stinginess. He kept his grain locked away, refusing to sell even when the price soared during a drought. He feared losing his wealth. Meanwhile, the other villagers struggled. Their own stores dwindled, and their families grew hungry. They offered to trade their meager possessions for Silas's grain, but he refused, hoarding it like a miser. One day, a great storm swept through the village. The river overflowed, flooding the merchant’s storage. The locked doors burst, and the grain, untouched and unused, was washed away by the rushing water. Silas watched, devastated, as his wealth vanished, while the villagers, who had shared what they had, helped each other rebuild their lives. The village, having faced the storm together, began to flourish.