Kural #457
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
நல்லினத்தி னூங்குந் துணையில்லை
தீயினத்தின் அல்லற் படுப்பதூஉம் இல்
Nalliṉatti ṉūṅkun tuṇaiyillai
Tīyiṉattiṉ allaṟ paṭuppatūum il
English translation
There is no greater support than good company; there is nothing that causes more suffering than bad company.
Listen
Explanation
This kural presents the contrast starkly. Good friends are the ultimate support system - no wealth, power, or resource can match their value. Conversely, bad company is the greatest source of suffering - worse than poverty or illness.
விளக்கம்
நல்ல நண்பர்களே சிறந்த துணை. தீய நண்பர்கள் துன்பம் தருவதில் பெரியவர்கள் இல்லை. சிற்றினம் சேராமல் நல்லவர்களுடன் இரு. அதுவே நலம் தரும்.
Word meanings
- நல்லினத்தின்nalliṉattiṉthan good company
- ஊங்குūṅkugreater
- துணைtuṇaisupport
- இல்லைillaithere is not
- தீயினத்தின்tīyiṉattiṉthan bad company
- அல்லல்allalsuffering
- படுப்பதுpaṭuppatuthat which causes
- இல்ilthere is not
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest lived two young men, Arun and Bala. Arun, kind and diligent, spent his days learning from the village elder, tending his small garden, and sharing his harvest with those in need. Bala, however, fell in with a group of idle youths. They spent their days gambling, gossiping, and mocking the hardworking villagers. One year, a terrible drought struck. Arun’s knowledge of water conservation, learned from the elder, helped his garden flourish, yielding enough food for his family and neighbors. Bala, caught up in the vices of his companions, had nothing. When the desperate villagers turned to him for help, he had only empty hands and a mocking laugh. He soon found himself alone, his friends having abandoned him in his time of need. Arun, seeing Bala's plight, offered him food and a place to stay, reminding him of the importance of choosing one's path wisely.