Kural #458
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
தீயினத்தால் தீயவை யெல்லாந் தரும்
தீயினத்தால் தீயவே தீய புகும்
Tīyiṉattāl tīyavai yellān tarum
Tīyiṉattāl tīyavē tīya pukum
English translation
Bad company brings all evils; through bad company, evil deeds alone enter one's life.
Listen
Explanation
The repetition of "தீய" (tīya - evil/bad) emphasizes the comprehensive nature of corruption from bad company. Not some evils, but ALL evils come through such associations. Bad company is like an open door through which only harmful things enter.
விளக்கம்
தீய நண்பர்கள் எல்லாத் தீமைகளையும் தருவார்கள். கெட்ட சகவாசத்தால் கெட்ட செயல்களே நம் வாழ்வில் நுழையும். "சிற்றினம் சேராமை" அதிகாரத்தில், தீயவர்களுடன் சேராமல் இருப்பது எவ்வளவு முக்கியம் என்பதை இது காட்டுகிறது. கெட்ட நண்பர்களைத் தவிர்ப்பதே நல்லது.
Word meanings
- தீயினத்தால்tīyiṉattālthrough bad company
- தீயவைtīyavaievil things
- எல்லாம்ellāmall
- தரும்tarumgives/brings
- தீயவேtīyavēonly evil
- தீயtīyabad/evil
- புகும்pukumenters
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived two young men, Arun and Bala. Arun, diligent and kind, worked the fields, while Bala, drawn to the boisterous laughter of the town's ruffians, spent his days idling. At first, Bala’s companions offered only fleeting pleasures – shared wine, idle gossip, and boasts of ill-gotten gains. Arun watched, concerned, but Bala dismissed his worries. "They are just enjoying life," he'd say. Soon, Bala began to neglect his own work, his fields overgrown. Then, he started borrowing, unable to repay. He joined his companions in petty theft, his laughter replaced with a nervous edge. One day, a farmer’s crops went missing, and Bala was caught with the stolen goods. Arun, saddened, visited Bala in the village jail. He saw the despair in his friend’s eyes, the ruin of his once bright spirit. The forest, once a source of peace, now seemed to echo with the weight of lost opportunities and broken trust.