Kural #498
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Tamil text
சிறுபடையான் செல்லிடம் சேரின்
உறுபடையான் ஊக்கம் அழிந்து விடும்
Ciṟupaṭaiyāṉ celliṭam cēriṉ
Uṟupaṭaiyāṉ ūkkam aḻintu viṭum
English translation
If a large army enters the territory where a small army has the advantage, its confidence will be destroyed.
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Explanation
Superior numbers mean nothing in unfavorable terrain. A small force on its home ground can demoralize and defeat a much larger invading army. Terrain nullifies numerical advantage.
விளக்கம்
குறைந்த படை உள்ளவன் தகுந்த இடத்தில் இருந்தால், பெரிய படையின் மனவுறுதி கெடும். இடமறிந்து போரிட்டால், பலம் குறைந்தவரும் வெல்லலாம். இடனறிதல் அதிகாரத்தின்படி, சரியான இடத்தை தேர்ந்தெடுப்பது முக்கியம்.
Word meanings
- சிறுபடையான்ciṟupaṭaiyāṉone with small army
- செல்லிடம்celliṭamfavorable place
- சேரின்cēriṉif enters
- உறுபடையான்uṟupaṭaiyāṉone with large army
- ஊக்கம்ūkkamconfidence/enthusiasm
- அழிந்துaḻintubeing destroyed
- விடும்viṭumwill happen
Story behind this kural
The King's army, vast and proud, marched upon the small village nestled among the jagged peaks. The villagers, a meager band of farmers and artisans, knew they could not win a direct battle. Yet, their elder, a wise woman named Maya, devised a plan. As the King's soldiers ascended the narrow mountain pass, the villagers began their work. They rolled boulders down upon the invaders. They lured the knights into hidden ravines, the terrain their ally. They set ambushes in the dense, twisting forests, where the King's cavalry became clumsy and disorganized. The King, from his vantage point, watched his mighty army falter. His soldiers, once confident, now stumbled and retreated, their armor useless against the treacherous ground. The villagers, though few, fought with a fierce determination born of their intimate knowledge of the land. The King, witnessing the demoralization of his troops, ordered a retreat. The villagers, victorious, returned to their homes, their simple lives protected by the wisdom of their elder and the strength of their home.