Kural #540
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
செங்கோலாள் வேண்டி உலகமெலாம்
ஆண்டிடினும் பொச்சாப்பு ஓர் நோய்க்கு இடம்
Ceṅkōlāḷ vēṇṭi ulakamellām
Āṇṭiṭiṉum poccāppu ōr nōykku iṭam
English translation
Even if one rules the whole world with righteous scepter, negligence opens the door to disease.
Listen
Explanation
No amount of power protects against the disease (நோய்) that negligence brings. Even a just ruler (செங்கோலாள்) of the entire world falls if vigilance lapses. Position cannot substitute for attentiveness.
விளக்கம்
செங்கோல் ஆட்சி செய்தாலும், மறதி ஒரு பிணி. உலகத்தையே ஆண்டாலும், கவனக்குறைவு ஆபத்து தரும். பொச்சாவாமை அதிகாரத்தின்படி, விழிப்புடன் இருப்பது முக்கியம். பதவி இருந்தாலும், மறதி நோய்க்கு வழிவிடும்.
Word meanings
- செங்கோல்ceṅkōljust scepter
- ஆள்āḷruling
- வேண்டிvēṇṭidesiring
- உலகம்ulakamworld
- எலாம்elāmall
- ஆண்டிடினும்āṇṭiṭiṉumeven if ruling
- பொச்சாப்புpoccāppunegligence
- ஓர்ōrone/a
- நோய்க்குnōykkufor disease
- இடம்iṭamplace/opportunity
Story behind this kural
King Tharan ruled his kingdom with a just hand. His people prospered, and his granaries overflowed. He was known for his wisdom and sharp judgment, always vigilant against threats. But as years passed, the King grew weary. He began to trust his advisors implicitly, dismissing minor complaints as trivial. One day, a merchant brought news of a blight slowly creeping across the northern farmlands. The King, preoccupied with a grand celebration, brushed it aside, trusting his ministers to handle such matters. He reasoned, “Surely, such a small problem won’t affect us.” Weeks later, the celebration was in full swing when cries of panic erupted. The blight had spread like wildfire, devastating the crops and leaving the kingdom on the brink of famine. The King, once so revered, now saw his power crumble, a victim of his own carelessness. He had everything, yet he lost everything because he had failed to pay attention.