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Kural #555

Wealth· பொருள்Cruel Rule· கொடுங்கோன்மை

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Tamil text

அல்லற்பட்டு ஆற்றாது அழுதகண் ணீரன்றே

செல்வத்தைத் தேய்க்கும் படை

Allaṟpaṭṭu āṟṟātu aḻutakaṇ ṇīraṉṟē

Celvattait tēykkum paṭai

English translation

Are not the tears shed by the oppressed, unable to bear their suffering, the weapon that destroys the tyrant's wealth?

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Explanation

This is one of the most powerful kurals. The tears of oppressed people are described as a படை (weapon/army) that will grind down (தேய்க்கும்) the tyrant's wealth. Injustice creates its own destruction - the suffering of innocents becomes a curse that erodes the oppressor's prosperity.

விளக்கம்

கொடுங்கோல் அரசால் துன்புற்று அழும் மக்களின் கண்ணீரே, கொடுங்கோலனின் செல்வத்தை அழிக்கும் ஆயுதம். அநீதி இழைக்கப்பட்டவர்களின் வேதனை, சாபமாக மாறி செல்வத்தை அரிக்கும். அறம் வெல்லும் என்பதே நீதி.

Word meanings

  • அல்லல்allalsuffering/distress
  • பட்டுpaṭṭuexperiencing
  • ஆற்றாதுāṟṟātuunable to bear
  • அழுதaḻutawept
  • கண்ணீர்kaṇṇīrtears
  • அன்றேaṉṟēis it not?
  • செல்வம்celvamwealth
  • தேய்க்கும்tēykkumthat which erodes
  • படைpaṭaiweapon/army

Story behind this kural

In the village of Eldoria, lived a wealthy merchant named Silas. He built his fortune through shrewd deals and, some whispered, by exploiting the poor. His granaries overflowed while many families struggled. One harsh winter, Silas raised the price of grain, knowing the villagers had no choice but to buy. Among them was a young woman, Elara. She and her family faced starvation. Tears streamed down Elara's face as she watched her children go hungry. She and others pleaded with Silas, but his heart remained unmoved. Silas continued to prosper, building a grand mansion and hosting lavish feasts. But slowly, things began to change. First, a blight struck his crops. Then, his trade routes were disrupted by storms. Finally, his mansion caught fire, and the flames consumed everything. Silas, once the wealthiest man in Eldoria, was left with nothing. The villagers, though they had little, shared what they had. They remembered Elara’s tears, and the suffering Silas had caused.