Kural #61
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Tamil text
பெறுமவற்றுள் யாமறிவது இல்லை
அறிவறிந்த மக்கட்பேறு அல்ல பிற
Peṟumavaṟṟuḷ yāmaṟivatu illai
Aṟivaṟinta makkaṭpēṟu alla piṟa
English translation
Among all the blessings one can obtain, I know of none greater than the blessing of children endowed with wisdom.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar opens this chapter with a profound declaration: of all the treasures one can acquire in life, virtuous and intelligent children are the greatest. The phrase அறிவறிந்த (aṟivaṟinta) emphasizes not just intelligence, but wisdom - children who understand what is worth knowing. This sets the tone for the entire chapter, celebrating parenthood as life's supreme gift.
விளக்கம்
அறிவான பிள்ளைகள் பெரும் செல்வம். "மக்கட்பேறு" அதிகாரத்தில், இதுவே சிறந்த பேறு என்கிறார் திருவள்ளுவர். நல்லறிவுள்ள பிள்ளைகள் வாழ்க்கைக்கு வழிகாட்டி, குடும்பத்திற்கு பெருமை சேர்ப்பார்கள். அறிவை வளர்ப்பதே பிள்ளைகளுக்கு நாம் தரும் சிறந்த கொடை.
Word meanings
- பெறும்peṟumthat which is obtained
- அவற்றுள்avaṟṟuḷamong those
- யாம்yāmwe/I
- அறிவதுaṟivatuknow
- இல்லைillaithere is none
- அறிவுaṟivuwisdom/knowledge
- அறிந்தaṟintathat has understood
- மக்கள்makkaḷchildren
- பேறுpēṟublessing/fortune
- அல்லallanot
- பிறpiṟaother things
Story behind this kural
In a village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a wealthy merchant named Tharan. He possessed gold, jewels, and sprawling lands, yet he often sighed with discontent. He had no children. His neighbor, Kumar, a humble potter, had three: a boisterous son, a kind daughter, and a thoughtful youngest. One harsh winter, a famine swept the land. Tharan's granaries overflowed, but the villagers suffered. Kumar's children, though small, worked tirelessly. The daughter bartered for food, the son helped gather firewood, and the youngest, seeing his father’s worry, suggested a way to use their excess clay to make sturdy pots to store water to provide drinking water. Tharan, watching Kumar’s children share their meager meals and work with such purpose, was struck. He saw true wealth not in his overflowing stores, but in the love and resourcefulness of a family. He realized that the greatest treasure was not what he owned, but the legacy of kindness and wisdom passed on to the next generation.