Kural #617
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Tamil text
மடியுளாள் மாமுகடி என்ப
மடியிலான் தாளுளாள் தாமரையி னாள்
Maṭiyuḷāḷ māmukaṭi eṉpa
Maṭiyilāṉ tāḷuḷāḷ tāmaraiyi ṉāḷ
English translation
They say that the dark goddess of misfortune dwells in the lazy person, while the lotus-seated goddess Lakshmi resides in the diligent.
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Explanation
A vivid theological contrast: மாமுகடி (Mudevi, goddess of misfortune, depicted as dark/inauspicious) lives with the lazy. தாமரையினாள் (She who sits on the lotus - Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity) lives with the diligent (மடியிலான்). Your effort determines which deity takes residence in your life! This imagery would resonate deeply with Tamil culture.
விளக்கம்
சோம்பேறித்தனத்தில் தரித்திரம் குடியிருக்கும். முயற்சி செய்பவரின் உழைப்பில் திருமகள் வாசம் செய்வாள். ஆள்வினையுடைமை அதிகாரத்தின்படி, முயற்சியே செல்வத்தை தரும். சோம்பலை ஒழித்து, உழைத்தால் நலம் பெறலாம்.
Word meanings
- மடிmaṭilaziness
- உளாள்uḷāḷshe who is within
- மாமுகடிmāmukaṭigoddess of misfortune (Mudevi)
- என்பeṉpathey say
- மடியிலான்maṭiyilāṉone without laziness
- தாள்tāḷeffort/industry
- தாமரையினாள்tāmaraiyi ṉāḷthe lotus-seated one (Lakshmi)
Story behind this kural
In a sun-baked village nestled beside a whispering river, lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. Arun was known for his languid ways. Mornings found him still abed, the sun already high, while his fields lay untended. Weeds choked his crops, and his hut remained perpetually in disrepair. He often muttered about bad luck. Bala, however, rose with the dawn. He toiled tirelessly, his hands calloused from work. He mended fences, watered his crops, and ensured everything was in order. His fields flourished, yielding a bountiful harvest. His home was neat and comfortable. One day, a wise traveler passed through the village. Seeing the stark contrast between the two farms, he simply smiled. He offered each farmer a single seed, a symbol of potential. Arun tossed his seed aside, claiming the soil was cursed. Bala carefully planted his, nurtured it, and watched it blossom into a strong, fruitful plant.