Kural #637
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Tamil text
செயற்கை அறிந்தக் கடைத்தும்
உலகத்து இயற்கை அறிந்து செயல்
Ceyaṟkai aṟintak kaṭaittum
Ulakattu iyaṟkai aṟintu ceyal
English translation
Even if one knows the theory of action, one must act according to the natural ways of the world.
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Explanation
Book knowledge (செயற்கை) alone is insufficient. A wise minister must also understand practical realities (இயற்கை) - how the world actually works. Theory must be adapted to reality.
விளக்கம்
அமைச்சருக்குப் பல விஷயங்கள் தெரிந்திருந்தாலும், உலக நடப்பை அறிந்து செயல்பட வேண்டும். வெறும் புத்தக அறிவு மட்டும் போதாது. உலகத்தின் இயல்பை உணர்ந்து அதற்கேற்ப செயல்படுவதே சிறந்த அமைச்சருக்கு அழகு. இதுவே அமைச்சு அதிகாரத்தின் கருத்து.
Word meanings
- செயற்கைceyaṟkaiartificial/theoretical knowledge
- அறிந்தaṟintahaving known
- கடைத்தும்kaṭaittumeven at the end/even so
- உலகத்துulakattuof the world
- இயற்கைiyaṟkainature/natural way
- அறிந்துaṟintuknowing
- செயல்ceyalaction/act
Story behind this kural
The young scholar, Elara, brimming with scrolls on agriculture, convinced the village elder to try his new irrigation system. His diagrams were flawless; his calculations, precise. The villagers, skeptical but hopeful, watched as Elara diverted the river's flow. The system, according to the scrolls, should have watered the lower fields first. Instead, the water rushed erratically, flooding some areas and leaving others parched. The elder, observing the chaos, sighed. "The theory," Elara declared, bewildered, "is perfect!" An old farmer, whose hands were etched with the lines of the land, approached. He pointed to a subtle rise in the soil, hidden by the reeds. "The water knows the path of least resistance," he said gently. "The land tells the water where to go, not the other way around." They adjusted the system, accounting for the unseen contours. The water flowed smoothly, and the harvest was bountiful.