Kural #65
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Tamil text
மக்கள்மெய் தீண்டல் உடற்கின்பம்
மற்றவர் சொற்கேட்டல் இன்பம் செவிக்கு
Makkaḷmey tīṇṭal uṭaṟkiṉpam
Maṟṟavar coṟkēṭṭal iṉpam cevikku
English translation
The touch of one's children is joy to the body; hearing their words is joy to the ears.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar celebrates the sensory delights of parenthood. When children embrace their parents, when their small bodies press against ours, it brings physical joy (உடற்கு இன்பம்). When they speak - even their babbling - it is music to the ears (செவிக்கு இன்பம்). This kural captures the multi-sensory bliss that children bring to parents.
விளக்கம்
மக்கட்பேறு அதிகாரத்தில், குழந்தைகள் உடலைத் தொடுவது உடலுக்கு இன்பம். அவர்கள் பேசும் சொற்களைக் கேட்பது செவிக்கு இன்பம். பிள்ளைகளின் ஸ்பரிசமும், பேச்சும் பெற்றோர்க்கு மகிழ்ச்சி தரும். இதுவே அறம்.
Word meanings
- மக்கள்makkaḷchildren
- மெய்meybody
- தீண்டல்tīṇṭaltouch/contact
- உடற்குuṭaṟkuto the body
- இன்பம்iṉpamjoy/pleasure
- மற்றுmaṟṟuand/moreover
- அவர்avartheir
- சொல்colwords
- கேட்டல்kēṭṭalhearing
- செவிக்குcevikkuto the ears
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived an old potter named Kumar. His hands, though weathered by years of shaping clay, were clumsy with age. He missed his late wife and often felt a deep loneliness in his small hut. One day, his grandson, little Ravi, came running into his workshop. The boy’s laughter echoed, chasing away the shadows. Ravi wrapped his small arms around Kumar’s legs, a warm, solid embrace. Kumar felt a jolt of unexpected energy, a warmth spreading through his weary body. Later, as Kumar sat by the fire, Ravi chattered about his day, his words a delightful jumble of discoveries. Each syllable was a melody, a gentle balm to Kumar's silent world. He listened, captivated, the boy's voice a sweet symphony in the quiet evening. Kumar realized that the purest joys in life were often the simplest: a loving touch, and the music of a child's voice.