Kural #709
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Tamil text
பகைமையும் கேண்மையும் கண்ணுரைக்கும்
கண்ணிற் கவைமை உணரப் படும்
Pakaimaiyum kēṇmaiyum kaṇṇuraikkum
Kaṇṇiṟ kavaimai uṇarap paṭum
English translation
Eyes reveal both enmity and friendship; the duplicity in the eyes can be perceived.
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Explanation
Eyes speak volumes: they reveal both பகைமை (enmity) and கேண்மை (friendship). Even கவைமை (duplicity/double-dealing) can be detected in the eyes by a perceptive observer.
விளக்கம்
கண்கள் பகை, நட்பு இரண்டையும் காட்டும். ஒருவரின் மனதில் உள்ள கபட எண்ணத்தையும் அவர் பார்வையில் இருந்து அறியலாம். முகத்தில் தெரியும் குறிப்புகளை வைத்து ஒருவரை எடைபோடுவது நல்லது. இது குறிப்பறிதல் அதிகாரத்தின் முக்கியம்.
Word meanings
- பகைமைpakaimaienmity
- கேண்மைkēṇmaifriendship
- கண்kaṇeyes
- உரைக்கும்uraikkumwill tell
- கண்ணிற்kaṇṇiṟin the eyes
- கவைமைkavaimaiduplicity
- உணரப்படும்uṇarappaṭumcan be perceived
Story behind this kural
The village elder, Thiru, was known for his wise counsel. Two merchants, brothers named Arun and Bala, came before him, each with a complaint. Arun accused Bala of cheating him in their recent trade, pointing to a contract. Bala, his face a picture of innocence, insisted it was a misunderstanding. Thiru listened patiently. He examined the contract, noting the ambiguous wording. He then looked at the brothers, one by one. Arun’s eyes flashed with anger, his jaw tight. When he spoke, his gaze remained fixed, almost defiant. Bala, however, met Thiru’s gaze directly, his eyes wide and pleading. But as he spoke, a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face, a fleeting shadow. Thiru nodded slowly. He asked them to return the next day. He would have a solution, he said. The next day, Thiru announced that the contract was indeed unclear. He proposed a fair division of the profits, which favoured Arun slightly. Arun readily agreed. Bala hesitated, then reluctantly accepted, his eyes downcast.