Kural #713
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Tamil text
அவையறியார் சொல்லல்மேற் கொள்பவர்
சொல்லின் வகையறியார் வல்லது அதுவே
Avaiyaṟiyār collalmēṟ koḷpavar
Colliṉ vakaiyaṟiyār vallatu atuvē
English translation
Those who speak without knowing the assembly do not know the proper use of words - that is their only skill.
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Explanation
Those who speak without reading their audience (அவை அறியார்) demonstrate only one talent: not knowing how to use words properly (சொல்லின் வகை அறியார்). Speaking to the wrong audience is a form of ignorance.
விளக்கம்
அவையைக் கவனிக்காமல் பேசுவோர், வார்த்தைகளின் மதிப்பை அறியாதவர்கள். அவர்களின் திறமை அது மட்டுமே. தகுந்த இடத்தில் பேசும் முறையை அறிய வேண்டும். இது அவையறிதல் அதிகாரத்தின் கருத்து.
Word meanings
- அவைavaiassembly
- அறியார்aṟiyārthose who do not know
- சொல்லல்collalspeaking
- மேற்கொள்பவர்mēṟkoḷpavarthose who undertake
- சொல்லின்colliṉof words
- வகைvakaimanner/type
- வல்லதுvallatucapability
- அதுவேatuvēthat alone
Story behind this kural
In a bustling marketplace, a traveling merchant named Thiru arrived, eager to sell his wares. He boasted of silks fit for kings, spices more fragrant than paradise, and jewels that shimmered like captured stars. He began his sales pitch to a group of farmers, praising the silks’ durability for plowing fields and the spices' ability to ward off field mice. The farmers exchanged confused glances. They needed sturdy work clothes and food for their families, not shimmering silks or exotic spices. One old farmer, his face etched with wisdom, politely inquired about seeds and tools. Undeterred, Thiru then approached a group of wealthy nobles, extolling the virtues of his finest grains and the practicality of his work boots. The nobles, accustomed to luxury, chuckled amongst themselves. They desired elegance and rare treasures, not the farmer’s necessities. Thiru, blinded by his own voice, continued to speak, oblivious to the disinterest around him. He left the market with his goods unsold.