Kural #736
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Tamil text
ஆற்றுப் பொருளுடைமை அஃதொருதன்
நாட்ட வைத்துப் பொருளுடைமை நீர்
Āṟṟup poruḷuṭaimai aḵtoruṭaṉ
Nāṭṭa vaittup poruḷuṭaimai nīr
English translation
A country's wealth lies in its flowing water; that single resource establishes and sustains all other wealth of the land.
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Explanation
Water is the fundamental wealth of any nation. Like a river that flows and nourishes, abundant water resources establish and maintain all other forms of prosperity - agriculture, industry, and life itself.
விளக்கம்
குறள் 736: ஆறுகள் ஓடும் நீரே நாட்டின் செல்வம். அந்நீரே விவசாயம் முதலிய எல்லா வளங்களையும் நிலைநாட்டும். நீரின்றி நாடு இல்லை. இது நாட்டின் சிறப்பைப் பற்றி கூறுவது.
Word meanings
- ஆற்றுāṟṟuriver/flowing
- பொருள்poruḷwealth/resource
- உடைமைuṭaimaipossession/having
- அஃதுaḵtuthat
- ஒருதன்oruṭaṉone thing/alone
- நாட்டnāṭṭain the country
- வைத்துvaittuestablishing/placing
- நீர்nīrwater
Story behind this kural
In the village of Vallam, life flourished. The land was fertile, the harvests plentiful, and the people content. The secret to their prosperity was the river, Amaravati, which snaked through their fields, providing life-giving water. Then, a drought struck. The river dwindled, its waters becoming a mere trickle. The crops withered, the animals grew weak, and the villagers’ spirits began to falter. The once-bustling marketplace fell silent. The wealthy merchants, once boasting of their riches, found their stores empty. Even the king's granaries, once overflowing, began to deplete. Desperate, the villagers pleaded with the king. He ordered wells dug, but they yielded little. He sent men to find new sources, but the sun beat down mercilessly. Slowly, the villagers understood. Without the lifeblood of the river, their wealth, their prosperity, their very existence, began to evaporate. The village, once vibrant, now felt the sting of emptiness.