Kural #786
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Tamil text
முகநக நட்பது நட்பன்று
நெஞ்சத்து அகநக நட்பது நட்பு
Mukanaka naṭpatu naṭpaṉṟu
Neñcattu akanaka naṭpatu naṭpu
English translation
Friendship with smiling faces is not true friendship; friendship where hearts smile is true friendship.
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Explanation
Surface friendliness (முகம் நக - face smiling) is not real friendship. True நட்பு requires நெஞ்சத்து அகம் நக (the inner heart smiling). Authenticity defines real friendship.
விளக்கம்
குறள் 786: முகம் மட்டும் சிரித்தால் அது நட்பல்ல. உள்ளம் மகிழ்ந்து சிரிக்கும் நட்பே உண்மையானது. நட்பு அதிகாரத்தில், வெளித்தோற்றம் முக்கியமில்லை, மனப்பூர்வமான அன்பே சிறந்தது. உண்மையான நண்பர்களைத் தேர்ந்தெடு.
Word meanings
- முகம்mukamface
- நகnakasmiling
- நட்பதுnaṭpatubefriending
- நட்புnaṭpufriendship
- அன்றுaṉṟuis not
- நெஞ்சத்துneñcattuin the heart
- அகம்akaminner/inside
Story behind this kural
The village of Eldoria buzzed with the arrival of a wealthy merchant, Silas. He showered the villagers with gifts and compliments, his smile as bright as the midday sun. Everyone loved Silas. He hosted feasts and offered jobs, his generosity seemingly boundless. Among the villagers was Elara, a humble weaver. Silas often praised her work, always with a warm smile. But when a harsh winter struck, and Elara’s family faced hardship, Silas offered only empty words and polite excuses. In contrast, old Thomas, a simple farmer, rarely smiled. He spoke plainly and offered no grand gestures. Yet, when Elara’s family struggled, Thomas quietly brought them food and firewood, his actions speaking louder than any smile. He shared his meager harvest without a word of praise or expectation. As spring arrived, Elara realized who truly cared. The warmth of Thomas’s heart had kept them alive, while Silas's superficial kindness had faded with the winter snow.