Kural #796
Last reviewed:
Tamil text
கேட்டினும் உண்டோர் உறுதி
கிளைஞரை நீட்டி அளப்பதோர் கோல்
Kēṭṭiṉum uṇṭōr uṟuti
Kiḷaiñarai nīṭṭi aḷappatōr kōl
English translation
Even misfortune has one benefit: it is the measuring rod that extends to measure kinsmen.
Listen
Explanation
Adversity (கேடு) has one silver lining (உறுதி): it serves as a கோல் (measuring stick) to assess (அளப்பது) the loyalty of friends and relatives (கிளைஞர்).
விளக்கம்
கஷ்டம் வரும்போது யார் உண்மையான நண்பர் எனத் தெரியும். உறவினர், நண்பர் அன்பை அளக்க இது ஒரு வாய்ப்பு. நட்பாராய்தல் அதிகாரத்தில், நெருக்கடியில் உதவுபவரே சிறந்த நண்பர் என்பது கருத்து.
Word meanings
- கேடுkēṭumisfortune
- இனும்iṉumeven in
- உண்டுuṇṭuthere is
- ஓர்ōrone
- உறுதிuṟutibenefit/certainty
- கிளைஞர்kiḷaiñarkinsmen/friends
- நீட்டிnīṭṭiextending
- அளப்பதுaḷappatumeasuring
- கோல்kōlmeasuring rod
Story behind this kural
In a humble village nestled beside a whispering river, lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. They tilled the land side-by-side, sharing tools and harvests, their friendship a sturdy oak. When a sudden flood swept through the valley, Arun lost everything. His crops were ruined, his home submerged. Bala, whose fields remained untouched, offered comforting words but little else. He mumbled about his own needs and the risks of helping. Days turned into weeks, and Arun struggled. He watched as other villagers, some barely known to him, shared their meager stores and offered shelter. Eventually, Arun rebuilt his life, aided by the unexpected kindness of strangers. When the land was fertile again, Bala approached, seeking to resume their old partnership. Arun simply smiled and turned back to his field. He understood now the true measure of a friend.