Kural #801
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Tamil text
பழைமை எனப்படுவது யாதெனின்
யாதும் கிழமையைக் கீழ்ந்திடா நட்பு
Paḻaimai eṉappaṭuvatu yāteṉiṉ
Yātum kiḻamaiyaik kīḻntaṭā naṭpu
English translation
What is called old friendship? It is friendship where nothing diminishes the sense of belonging.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar defines பழைமை (old/established friendship): it is friendship where no circumstance (யாதும்) diminishes (கீழ்ந்திடா) the கிழமை (sense of intimate belonging/ownership).
விளக்கம்
பழைமை நட்புன்னா என்னன்னா, எவ்ளோ காலம் ஆனாலும், நம்ம உரிமையை, சொந்தம் கொண்டாடும் உணர்வை குறைக்காத நட்புதான். காலத்தால் மாறாத அன்பே உண்மையான நட்பு. இது பழைமை அதிகாரத்தில் சொல்லப்பட்டிருக்கு.
Word meanings
- பழைமைpaḻaimaiold friendship
- எனப்படுவதுeṉappaṭuvatuwhat is called
- யாதெனின்yāteṉiṉif asked what
- யாதும்yātumnothing/anything
- கிழமைkiḻamaiownership/belonging
- கீழ்ந்திடாkīḻntaṭānot diminishing
- நட்புnaṭpufriendship
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering river, lived two friends, Arun and Bala. They had known each other since childhood, sharing secrets and dreams under the shade of the banyan tree. Arun, the son of a humble potter, and Bala, the son of the village elder, were inseparable. Years passed. Bala inherited his father's position, his life filled with responsibilities and the weight of leadership. Arun, through hard work and a touch of luck, became a successful merchant, traveling to distant lands. Some villagers whispered that wealth and status would change them. They expected a rift to grow between the potter's son and the elder's heir. Yet, whenever Arun returned to the village, he sought out Bala first. They would sit under the banyan tree, just as they always had. Bala would share his burdens of governance, and Arun would offer his worldly wisdom. Their laughter still echoed through the village, their bond unchanged by time or circumstance. Even as the sun set, casting long shadows, their sense of belonging remained unbroken.