Kural #831
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Tamil text
பேதைமை என்பதொன்று யாதெனின்
ஏதங்கொண்டு ஊதியம் போக விடல்
Pētaimai eṉpatoṉṟu yāteṉiṉ
Ētaṅkoṇṭu ūtiyam pōka viṭal
English translation
What is folly? It is embracing harm and letting go of benefit.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar defines பேதைமை (folly) precisely: grasping that which brings harm (ஏதம்) while releasing what brings benefit (ஊதியம்). The fool makes consistently wrong choices, choosing bad over good, loss over gain.
விளக்கம்
குறள் 831-ன் விளக்கம்: பேதைமை என்பது தீங்கு தருவதை பிடித்துக்கொண்டு, நன்மை தருவதை விடுவது. "பேதைமை" அதிகாரத்தில், அறிவில்லாதவர்கள் லாபத்தை விட நஷ்டத்தையே விரும்புவார்கள் என வள்ளுவர் கூறுகிறார். நல்லதை தேர்ந்தெடுப்பதே அறிவுடைமை.
Word meanings
- பேதைமைpētaimaifolly
- என்பதுeṉpatuwhat is called
- ஒன்றுoṉṟuone thing
- யாதுyātuwhat
- எனின்eṉiṉif asked
- ஏதம்ētamharm/fault
- கொண்டுkoṇṭuembracing
- ஊதியம்ūtiyambenefit/profit
- போகpōkato go
- விடல்viṭalletting
Story behind this kural
The old farmer, Elan, found a sparkling stone in his field. It was beautiful, but he knew it was only a pretty rock, worth nothing. Nearby, his neighbor, Kumar, offered him a bag of seeds for his barren patch of land. Elan scoffed. "Seeds are for weaklings," he declared, clutching the useless stone. Days turned into weeks. Kumar’s field sprouted with life, promising a rich harvest. Elan, however, grew thinner. He still held his stone, admiring its empty glitter as his stomach rumbled. One day, a wealthy merchant passed through the village. He saw the stone and offered Elan a handful of coins for it. Elan happily traded, buying only sweetmeats that gave him momentary pleasure. The sweetmeats were gone in a flash. Kumar, his granaries overflowing, offered Elan work. Elan refused, preferring to dream of future stones. He soon withered away, a shadow of his former self, while Kumar thrived.