Kural #844
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Tamil text
வெண்மை எனப்படுவது யாதெனின்
ஒண்மை உடையம்யாம் என்னும் செருக்கு
Veṇmai eṉappaṭuvatu yāteṉiṉ
Oṇmai uṭaiyamyām eṉṉum cerukku
English translation
What is called foolishness? It is the arrogance of thinking "I am wise."
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Explanation
True folly (வெண்மை) is the arrogant belief (செருக்கு) that one possesses wisdom (ஒண்மை உடையம்). Self-proclaimed wisdom is actually the height of ignorance. The wise know they don't know; fools think they know everything.
விளக்கம்
புல்லறிவாண்மை அதிகாரத்தில், "வெண்மை" என்றால் என்னவென்று வள்ளுவர் கேட்கிறார். "நமக்கு எல்லாம் தெரியும்" என்ற கர்வம் தான் முட்டாள்தனம். ஞானம் உள்ளவர்கள் அடக்கமாக இருப்பார்கள்; முட்டாள்களே தங்களை அறிவாளிகள் என நினைப்பார்கள்.
Word meanings
- வெண்மைveṇmaifoolishness/whiteness
- எனப்படுவதுeṉappaṭuvatuwhat is called
- யாதுyātuwhat
- எனின்eṉiṉif asked
- ஒண்மைoṇmaibrightness/wisdom
- உடையம்uṭaiyamwe possess
- யாம்yāmwe
- என்னும்eṉṉumthinking
- செருக்குcerukkuarrogance/pride
Story behind this kural
The village elder, Thiru, declared himself the wisest man in the valley. He’d learned to read the stars, predict the weather, and solve any riddle. The villagers, awed, sought his counsel on everything. One day, a traveling merchant arrived, displaying a complex clockwork device. It was unlike anything Thiru had seen. He scoffed, declaring it a useless trinket, its workings beneath his notice. The merchant, unperturbed, offered to demonstrate. Thiru, however, refused, boasting that true wisdom resided in understanding the natural world, not frivolous mechanisms. Later, a young boy, curious about the device, asked the merchant questions. The merchant patiently explained its gears, springs, and purpose. The boy, eager to learn, listened intently. Soon, the boy understood the clock’s function, while Thiru remained ignorant, his pride a barrier to new knowledge. The village, witnessing this, began to question the elder's true wisdom.