Kural #849
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Tamil text
காணாதான் காட்டுவான் தான்காணான்
காணாதான் கண்டானாம் தான்கண்ட வாறு
Kāṇātāṉ kāṭṭuvāṉ tāṉkāṇāṉ
Kāṇātāṉ kaṇṭāṉām tāṉkaṇṭa vāṟu
English translation
The blind teaching the blind will result in both seeing only what the blind teacher saw.
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Explanation
When someone who doesn't know (காணாதான்) teaches others, and he himself is blind to truth (தான் காணான்), the student will only see (கண்டானாம்) what the ignorant teacher saw (தான் கண்ட வாறு). Ignorance teaching ignorance perpetuates error.
விளக்கம்
புல்லறிவாண்மை அதிகாரத்தில், அறியாதவன் அறிந்ததாகக் காட்டினால், அவனுடைய அறியாமையே மற்றவர்க்கும் வரும். குருட்டு மனிதன் வழிகாட்டினால், எல்லோரும் தடுமாறுவது போல. தவறான வழிகாட்டுதல் ஆபத்தானது.
Word meanings
- காணாதான்kāṇātāṉone who does not see
- காட்டுவான்kāṭṭuvāṉwill show/teach
- தான்tāṉhimself
- காணான்kāṇāṉdoes not see
- கண்டான்kaṇṭāṉwill see
- ஆம்āmbecomes
- வாறுvāṟumanner/way
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived two woodcutters, both eager to learn the art of crafting fine furniture. The elder, Silas, though respected for his years, possessed only a rudimentary understanding of the craft. He could chop wood, but his carvings were rough, lacking finesse. The younger, Thomas, sought Silas’s guidance. Silas, proud of his limited skills, showed Thomas how *he* worked – hacking roughly at the wood, never truly understanding the grain or the subtleties of the design. Thomas, diligently mimicking Silas, produced furniture just as crude. One day, a traveling artisan arrived. Observing their work, he chuckled. “You follow a blind guide,” he said kindly. “You both are missing the beauty hidden within the wood.” He then taught them the true methods, revealing a world of possibilities. Soon, Thomas's skills surpassed Silas's, and the village was filled with beautifully crafted furniture.