Kural #871
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Tamil text
பகைஎன்னும் பண்பி லதனை ஒருவன்
நகையேயும் வேண்டற்பாற்று அன்று
Pakaieṉṉum paṇpi lataṉai oruvaṉ
Nakaiyēyum vēṇṭaṟpāṟṟu aṉṟu
English translation
Enmity, that quality devoid of goodness, is not something one should desire even in jest.
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Explanation
This opening kural warns against cultivating enmity. Even as a joke or casual matter, one should never wish for enemies. பகை (enmity) is described as பண்பு இலது - lacking any redeeming quality.
விளக்கம்
பகை என்பது நல்ல குணம் இல்லாதது. பகை வேண்டாம். நகைச்சுவையாகக்கூட பகைமை கொள்ளக்கூடாது. பகைத்திறம் தெரிதல் அதிகாரத்தில், எதிரியின் பலவீனத்தை அறியும் முன், பகைமையே கூடாதென்று வள்ளுவர் கூறுகிறார்.
Word meanings
- பகைpakaienmity/hostility
- என்னும்eṉṉumcalled/named
- பண்புpaṇpuquality/virtue
- இலதுilatuwithout/lacking
- ஒருவன்oruvaṉa person
- நகைnakaijest/joke
- ஏயும்ēyumeven
- வேண்டற்பாற்றுvēṇṭaṟpāṟṟudesirable
- அன்றுaṉṟunot
Story behind this kural
In a tranquil village nestled beside a whispering river, lived two farmers, Arun and Bala. They shared a boundary, and often, a friendly jest. One day, Arun playfully declared he wished Bala ill-fortune, just to see his reaction. Bala, smiling, dismissed it as a joke. Soon after, a harsh drought struck. Arun’s crops, watered by a hidden spring, thrived. He began to subtly sabotage Bala’s irrigation, still in jest, to see how Bala would struggle. Bala, initially amused, found his fields withering. He confronted Arun, but Arun, emboldened by his advantage, laughed. The drought worsened, and Bala's family faced hardship. He realized Arun's actions, born of a playful wish, had caused real suffering. The village, witnessing the unfolding events, watched Arun's joy turn to shame as Bala, with quiet dignity, found ways to help others, demonstrating a resilience Arun lacked. The river, once a shared blessing, now reflected the emptiness in Arun's heart.