Kural #88
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Tamil text
பரிந்தோம்பிப் பற்றற்றேம் என்பர்
விருந்தோம்பி வேள்வி தலைப்படா தார்
Parintōmpip paṟṟaṟṟēm eṉpar
Viruntōmpi vēḷvi talaippaṭā tār
English translation
Those who do not attain the sacred duty of hospitality will later lament, saying "We toiled and saved, but now have nothing."
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Explanation
This kural warns of the spiritual poverty that comes from neglecting hospitality. People who accumulate wealth without sharing it with guests will eventually realize their efforts were futile. The phrase "பற்றற்றேம்" expresses the lament of becoming attachment-less (having lost everything). True wealth is not hoarded but shared through hospitality.
விளக்கம்
விருந்தோம்பலைச் செய்யாதவர், "சேமித்தும் பயனில்லை, எல்லாம் போயிற்று" என்பர். விருந்தினரை உபசரிப்பது அறம். இது விருந்தோம்பல் அதிகாரத்தில் முக்கியம். பகிர்ந்து வாழ்தலே சிறப்பு.
Word meanings
- பரிந்துparintuwith effort/toiling
- ஓம்பிōmpihaving saved/protected
- பற்றற்றேம்paṟṟaṟṟēmwe have become without possessions/attachments
- என்பர்eṉparthey will say/lament
- விருந்துviruntuguest
- ஓம்பிōmpihonoring
- வேள்விvēḷvisacred duty/sacrifice
- தலைப்படாதார்talaippaṭātārthose who do not attain/achieve
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering river, lived a miser named Silas. He owned the largest granary and the richest orchards, yet his heart was a barren field. He ate alone, hoarding his bounty. When weary travelers knocked, Silas would feign deafness, hiding his wealth. One harsh winter, a famine swept the land. Silas, snug in his warm home, watched his neighbors struggle. They came to him, pleading for grain. He refused, clutching his stores. "I have worked hard," he grumbled, "and earned this!" As spring arrived, Silas opened his granary, expecting overflowing wealth. But the rats had feasted. The grain was gone. His orchards withered. He stood alone, his house empty, his fields desolate. Silas wept, realizing his toil had yielded nothing of lasting value. He had kept everything, but lost it all.