Kural #929
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Tamil text
களித்தானைக் காரணம் காட்டுதல்
கீழ்நீர்க் குளித்தானைத் தீத்துரீஇ யற்று
Kaḷittāṉaik kāraṇam kāṭṭutal
Kīḻnīrk kuḷittāṉait tītturīi yaṟṟu
English translation
Reasoning with a drunkard is like searching with a torch for a man who has dived underwater.
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Explanation
A vivid simile: trying to reason (காரணம் காட்டுதல்) with an intoxicated person is as futile as using a lamp to find someone underwater (கீழ்நீர்க் குளித்தான்). Logic cannot penetrate drunkenness.
விளக்கம்
குடித்தவனைத் திருத்தப் பார்ப்பது, நீரில் மூழ்கியவனைத் தீபம் காட்டித் தேடுவது போலாகும். கள் உண்பதால் அறிவு மங்கும்; அப்போது புத்திமதி பயனில்லை. கள்ளுண்ணாமை அதிகாரத்தில், இது குடி தீமை என்கிறது.
Word meanings
- களித்தானைkaḷittāṉaithe intoxicated one
- காரணம்kāraṇamreason/argument
- காட்டுதல்kāṭṭutalshowing
- கீழ்kīḻbelow
- நீர்nīrwater
- குளித்தானைkuḷittāṉaione who dived
- தீtīfire/lamp
- துரீஇturīisearching
- அற்றுaṟṟulike
Story behind this kural
The village of Oorukani was known for its lively festivals, fueled by potent honey-wine. During one such celebration, a farmer named Arul became excessively merry. He loudly accused his neighbor, Kumar, of stealing his prized rooster. Kumar, a man of quiet dignity, calmly tried to explain that the rooster had merely wandered into his yard. But Arul, his words slurred and eyes glazed, only grew angrier. He stumbled, waving his arms, and repeated his accusations, oblivious to Kumar's reasoned explanations. A wise old woman, Meena, watched the scene unfold. She sighed and turned to a young boy, pointing at Arul. "Trying to make him see reason now," she said, "is like searching for a lost seed in the heart of a raging river." Kumar, seeing the futility, eventually walked away. The next morning, Arul, sober and remorseful, discovered his rooster calmly pecking in his own yard. He sought out Kumar, ashamed, and apologized for his drunken accusations.