Kural #953
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Tamil text
நகைஈகை இன்சொல் இகழாமை
நான்கும் வகையென்ப வாய்மைக் குடிக்கு
Nakaiīkai iṉcol ikaḻāmai
Nāṉkum vakaiyeṉpa vāymaik kuṭikku
English translation
Cheerfulness, charity, sweet speech, and not disparaging others - these four are marks of true nobility.
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Explanation
Four characteristics of genuine nobility: நகை (cheerfulness), ஈகை (generosity), இன்சொல் (sweet speech), and இகழாமை (not disparaging others). These define the வாய்மைக் குடி (truly noble family).
விளக்கம்
குடிமை அதிகாரத்தில், ஒரு நல்ல குடும்பத்துக்கு நாலு அடையாளம்: சிரித்த முகம், தானம் குடுத்தல், இனிமையா பேசுதல், யாரையும் மட்டம் தட்டாம இருக்கிறது. இது வாய்மையான குடும்பத்தோட சிறப்பு. இதனால எல்லாரும் மதிப்பாங்க.
Word meanings
- நகைnakaismile/cheerfulness
- ஈகைīkaicharity/generosity
- இன்சொல்iṉcolsweet speech
- இகழாமைikaḻāmainot disparaging
- நான்கும்nāṉkumfour
- வகைvakaitypes/marks
- என்பeṉpathey say
- வாய்மைvāymaitrue
- குடிக்குkuṭikkufor nobility
Story behind this kural
The villagers of Oakhaven admired Elara. Though her family possessed little, Elara always greeted everyone with a bright smile. She shared her meager bread with the hungry and spoke kindly, even to those who grumbled. One day, a merchant, known for his harsh words, stumbled, dropping his coins. The villagers scoffed. But Elara, without hesitation, helped him gather his scattered wealth. “Are you hurt?” she asked gently. The merchant, surprised by her kindness, felt a pang of shame. Later, he learned that Elara's own home was in need of repair. He offered to help, providing not only materials but also his own labor. As they worked side-by-side, the merchant noticed the respect everyone held for Elara, a respect far exceeding his own. He realized that true riches were not measured in gold, but in the qualities that Elara so effortlessly possessed.