Kural #974
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Tamil text
ஒருமை மகளிரே போலப் பெருமையும்
தன்னைத்தான் கொண்டொழுகின் உண்டு
Orumai makaḷirē pōlap perumaiyum
Taṉṉaittāṉ koṇṭoḻukiṉ uṇṭu
English translation
Like a chaste woman who guards herself, greatness exists only when one guards one's own conduct.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar uses the image of a faithful wife who maintains her virtue through self-discipline. Similarly, true greatness requires constant self-vigilance. One must guard one's character continuously - greatness is maintained through disciplined conduct.
விளக்கம்
கற்புடைய மனைவி தன்னை காப்பது போல், பெருமையும் தன்னைத்தானே காத்தால் நிலைக்கும். ஒழுக்கத்தை விடாமல் பின்பற்றி நடந்தால் மட்டுமே பெருமை உண்டாகும். பெருமை அதிகாரத்தில், ஒழுக்கத்தின் முக்கியத்துவத்தை வள்ளுவர் கூறுகிறார்.
Word meanings
- ஒருமைorumaichastity/faithfulness
- மகளிர்makaḷirwomen
- போலpōlalike
- பெருமையும்perumaiyumgreatness also
- தன்னைtaṉṉaioneself
- தான்tāṉone
- கொண்டுkoṇṭutaking/holding
- ஒழுகின்oḻukiṉif conducts
- உண்டுuṇṭuexists
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering river, lived a potter named Arun. His hands were skilled, shaping clay into beautiful vessels. People admired his creations and flocked to his stall. One day, the king himself requested a special vase, promising great riches. Arun, filled with pride, began to neglect his craft. He spent his days boasting, accepting flattery, and delaying the king’s order. The clay dried, the tools gathered dust, and his once-steady hands trembled with impatience. When the king's envoy finally arrived, Arun presented a half-finished, misshapen vase. The envoy, disappointed, took the vase and left. Arun, stripped of the king's favor, found his customers dwindling. His village, once filled with praise for his talent, now echoed with the silence of unmet promises. He realized, too late, that true artistry, like a guarded treasure, requires constant care and attention.