Kural #977
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Tamil text
இறப்பே புரிந்த தொழிற்றாம்
சிறப்புந்தான் சீரல் லவர்கண் படின்
Iṟappē purinta toḻiṟṟām
Ciṟappuntāṉ cīral lavarkaṇ paṭiṉ
English translation
Even excellence becomes a cause for transgression when it falls upon those lacking true worth.
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Explanation
When honors and privileges come to unworthy people, they misuse them. Excellence in the hands of the ignoble leads to harm. This warns against giving power or recognition to those who lack the character to handle it properly.
விளக்கம்
பெருமை இல்லாதவர்களிடம் சிறப்பு வந்து சேர்ந்தால், அது தீமைக்கே வழிவகுக்கும். நல்ல பண்பு இல்லாதவர்க்கு அதிகாரம் கிடைத்தால், தவறான செயல்களே நடக்கும். பெருமை அதிகாரத்தில், நல்ல பண்பே முக்கியம் என்பதை இது உணர்த்துகிறது.
Word meanings
- இறப்பேiṟappētransgression/harm
- புரிந்தpurintacausing/doing
- தொழிற்றுtoḻiṟṟuof the nature of action
- ஆம்āmbecomes
- சிறப்பும்ciṟappumeven excellence
- தான்tāṉitself
- சீரல்லவர்cīrallavarthose lacking worth
- கண்kaṇupon
- படின்paṭiṉif falls
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a woodcutter named Thiru. He was known for his unmatched strength. One day, the King announced a grand contest: whoever could fell the largest tree in a single day would be granted a position in the royal court. Thiru, confident in his abilities, won easily. The King, impressed, appointed Thiru as the Royal Forester, giving him authority over the very forest he once knew intimately. But with his new power, Thiru changed. He began to demand special treatment, taking the finest timber for himself and neglecting the needs of his fellow villagers. He grew arrogant, forgetting the humility of his previous life. Soon, the forest began to dwindle under his careless management. The villagers, once proud of their strong woodcutter, now whispered complaints. They watched as the honor bestowed upon him withered, much like the forest he was entrusted to protect.