II. Porutpaal

II.7 Kudi-iyal


Athikaaram 105 Nalhuravu

Kural 1041

Inmaiying innaathathu yaathenin inmayin
Inmaiye inna thathu.


English translation:

II. WEALTH

II.7. Chapter on "how to be a good citizen"

Chapter. 105 farming


Kural 1041

You ask what sharper pain than poverty is known;
Nothing pains more than poverty, save poverty alone.
There is nothing that afflicts (one) like poverty.



my understanding:

what is worse than having poverty? It is that condition of not having even poverty.



Kural - 1042
Malefactor matchless! poverty destroys
This world's and the next world's joys.
When cruel poverty comes on, it deprives one of both the present and future (bliss).

Kural - 1043
Importunate desire, which poverty men name,
Destroys both old descent and goodly fame.
Hankering poverty destroys at once the greatness of (one's) ancient descent and (the dignity of one's) speech.

Kural - 1044
From penury will spring, 'mid even those of noble race,
Oblivion that gives birth to words that bring disgrace.
Even in those of high birth, poverty will produce the fault of uttering mean words.

Kural - 1045
From poverty, that grievous woe,
Attendant sorrows plenteous grow.
The misery of poverty brings in its train many (more) miseries.

Kural - 1046
Though deepest sense, well understood, the poor man's words convey,
Their sense from memory of mankind will fade away.
The words of the poor are profitless, though they may be sound in thought and clear in expression.

Kural - 1047
From indigence devoid of virtue's grace,
The mother e'en that bare, estranged, will turn her face.
He that is reduced to absolute poverty will be regarded as a stranger even by his own mother.

Kural - 1048
And will it come today as yesterday,
The grief of want that eats my soul away?
Is the poverty that almost killed me yesterday, to meet me today too ?

Kural - 1049
Amid the flames sleep may men's eyelids close,
In poverty the eye knows no repose.
One may sleep in the midst of fire; but by no means in the midst of poverty.

Kural - 1050
Unless the destitute will utterly themselves deny,
They cause their neighbour's salt and vinegar to die.
The destitute poor, who do not renounce their bodies, only consume their neighbour's salt and water.