நல்குரவு
Poverty
Read all ten original Tamil couplets from this chapter with clear, modern interpretations for everyday learning.
Kurals
1041–1050
Reading
10 couplets
Section
பொருட்பால்
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Tamil + modern meaning
Kural 1041
1 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
இன்மையின் இன்னாதது யாதெனின் இன்மையின்
இன்மையே இன்னா தது.
Modern interpretation
Poverty itself is one of the deepest forms of suffering. For example, having to choose between food, rent, and medicine can make ordinary life painfully difficult.
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Kural 1042
2 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
இன்மை எனவொரு பாவி மறுமையும்
இம்மையும் இன்றி வரும்.
Modern interpretation
Severe poverty can take away both the comfort of the present and hope for a better future. For example, lacking money for food today may also prevent someone from getting healthcare or education tomorrow.
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Kural 1043
3 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
தொல்வரவும் தோலும் கெடுக்கும் தொகையாக
நல்குரவு என்னும் நசை.
Modern interpretation
When poverty creates desperate craving, it can damage a person's inherited dignity and the respect carried in their words. For example, constant financial pressure may push someone into humiliating demands or reckless deals.
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Kural 1044
4 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
இற்பிறந்தார் கண்ணேயும் இன்மை இளிவந்த
சொற்பிறக்கும் சோர்வு தரும்.
Modern interpretation
Even people from respected families may speak harshly when poverty wears down their patience and dignity. For example, someone overwhelmed by unpaid bills may say hurtful words they would normally avoid.
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Kural 1045
5 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
நல்குரவு என்னும் இடும்பையுள் பல்குரைத்
துன்பங்கள் சென்று படும்.
Modern interpretation
Poverty often brings many other troubles along with it. For example, one missed rent payment can lead to debt, stress, missed classes, and damaged health.
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Kural 1046
6 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
நற்பொருள் நன்குணர்ந்து சொல்லினும் நல்கூர்ந்தார்
சொற்பொருள் சோர்வு படும்.
Modern interpretation
A poor person's wise and clearly expressed ideas may still be ignored simply because of their poverty. For example, a qualified applicant may be dismissed in an interview because of worn clothes rather than judged by their ability.
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Kural 1047
7 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அறஞ்சாரா நல்குரவு ஈன்றதா யானும்
பிறன்போல நோக்கப் படும்.
Modern interpretation
When poverty is joined with conduct that abandons virtue, even close family may begin to treat a person like a stranger. For example, repeated dishonest choices made in desperation can break the trust of a person's own household.
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Kural 1048
8 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
இன்றும் வருவது கொல்லோ நெருநலும்
கொன்றது போலும் நிரப்பு.
Modern interpretation
After poverty has hurt someone badly, they may fear that yesterday's suffering will return today. For example, someone who barely found food yesterday may check their money repeatedly, worried about tonight's meal.
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Kural 1049
9 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
நெருப்பினுள் துஞ்சலும் ஆகும் நிரப்பினுள்
யாதொன்றும் கண்பாடு அரிது.
Modern interpretation
It may be possible to sleep in extreme heat, but poverty can make sleep itself hard to find. For example, worry about food, rent, or debt can keep a person awake long after the lights are out.
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Kural 1050
10 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
துப்புர வில்லார் துவரத் துறவாமை
உப்பிற்கும் காடிக்கும் கூற்று.
Modern interpretation
The verse uses severe imagery for the crushing dependence of people who have no means to support themselves and must live on a neighbor's simplest food. For example, a family with no income may have to rely on others even for daily rice and salt, showing how harsh such poverty is.
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