அழுக்காறாமை
Not Envying
Read all ten original Tamil couplets from this chapter with clear, modern interpretations for everyday learning.
Kurals
161–170
Reading
10 couplets
Section
அறத்துப்பால்
A simple reading path
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Tamil + modern meaning
Kural 161
1 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
ஒழுக்காறாக் கொள்க ஒருவன்தன் நெஞ்சத்து
அழுக்காறு இலாத இயல்பு.
Modern interpretation
Make freedom from envy part of how you carry yourself, the same way you'd commit to honesty or good manners. It's a discipline worth practicing on purpose. For example, genuinely celebrating a friend's scholarship instead of quietly resenting it is a skill that takes deliberate effort to build.
Read Kural 161 in full
Kural 162
2 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
விழுப்பேற்றின் அஃதொப்பது இல்லையார் மாட்டும்
அழுக்காற்றின் அன்மை பெறின்.
Modern interpretation
Among everything a person could hope to achieve, few things matter as much as simply not envying anyone else's success. It clears a surprising amount of space in your life. For example, someone who can be truly happy for a sibling's achievement, without a flicker of resentment, tends to feel lighter and freer than someone who's always comparing.
Read Kural 162 in full
Kural 163
3 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அறன்ஆக்கம் வேண்டாதான் என்பான் பிறனாக்கம்
பேணாது அழுக்கறுப் பான்.
Modern interpretation
Someone who resents another person's success instead of feeling glad for them reveals that they don't actually value doing well themselves; they're more interested in others not doing well. For example, a classmate who's upset about a friend's good grade, rather than motivated by it, is showing where their priorities really are.
Read Kural 163 in full
Kural 164
4 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அழுக்காற்றின் அல்லவை செய்யார் இழுக்காற்றின்
ஏதம் படுபாக்கு அறிந்து.
Modern interpretation
People who understand how much misery envy causes tend to avoid doing anything harmful out of jealousy in the first place. Recognizing the pattern is often enough to stop it early. For example, someone who's noticed how envy has ruined friendships before is quicker to catch themselves before acting on jealousy toward a coworker's promotion.
Read Kural 164 in full
Kural 165
5 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அழுக்காறு உடையார்க்கு அதுசாலும் ஒன்னார்
வழுக்காயும் கேடீன் பது.
Modern interpretation
For someone who's genuinely consumed by envy, that alone is enough to bring them down, no outside enemy required. Envy does the damage all by itself. For example, someone who can't stop resenting a friend's success ends up isolating themselves through their own bitterness, without anyone else needing to do anything.
Read Kural 165 in full
Kural 166
6 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
கொடுப்பது அழுக்கறுப்பான் சுற்றம் உடுப்பதூஉம்
உண்பதூஉம் இன்றிக் கெடும்.
Modern interpretation
Someone who resents seeing others receive help or gifts often ends up struggling themselves, because that bitterness eats away at the generosity and goodwill that would otherwise come back to them. For example, someone who's constantly annoyed when their friends get support from family tends to push away the very people who'd help them too.
Read Kural 166 in full
Kural 167
7 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அவ்வித்து அழுக்காறு உடையானைச் செய்யவள்
தவ்வையைக் காட்டி விடும்.
Modern interpretation
Good fortune tends to drift away from someone who's envious of others' success, moving toward people who are more generous in spirit. Prosperity doesn't stick around where resentment lives. For example, an envious business partner who resents a colleague's success often ends up losing opportunities that a more generous-minded partner would have kept.
Read Kural 167 in full
Kural 168
8 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அழுக்காறு எனஒரு பாவி திருச்செற்றுத்
தீயுழி உய்த்து விடும்.
Modern interpretation
Envy has a way of quietly destroying whatever good someone has built and steering them toward genuinely harmful choices. It rarely stays contained to just a feeling. For example, someone who lets jealousy fester over a rival's success might end up sabotaging their own work just to see the rival fail.
Read Kural 168 in full
Kural 169
9 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அவ்விய நெஞ்சத்தான் ஆக்கமும் செவ்வியான்
கேடும் நினைக்கப் படும்.
Modern interpretation
It's worth noticing how often envious people seem to do fine for themselves while genuinely good people struggle, at least for a while, though it doesn't mean envy pays off, just that life isn't always immediately fair. For example, watching an unkind coworker get promoted while a decent one is overlooked can be frustrating, but it's rarely the full story in the long run.
Read Kural 169 in full
Kural 170
10 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அழுக்கற்று அகன்றாரும் இல்லை அஃதுஇல்லார்
பெருக்கத்தில் தீர்ந்தாரும் இல்.
Modern interpretation
No one has ever built lasting greatness through envy, and no one who's stayed free of envy has ever ended up without some kind of greatness of their own. The two paths lead in opposite directions. For example, comparing two equally talented students, the one who cheers on their peers instead of resenting them tends to end up with more genuine opportunities over time.
Read Kural 170 in full