நிலையாமை
Instability
Read all ten original Tamil couplets from this chapter with clear, modern interpretations for everyday learning.
Kurals
331–340
Reading
10 couplets
Section
அறத்துப்பால்
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Tamil + modern meaning
Kural 331
1 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
நில்லாத வற்றை நிலையின என்றுணரும்
புல்லறி வாண்மை கடை.
Modern interpretation
It is deep ignorance to treat temporary things as if they will last forever. Wisdom begins by remembering that possessions, status, and life itself can change. For example, someone who knows popularity can fade will not build their whole identity on online attention.
Read Kural 331 in full
Kural 332
2 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
கூத்தாட்டு அவைக் குழாத் தற்றே பெருஞ்செல்வம்
போக்கும் அதுவிளிந் தற்று.
Modern interpretation
Wealth gathers like a crowd arriving for a performance, then disappears like that crowd leaving when the show ends. Having money is temporary, so it should not become the center of life. For example, savings can grow over years and vanish quickly through one major expense.
Read Kural 332 in full
Kural 333
3 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
அற்கா இயல்பிற்றுச் செல்வம் அதுபெற்றால்
அற்குப ஆங்கே செயல்.
Modern interpretation
Wealth does not last, so use it for lasting good while you have it. Money becomes more valuable when it supports something that outlives the money itself. For example, helping someone learn a skill can matter long after the cash has been spent.
Read Kural 333 in full
Kural 334
4 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
நாளென ஒன்றுபோற் காட்டி உயிர் ஈரும்
வாளது உணர்வார்ப் பெறின்.
Modern interpretation
Each day may look ordinary, but time is quietly cutting down our lives like a blade. The wise notice what the passing days are taking. For example, endless postponing can consume the months you meant to spend with family or on a meaningful goal.
Read Kural 334 in full
Kural 335
5 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
நாச்செற்று விக்குள்மேல் வாராமுன் நல்வினை
மேற்சென்று செய்யப் படும்
Modern interpretation
Do good quickly, before illness or death makes speech and action impossible. The chance to help belongs to the time when we are still able to act. For example, call someone who needs support today instead of assuming there will always be another chance.
Read Kural 335 in full
Kural 336
6 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
நெருநல் உளனொருவன் இன்றில்லை என்னும்
பெருமை உடைத்துஇவ் வுலகு.
Modern interpretation
This world shows its impermanence by making someone who was alive yesterday absent today. No person can assume that life will remain unchanged. For example, hearing that a familiar neighbor has died can remind us to value people while they are still with us.
Read Kural 336 in full
Kural 337
7 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
ஒருபொழுதும் வாழ்வது அறியார் கருதுப
கோடியும் அல்ல பல.
Modern interpretation
People make countless plans while forgetting that they may not even have another moment. Planning is useful, but ignoring life's uncertainty is foolish. For example, do not keep postponing an apology or a dream as though time were guaranteed.
Read Kural 337 in full
Kural 338
8 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
குடம்பை தனித்து ஒழியப் புள்பறந் தற்றே
உடம்பொடு உயிரிடை நட்பு.
Modern interpretation
The bond between the soul and the body is compared to a bird leaving the nest or egg behind. The body is a temporary home, not something we can keep forever. For example, caring for your health matters, but it is also wise not to treat appearance as your permanent identity.
Read Kural 338 in full
Kural 339
9 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
உறங்கு வதுபோலுஞ் சாக்காடு உறங்கி
விழிப்பது போலும் பிறப்பு.
Modern interpretation
The verse compares death to sleep and birth to waking from it, reflecting the classical idea of life continuing through change. It invites us to see death as part of a larger cycle rather than only an ending. For example, remembering this teaching can help someone face change with less fear and more care for how they live now.
Read Kural 339 in full
Kural 340
10 of 10Tamil original · தமிழ்
புக்கில் அமைந்தின்று கொல்லோ உடம்பினுள்
துச்சில் இருந்த உயிர்க்கு.
Modern interpretation
The soul living in a body has no permanent home there; the body is only a temporary shelter. This image encourages humility about a life that can change at any time. For example, enjoy and care for the life you have without acting as if your present situation can never end.
Read Kural 340 in full