Wealth Without Benefit
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
ētam peruñcelvan tāṉṟuvvāṉ ṟakkārkkoṉ / ṟīta liyalpilā tāṉ.
“Their ample wealth is misery to men of churlish heart, / Who nought themselves enjoy, and nought to worthy men impart.”
“There is a man that enjoyeth not his wealth nor giveth freely to men of worth: he is a disease unto a great fortune.”
Great wealth in the hands of one who neither uses it nor gives to worthy people is only a disease.
Ask about this Kural
Answers are drawn only from this Kural's sourced text and named commentary, and always cite what they used.
Choose a section
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தான் துவ்வான் தக்கார்க்கு ஒன்று ஈதல் இயல்பிலாதான்= தான் நுகரானாய் அதன்மேலும் தகுதியுடையார்க்கு அவர் வேண்டியது ஒன்றனை ஈதல் இயற்கை இலன் ஆயினான்; பெருஞ் செல்வம் ஏதம்= இண்டும் செய்தற்கு இடனுடைத்தாய செல்வத்திற்கு ஒரு நோய்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The immense wealth held by one who neither enjoys it nor gives anything to worthy people in need becomes only a tormenting disease to its possessor.