Lack of Learning
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
uḷareṉṉu māttiraiya rallāṟ payavāk / kaḷaraṉaiyar kallā tavar
“'They are': so much is true of men untaught; / But, like a barren field, they yield us nought!”
“Like unto a wasteland that yieldeth no harvests is the man that hath neglected instruction: all that men can say about him is that he liveth, and nothing more.”
Except that they are said to exist, the unlearned resemble barren ground that produces nothing of value.
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.
கல்லாதவர்= கல்லாதவர்; உளர் என்னும் மாத்திரையர் அல்லால்= காணப்படுதலான் இலரல்லர் உளர் என்று சிலர் சொல்லும் அளவினர் ஆதலன்றி; பயவாக் களர் அனையர்= தமக்கும் பிறர்க்கும் பயன்படாமையால் விளையாத களர்நிலத்தோடு ஒப்பர்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Except that they are counted as physically alive, the unlearned are like barren saline soil that produces nothing of value for themselves or the world.