Learning by Listening
?
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
ceviyiṟ cuvaiyuṇarā vāyuṇarviṉ mākka / ḷaviyiṉum vāḻiṉu meṉ
“His mouth can taste, but ear no taste of joy can give! / What matter if he die, or prosperous live?”
“Behold the men that taste with the tongue but know not the taste of the ear: what doth it matter to the world whether they live or die?”
Those who know only the tongue's taste of food and never relish the taste of wisdom through the ear—what does it matter whether they live or die?
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.
செவியிற் சுவை உணரா வாய் உணர்வின் மாக்கள்= செவியான் நுகரப்படும் சுவைகளை உணராத வாயுணர்வினையுடைய மாந்தர்; அவியினும் வாழினும் என்= சாவினும் வாழினும் உலகிற்கு வருவுது என்னை?
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Those who perceive only the sensory taste of food upon the tongue and have never tasted the sweet relish of wisdom through the ear—what does it matter whether they live or die?