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Kural 596

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uḷḷuva tellā muyarvuḷḷaṉ maṟṟatu / taḷḷiṉun taḷḷāmai nīrttu.

🎬 குறள் கதை · Story
G.U. Pope1886

“Whate'er you ponder, let your aim be loftly still, / Fate cannot hinder always, thwart you as it will.”

V.V.S. Aiyar1916

“Let all thy purposes be grand: for then even if they fail, their glory will tarnish never.”

Modern readingAI draft

Let every intention aim at elevation; even if fate pushes the result away, that elevated intention is of a nature not to fall.

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Parimelazhagar’s commentary

13th century · public domain

Parimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.

உள்ளுவது எல்லாம் உயர்வு உள்ளல்= அரசராயினார் கருதுவது எல்லாம் தம் உயர்ச்சியையே கருதுக; அது தள்ளினும் தள்ளாமை நீர்த்து= அவ்வுயர்ச்சி பால்வகையாற் கூடிற்றில்லையாயினும், அக்கருத்துத் தள்ளாமை நீர்மை உடைத்து.

Source: Tamil Wikisource

In plain EnglishAI draft · pending review

Let all your thoughts and aspirations be set upon the highest aims; even if fate denies completion, the lofty ambition itself is an enduring victory.