The Character of Enmity
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
aṉpila ṉāṉṟa tuṇaiyilaṉ ṟāṉṟuvvā / ṉeṉpariyu mētilāṉ ṟuppu.
“No kinsman's love, no strength of friends has he; / How can he bear his foeman's enmity?”
“Behold the prince who is cruel, and who hath neither allies nor the strength to stand alone: how is he going to withstand his enemy’s forces?”
Without affection for one’s circle, without strong support, and without strength oneself, how can one repel an enemy’s force?
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.
அன்பு இலன்= ஒருவன் தன் சுற்றத்தின்மேல் அன்பிலன்; ஆன்ற துணையிலன்= அதுவேயன்றி வலிய துணையிலன்; தான் துவ்வான்= அதன்மேல் தான் வலியிலன்; ஏதிலான் துப்பு என் பரியும்= அப்பெற்றியான் மேல்வந்த பகைவன் வலியினை யாங்ஙனந் தொலைக்கும்?
Source: Tamil Wikisource
When a person lacks affection for their own circle, possesses no dependable allies, and has no personal strength, how can they ever withstand an adversary's might?