Noble Excellence
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
iṉmai yoruvaṟ kiḷivaṉṟu cālpeṉṉun / tiṇmai yuṇṭākap peṟiṉ.
“To soul with perfect virtue's strength endued, / Brings no disgrace the lack of every earthly good.”
“Poverty is no disgrace to a man if he possesseth the wealth that is called character.”
Poverty is no disgrace to a person who is fortified by the strength of noble character.
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.
சால்பு என்னும் திண்மை உண்டாகப் பெறின்= சால்பு என்று சொல்லப்படும் வலி உண்டாகப்பெறின்; ஒருவற்கு இன்மை இளிவு அன்று= ஒருவனுக்கு நல்குரவு இளிவாகாது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Poverty is no disgrace to a person if only he possesses that supreme moral fortitude called noble character.