Thirukkural 104 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
தினைத்துணை நன்றி செயினும் பனைத்துணையாக்
கொள்வர் பயன்தெரி வார்.
Transliteration
Thinaiththunai Nandri Seyinum Panaiththunaiyaak
Kolvar Payandheri Vaar
Modern English
“People who truly understand the value of a favour treat even the smallest one as something enormous.”
Modern Interpretation
People who truly understand the value of a favour treat even the smallest one as something enormous. Gratitude isn't about the size of the gift; it's about recognizing what it meant. For example, remembering the friend who lent you one pencil during an exam, years later, shows real appreciation, however tiny the act seemed at the time.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
People who truly understand the value of a favour treat even the smallest one as something enormous.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
Help given though millet-small Knowers count its good palm-tree tall
G.U. Pope Translation
Each benefit to those of actions' fruit who rightly deem,Though small as millet-seed, as palm-tree vast will seem
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
Though the benefit conferred be as small as a millet seed, those who know its advantage will consider it as large as a palmyra fruit
Tamil commentary
தினை அளவாக மிகச் சிறிய உதவியே செய்யப்பெற்றிருந்தாலும் உதவியின் பயனை நன்கு அறிந்தவர் அதைப் பனை அளவு மிகப் பெரிய உதவியாய்க் கருதுவர்
Chapter 11
More from Gratitude
செய்ந்நன்றியறிதல்
Unhelped in turn good help given Exceeds in worth earth and heaven
Kural 102A help rendered in hour of need Though small is greater than the world
Kural 103Help rendered without weighing fruits Outweighs the sea in grand effects
Kural 104Help given though millet-small Knowers count its good palm-tree tall
Kural 105A help is not the help's measure It is gainer's worth and pleasure
Kural 106Forget not friendship of the pure Forsake not timely helpers sure
Kural 107Through sevenfold births, in memory fares The willing friend who wiped one's tears
Kural 108To forget good turns is not good Good it is over wrong not to brood
Kural 109Let deadly harms be forgotten While remembering one good-turn
Kural 110The virtue-killer may be saved Not benefit-killer who is damned