Thirukkural 105 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
உதவி வரைத்தன்று உதவி உதவி
செயப்பட்டார் சால்பின் வரைத்து.
Transliteration
Udhavi Varaiththandru Udhavi Udhavi
Seyappattaar Saalpin Varaiththu
Modern English
“How much we owe someone for their kindness isn't decided by how big the favour was, but by the character of the person who received it.”
Modern Interpretation
How much we owe someone for their kindness isn't decided by how big the favour was, but by the character of the person who received it. A truly decent person repays even a small kindness generously. For example, someone who once covered your bus fare might, years later, go out of their way to help you move house, simply because they never forgot.
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Modern Plain English
How much we owe someone for their kindness isn't decided by how big the favour was, but by the character of the person who received it.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
A help is not the help's measure It is gainer's worth and pleasure
G.U. Pope Translation
The kindly aid's extent is of its worth no measure true;Its worth is as the worth of him to whom the act you do
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
The benefit itself is not the measure of the benefit; the worth of those who have received it is its measure
Tamil commentary
ஒருவர் நமக்குச் செய்த உதவிக்குத் திரும்ப நாம் செய்வது, அவர் செய்த உதவியின் காரணம், பொருள், காலம் பார்த்து அன்று; உதவியைப் பெற்ற நம் பண்பாட்டுத் தகுதியே அதற்கு அளவாகும்.
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