Thirukkural 138 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
நன்றிக்கு வித்தாகும் நல்லொழுக்கம் தீயொழுக்கம்
என்றும் இடும்பை தரும்.
Transliteration
Nandrikku Viththaakum Nallozhukkam Theeyozhukkam
Endrum Itumpai Tharum
Modern English
“Good conduct is like a seed, plant it and it grows into good outcomes over time.”
Modern Interpretation
Good conduct is like a seed, plant it and it grows into good outcomes over time. Bad conduct, on the other hand, reliably produces sorrow, sooner or later. For example, consistently showing up on time and doing your share of the work on a group project eventually pays off in trust and opportunities, while cutting corners eventually catches up with you.
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Modern Plain English
Good conduct is like a seed, plant it and it grows into good outcomes over time.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
Good conduct sows seeds of blessings Bad conduct endless evil brings
G.U. Pope Translation
'Decorum true' observed a seed of good will be;'Decorum's breach' will sorrow yield eternally
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
Propriety of conduct is the seed of virtue; impropriety will ever cause sorrow
Tamil commentary
நல்லொழுக்கம், அறமாகிய நன்மைக்கு வித்தாக அமைந்து இம்மை மறுமையிலும் இன்பம் தரும்; தீயொழுக்கமோ துன்பமே தரும்.
Chapter 14
More from The Possession of Decorum
ஒழுக்கம் உடைமை
Decorum does one dignity More than life guard its purity
Kural 132Virtues of conduct all excel; The soul aid should be guarded well
Kural 133Good conduct shows good family Low manners mark anomaly
Kural 134Readers recall forgotten lore, But conduct lost returns no more
Kural 135The envious prosper but ill The ill-behaved sinks lower still
Kural 136The firm from virtue falter not They know the ills of evil thought
Kural 137Conduct good ennobles man, Bad conduct entails disgrace mean
Kural 138Good conduct sows seeds of blessings Bad conduct endless evil brings
Kural 139Foul words will never fall from lips Of righteous men even by slips
Kural 140Though read much they are ignorant Whose life is not world-accordant