Thirukkural 167 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
அவ்வித்து அழுக்காறு உடையானைச் செய்யவள்
தவ்வையைக் காட்டி விடும்.
Transliteration
Avviththu Azhukkaaru Utaiyaanaich Cheyyaval
Thavvaiyaik Kaatti Vitum
Modern English
“Good fortune tends to drift away from someone who's envious of others' success, moving toward people who are more generous in spirit.”
Modern Interpretation
Good fortune tends to drift away from someone who's envious of others' success, moving toward people who are more generous in spirit. Prosperity doesn't stick around where resentment lives. For example, an envious business partner who resents a colleague's success often ends up losing opportunities that a more generous-minded partner would have kept.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
Good fortune tends to drift away from someone who's envious of others' success, moving toward people who are more generous in spirit.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
Fortune deserts the envious Leaving misfortune omnious
G.U. Pope Translation
From envious man good fortune's goddess turns away,Grudging him good, and points him out misfortune's prey
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
Lakshmi envying (the prosperity) of the envious man will depart and introduce him to her sister
Tamil commentary
பிறர் உயர்வு கண்டு பொறாமைப்படுபவனைப் பார்க்கும் திருமகள் வெறுப்புக் கொண்டு தன் அக்காள் மூதேவிக்கு அவனை அடையாளம் காட்டிவிட்டு விலகிப் போய்விடுவாள்.
Chapter 17
More from Not Envying
அழுக்காறாமை
Deem your heart as virtuous When your nature is not jealous
Kural 162No excellence excels the one That by nature envies none
Kural 163Who envies others' good fortune Can't prosper in virtue of his own
Kural 164The wise through envy don't others wrong Knowing that woes from evils throng
Kural 165Man shall be wrecked by envy's whim Even if enemies spare him
Kural 166Who envies gifts shall suffer ruin Without food and clothes with his kin
Kural 167Fortune deserts the envious Leaving misfortune omnious
Kural 168Caitiff envy despoils wealth And drags one into evil path
Kural 169Why is envy rich, goodmen poor People with surprise think over
Kural 170The envious prosper never The envyless prosper ever