Thirukkural 191 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
பல்லார் முனியப் பயனில சொல்லுவான்
எல்லாரும் எள்ளப் படும்.
Transliteration
Pallaar Muniyap Payanila Solluvaan
Ellaarum Ellap Patum
Modern English
“Someone who keeps talking about pointless things, to the point where everyone around them is visibly annoyed, ends up losing the respect of the whole group, not just one or two people.”
Modern Interpretation
Someone who keeps talking about pointless things, to the point where everyone around them is visibly annoyed, ends up losing the respect of the whole group, not just one or two people. For example, a group project member who constantly rambles off-topic in meetings eventually gets tuned out by everyone, even when they do have something useful to say.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
Someone who keeps talking about pointless things, to the point where everyone around them is visibly annoyed, ends up losing the respect of the whole group, not just one or two people.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
With silly words who insults all Is held in contempt as banal
G.U. Pope Translation
Words without sense, while chafe the wise,Who babbles, him will all despise
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
He who to the disgust of many speaks useless things will be despised by all
Tamil commentary
பலரும் கேட்டு வெறுக்கப், பயனற்ற சொற்களைச் சொல்லுபவன் எல்லாராலும் இகழப்படுவான்.
Chapter 20
More from Against Vain Speaking
பயனில சொல்லாமை
With silly words who insults all Is held in contempt as banal
Kural 192Vain talk before many is worse Than doing to friends deeds adverse
Kural 193The babbler's hasty lips proclaim That \"good-for-nothing\" is his name
Kural 194Vain words before an assembly Will make all gains and goodness flee
Kural 195Glory and grace will go away When savants silly nonsense say
Kural 196Call him a human chaff who prides Himself in weightless idle words
Kural 197Let not men of worth vainly quack Even if they would roughly speak
Kural 198The wise who weigh the worth refrain From words that have no grain and brain
Kural 199The wise of spotless self-vision Slip not to silly words-mention
Kural 200To purpose speak the fruitful word And never indulge in useless load