Thirukkural 192 in English

Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.

Tamil original

பயனில பல்லார்முன் சொல்லல் நயனில
நட்டார்கண் செய்தலிற் றீது.

Transliteration

Payanila Pallaarmun Sollal Nayanila
Nattaarkan Seydhalir Reedhu

English Translation

“Vain talk before many is worse Than doing to friends deeds adverse”

Plain-English meaning

To speak useless things in the presence of many is a greater evil than to do unkind things towards friends

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Tamil pronunciation

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English Translation

Vain talk before many is worse Than doing to friends deeds adverse

G.U. Pope Translation

Words without sense, where many wise men hear, to pourThan deeds to friends ungracious done offendeth more

Plain-English Meaning

To speak useless things in the presence of many is a greater evil than to do unkind things towards friends

ஒருவன் பலருக்கும் முன்னே பயனற்ற சொற்களைச் சொல்வது, நண்பர்களுக்குத் தீமை செய்வதைக் காட்டிலும் கொடியது.

Chapter 20

பயனில சொல்லாமை

With silly words who insults all Is held in contempt as banal

Vain talk before many is worse Than doing to friends deeds adverse

The babbler's hasty lips proclaim That \"good-for-nothing\" is his name

Vain words before an assembly Will make all gains and goodness flee

Glory and grace will go away When savants silly nonsense say

Call him a human chaff who prides Himself in weightless idle words

Let not men of worth vainly quack Even if they would roughly speak

The wise who weigh the worth refrain From words that have no grain and brain

The wise of spotless self-vision Slip not to silly words-mention

To purpose speak the fruitful word And never indulge in useless load