Thirukkural 195 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
சீர்மை சிறப்பொடு நீங்கும் பயனில
நீர்மை யுடையார் சொலின்.
Transliteration
Seermai Sirappotu Neengum Payanila
Neermai Yutaiyaar Solin
Modern English
“Even someone who's genuinely good and well-regarded can lose some of that standing the moment they start speaking careless, pointless words.”
Modern Interpretation
Even someone who's genuinely good and well-regarded can lose some of that standing the moment they start speaking careless, pointless words. A good reputation doesn't fully protect you from your own bad habits. For example, a respected team leader who starts rambling irrelevantly in meetings will find people taking them less seriously over time, however solid their reputation used to be.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
Even someone who's genuinely good and well-regarded can lose some of that standing the moment they start speaking careless, pointless words.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
Glory and grace will go away When savants silly nonsense say
G.U. Pope Translation
Gone are both fame and boasted excellence,When men of worth speak of words devoid of sense
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
If the good speak vain words their eminence and excellence will leave them
Tamil commentary
இனிய குணத்தவர் பயனற்ற சொற்களைச் சொன்னால், அவர் பெருமையும், புகழும் அப்பொழுதே நீங்கிவிடும்.
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