Thirukkural 196 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
பயனில்சொல் பாராட்டு வானை மகன்எனல்
மக்கட் பதடி யெனல்.
Transliteration
Payanil Sol Paaraattu Vaanai
Makanenal Makkat Padhati Yenal
Modern English
“Someone who constantly shows off empty, pointless talk isn't really adding anything of substance to a conversation, however clever they think it sounds.”
Modern Interpretation
Someone who constantly shows off empty, pointless talk isn't really adding anything of substance to a conversation, however clever they think it sounds. Being talkative isn't the same as being worth listening to. For example, someone who dominates every conversation with meaningless trivia, without ever saying anything useful, ends up being politely tuned out by everyone around them.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
Someone who constantly shows off empty, pointless talk isn't really adding anything of substance to a conversation, however clever they think it sounds.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
Call him a human chaff who prides Himself in weightless idle words
G.U. Pope Translation
Who makes display of idle words' inanity,Call him not man, -chaff of humanity
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
Call not him a man who parades forth his empty words Call him the chaff of men
Tamil commentary
பயனற்ற சொற்களையே பலகாலமும் சொல்பவனை மனிதன் என வேண்டா; மனிதருள் பதர் என்றே சொல்லுங்கள்.
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