Thirukkural 225 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
ஆற்றுவார் ஆற்றல் பசிஆற்றல் அப்பசியை
மாற்றுவார் ஆற்றலின் பின்.
Transliteration
Aatruvaar Aatral Pasiaatral Appasiyai
Maatruvaar Aatralin Pin
Modern English
“Enduring your own hunger takes real strength, but it still ranks below the strength it takes to end someone else's hunger.”
Modern Interpretation
Enduring your own hunger takes real strength, but it still ranks below the strength it takes to end someone else's hunger. Helping others matters more than merely enduring for yourself. For example, going without to prove a point is admirable, but actually feeding someone who's starving matters far more.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
Enduring your own hunger takes real strength, but it still ranks below the strength it takes to end someone else's hunger.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
Higher's power which hunger cures Than that of penance which endures
G.U. Pope Translation
'Mid devotees they're great who hunger's pangs sustain,Who hunger's pangs relieve a higher merit gain
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
The power of those who perform penance is the power of enduring hunger It is inferior to the power of those who remove the hunger (of others)
Tamil commentary
வல்லவர்க்கு மேலும் வலிமை, தமது பசியைப் பொறுத்துக் கொள்வதே அந்த வலிமையும், பிறர் பசியைப் போக்குபவரின் வலிமைக்கு அடுத்துத்தான் வலிமையாய் அமையும்.
Chapter 23
More from Giving
ஈகை
To give the poor is charity The rest is loan and vanity
Kural 222To beg is bad e'en from the good To give is good, were heaven forbid
Kural 223No pleading, \"I am nothing worth,\" But giving marks a noble birth
Kural 224The cry for alms is painful sight Until the giver sees him bright
Kural 225Higher's power which hunger cures Than that of penance which endures
Kural 226Drive from the poor their gnawing pains If room you seek to store your gains
Kural 227Who shares his food with those who need Hunger shall not harm his creed
Kural 228The joy of give and take they lose Hard-hearted rich whose hoarding fails
Kural 229Worse than begging is that boarding Alone what one's greed is hoarding
Kural 230Nothing is more painful than death Yet more is pain of giftless dearth