Thirukkural 437 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
செயற்பால செய்யா திவறியான் செல்வம்
உயற்பால தன்றிக் கெடும்.
Transliteration
Seyarpaala Seyyaa Thivariyaan Selvam
Uyarpaala Thandrik Ketum
Modern English
“Wealth that is hoarded instead of being used for its rightful purposes eventually becomes useless or disappears.”
Modern Interpretation
Wealth that is hoarded instead of being used for its rightful purposes eventually becomes useless or disappears. For example, an organisation that saves every coin but never maintains its equipment may lose the very resources it meant to protect.
Listen
Tamil pronunciation
Compare translations
Modern Plain English
Wealth that is hoarded instead of being used for its rightful purposes eventually becomes useless or disappears.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
That miser's wealth shall waste and end Who would not for a good cause spend
G.U. Pope Translation
Who leaves undone what should be done, with niggard mind,His wealth shall perish, leaving not a wrack behind
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
The wealth of the avaricious man, who does not expend it for the purposes for which he ought to expend it will waste away and not continue
Tamil commentary
செல்வத்தால் தனக்குச் செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டியவற்றைப் பொருள்மீது கொண்ட பற்றினால் செய்யாமல், கஞ்சனாய் வாழும் ஆட்சியாளனின் செல்வம் வீணே கெட்டு, அழிந்து போகும்.
Chapter 44
More from The Correction of Faults
குற்றங்கடிதல்
Plenty is their prosperity Who're free from wrath pride lust petty
Kural 432Mean pride, low pleasure, avarice These add blemishes to a prince
Kural 433Though millet-small their faults might seem Men fearing disgrace, Palm-tall deem
Kural 434Watch like treasure freedom from fault Our fatal foe is that default
Kural 435Who fails to guard himself from flaw Loses his life like flame-lit straw
Kural 436What fault can be the king's who cures First his faults, then scans others
Kural 437That miser's wealth shall waste and end Who would not for a good cause spend
Kural 438The gripping greed of miser's heart Is more than fault the worst apart
Kural 439Never boast yourself in any mood Nor do a deed that does no good
Kural 440All designs of the foes shall fail If one his wishes guards in veil