Thirukkural 443 in English

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

Tamil original

அரியவற்று ளெல்லாம் அரிதே பெரியாரைப்
பேணித் தமராக் கொளல்.

Transliteration

Ariyavatru Lellaam Aridhe Periyaaraip
Penith Thamaraak Kolal

English Translation

“Honour and have the great your own Is rarest of the rare things known”

Plain-English meaning

To cherish great men and make them his own, is the most difficult of all difficult things

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Tamil pronunciation

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English Translation

Honour and have the great your own Is rarest of the rare things known

G.U. Pope Translation

To cherish men of mighty soul, and make them all their own,Of kingly treasures rare, as rarest gift is known

Plain-English Meaning

To cherish great men and make them his own, is the most difficult of all difficult things

துறைப் பெரியவர்களுக்கு அவர் விரும்புகின்றவற்றைச் செய்து, அவரைத் தமக்கு உரியவராகச் செய்து கொள்வது அரிய பேறுகளுள் எல்லாம் அரிது.

Chapter 45

பெரியாரைத் துணைக்கோடல்

Weigh their worth and friendship gain Of men of virtue and mature brain

Cherish the help of men of skill Who ward and safe-guard you from ill

Honour and have the great your own Is rarest of the rare things known

To have betters as intimates Power of all powers promotes

Ministers are the monarch's eyes Round him should be the right and wise

To move with worthy friends who knows Has none to fear from frightful foes

No foe can foil his powers whose friends reprove him when he errs

The careless king whom none reproves Ruins himself sans harmful foes

No capital, no gain in trade No prop secure sans good comrade

To give up good friends is ten times worse Than being hated by countless foes