Kural 501Chapter 51: Selection and Confidence

Thirukkural 501 in English

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

Tamil original

அறம்பொருள் இன்பம் உயிரச்சம் நான்கின்
திறந்தெரிந்து தேறப் படும்.

Transliteration

Aramporul Inpam Uyirachcham Naankin
Thirandherindhu Therap Patum

Modern English

“Choose a leader after seeing how they handle honesty, money, temptation, and danger.”

Modern Interpretation

Choose a leader after seeing how they handle honesty, money, temptation, and danger. For example, before making someone a team captain, notice whether they stay fair when they could profit or escape blame.

Listen

Tamil pronunciation

Speed

Compare translations

Modern Plain English

Choose a leader after seeing how they handle honesty, money, temptation, and danger.

Poetic Couplet (Bharati)

Pleasure, gold, fear of life Virtue- Test by these four and trust the true

G.U. Pope Translation

How treats he virtue, wealth and pleasure? How, when life's at stake,Comports himself? This four-fold test of man will full assurance make

Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)

Let (a minister) be chosen, after he has been tried by means of these four things, viz,-his virtue, (love of) money, (love of) sexual pleasure, and tear of (losing) life

Tamil commentary

அறத்தைக் காக்க அரசைக் கவிழ்ப்போம், சம்பள உயர்வு தராத அரசைக் கவிழ்ப்போம், உனக்காகவே வாழும் பெண் இவள் என்பது போல் கூறி அறம், பணம், பெண் என்னும் மூன்று பொய்க் காரணங்களால் சோதிப்பது, அவனது உயிருக்கு ஆபத்தை விளைவிப்பது போல் நடிப்பது என இந்நான்கு சோதனைகளால் ஒருவனின் மன இயல்பை ஆராய்ந்து அவனைப் பதவிக்குத் தேர்வு செய்ய வேண்டும்.

Chapter 51

More from Selection and Confidence

தெரிந்து தெளிதல்

Read all 10 Kurals →

Kural 501

Pleasure, gold, fear of life Virtue- Test by these four and trust the true

Kural 502

Spotless name of noble birth Shamed of stain-that choice is worth

Kural 503

Though deep scholars of stainless sense Rare is freedom from ignorance

Kural 504

Good and evil in man weigh well Judge him by virtues which prevail

Kural 505

By the touchstone of deeds is seen If any one is great or mean

Kural 506

Choose not those men without kinsmen Without affine or shame of sin

Kural 507

On favour leaning fools you choose; Folly in all its forms ensues

Kural 508

To trust an untried stranger brings Endless troubles on all our kins

Kural 509

Trust not without testing and then Find proper work for trusted men

Kural 510

Trust without test; The trusted doubt; Both entail troubles in and out