Thirukkural 77 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
என்பி லதனை வெயில்போலக் காயுமே
அன்பி லதனை அறம்.
Transliteration
Enpi Ladhanai Veyilpolak Kaayume
Anpi Ladhanai Aram
Modern English
“Moral rules feel harsh and empty to someone who has no compassion.”
Modern Interpretation
Moral rules feel harsh and empty to someone who has no compassion. Without love, even a person who knows what is right may experience goodness as pressure rather than something meaningful. For example, someone may follow workplace rules perfectly but ignore a colleague in distress. Compassion is what gives ethical behaviour a human purpose.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
Moral rules feel harsh and empty to someone who has no compassion.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
Justice burns the loveless form Like solar blaze the boneless worm
G.U. Pope Translation
As sun's fierce ray dries up the boneless things,So loveless beings virtue's power to nothing brings
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
Virtue will burn up the soul which is without love, even as the sun burns up the creature which is without bone, ie worms
Tamil commentary
எலும்பு இல்லாத புழுவை வெயில் காய்ந்து கொள்வது போல அன்பு இல்லாத உயிரை அறக்கடவுள் காய்ந்து கொல்லும்.
Chapter 8
More from The Possession of Love
அன்புடைமை
What bolt can bar true love in fact The tricking tears reveal the heart
Kural 72To selves belong the loveless ones; To oth'rs the loving e'en to bones
Kural 73Soul is encased in frame of bone To taste the life of love alone
Kural 74Love yields aspiration and thence Friendship springs up in excellence
Kural 75The crowning joy of home life flows From peaceful psychic love always
Kural 76\"Love is virtue's friend\" say know-nots It helps us against evil plots
Kural 77Justice burns the loveless form Like solar blaze the boneless worm
Kural 78Life bereft of love is gloom Can sapless tree in desert bloom?
Kural 79Love is the heart which limbs must move, Or vain the outer parts will prove
Kural 80The seat of life is love alone; Or beings are but skin and bone!