Thirukkural 887 in English
Tamil original, transliteration, English translation, meaning, commentary, pronunciation, and chapter context.
Tamil original
செப்பின் புணர்ச்சிபோல் கூடினும் கூடாதே
உட்பகை உற்ற குடி.
Transliteration
Seppin Punarchchipol Kootinum Kootaadhe
Utpakai Utra Kuti
Modern English
“A family or team with hidden hostility may look united outside, but it is not truly joined within.”
Modern Interpretation
A family or team with hidden hostility may look united outside, but it is not truly joined within. For example, coworkers can smile in a meeting while quietly working against one another.
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Tamil pronunciation
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Modern Plain English
A family or team with hidden hostility may look united outside, but it is not truly joined within.
Poetic Couplet (Bharati)
A house hiding hostiles in core Just seems on like the lid in jar
G.U. Pope Translation
As casket with its cover, though in one they live alway,No union to the house where hate concealed hath sway
Classical Meaning (Drew & Lazarus)
Never indeed will a family subject to internal hatred unite (really) though it may present an apparent union like that of a casket and its lid
Tamil commentary
செப்பு, மூடியோடு சேர்ந்து இருப்பதுபோல் உட்பகை கொண்ட குடும்பமும், கட்சியும், அரசும் வெளியே சேர்ந்து இருந்தாலும் உள்ளத்துள் சேரவே மாட்டா.
Chapter 89
More from Enmity within
உட்பகை
Traitorous kinsmen will make you sad As water and shade do harm when bad
Kural 882You need not sword-like kinsmen fear Fear foes who feign as kinsmen dear
Kural 883The secret foe in days evil Will cut you, beware, like potters' steel
Kural 884The evil-minded foe within Foments trouble, spoils kinsmen!
Kural 885A traitor among kinsmen will Bring life-endangering evil
Kural 886Discord in kings' circle entails Life-destroying deadly evils
Kural 887A house hiding hostiles in core Just seems on like the lid in jar
Kural 888By secret spite the house wears out Like gold crumbling by file's contact
Kural 889Ruin lurks in enmity As slit in sesame though it be
Kural 890Dwell with traitors that hate in heart Is dwelling with snake in selfsame hut