Gratitude
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
tiṉaittuṇai naṉṟi seyiṉum paṉaittuṇaiyāk / koḷvar payaṉteri vār
“Each benefit to those of actions' fruit who rightly deem, / Though small as millet-seed, as palm-tree vast will seem.”
“The benefit received may be small even like a millet-seed: but in the eyes of the just its measure is that of a palmyra tree.”
A good done to them may be as small as a millet seed, but those who know what a kindness is worth hold it as large as a palmyra tree.
Choose a section
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தினைத்துணை நன்றி செயினும் = தமக்குத் தினை அளவிற்றாய உபகாரத்தை ஒருவன் செய்தானாயினும்; பனைத்துணையாக் கொள்வர் பயன் தெரிவார் = அதனை அவ்வளவிற்றாகக் கருதாது பனை அளவிற்றாகக் கருதுவர் அக்கருத்தின் பயன் தெரிவார். ('தினை' 'பனை' என்பன சிறுமை பெருமைகட்குக் காட்டுவன சில அளவை.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Those who understand what a kindness is worth take even a millet-seed-sized good done to them and hold it as though it were as large as a palmyra tree. The grateful magnify, never shrink, the help they received.
Ask about this Kural
Answers are drawn only from this Kural's sourced text and named commentary, and always cite what they used.