Thirukkural-On Wealth-Avoidance Of Faults-Kural-437

The Miser, who does not put his money to legitimate and purposeful use,
Will find his wealth decline and vanish.

Parimel Azhagar speaks of money being put to use in the pursuit of “aram porul, inbam" dharma, Wealth & Love. Love is personal, Dharma is spiritual and embraces also charity towards all those deserving in the wider community, while the concept of wealth, in between, is intermediate and is designed to cover right investments to create more wealth for appropriate utilization of it in the wider society.

If a person does not know to live well, and if he does not use his money to create more wealth, which he could effectively utilize for constructive purposes including also those warranted by the enormous charitable potential around him, he has wasted his life. In consequence, his own money will dwindle and waste itself, without the intervention of any other enemies from outside.

K V Jaganathan has cited a very meaningful parallel from Naladiar as follows:

“Unnaan oliniraan ongupugal seyaan
thunarung kaelir thuyarkalaiyaan-konae
valangaan porul kaathirupaanael a aa
Ilandhaanendru yennapadum" (Naaladiyaar; 9)

An alternate reading of the second line of the Kural is:

“Uyarpaalathinrik kaedum"

Which is not very different.