விருந்தினர் முதலில் உண்ண, மிஞ்சியவற்றையே உண்பவனின் நிலத்தில் விதைக்கவும் வேண்டுமா?

விருந்தினர்க்கு முதலில் உணவளித்து மிஞ்சியதை உண்டு வாழும் பண்பாளன், தன் நிலத்திற்குரிய விதையைக்கூட விருந்தோம்பலுக்குப் பயன்படுத்தாமல் இருப்பானா?

விருந்தினரை முன்னே போற்றி உணவளித்து மிஞ்சிய உணவை உண்டு வாழ்கின்றவனுடைய நிலத்தில் விதையும் விதைக்க வேண்டுமோ?

Is it necessary to sow the field of the man who, having feasted his guests, eats what may remain ?

Kural 85 is a beautiful verse that emphasizes the virtue of hospitality and selflessness. The verse is posed as a rhetorical question, asking if it is necessary to sow seeds in the field of a person who prioritizes his guests' needs over his own. This is a metaphorical question, implying that such a person, who serves his guests first and consumes only what remains, is so virtuous that nature itself might reward him without the need for laborious sowing. In the traditional Tamil culture, hospitality is considered a highly esteemed virtue. It was customary to treat guests with utmost respect, providing them with the best of what one has to offer, even if it means the host has to make do with less. This verse extols such selfless hosts, suggesting that their generosity and selflessness might render their labor unnecessary, as the universe itself may provide for them. The moral here is to always put others' needs before one's own, and that generosity will be rewarded in unexpected ways.