The Dread of Begging
.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
karavā tuvantīyuṅ kaṇṇaṉṉār kaṇṇu / miravāmai kōṭi yuṟum.
Even in the case of those who are like one's own eyes, who conceal nothing and give gladly, not asking is worth ten million times what asking would bring.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Ten million-fold 'tis greater gain, asking no alms to live, / Even from those, like eyes in worth, who nought concealing gladly give.”
“The man that beggeth not is ten million times worthier than he that beggeth, even though it be only at the hands of men that give lovingly and with all their heart.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கரவாது உவந்து ஈயும் கண் அன்னார்கண்ணும் இரவாமை= தனக்குள்ளது கரவாது இவர் வரப்பெற்றோம் என்று உண்மகிழ்ந்து கொடுக்கும் கண் போலச் சிறந்தார் மாட்டும் இரவாதே ஒருவன் வறுமை கூர்தல்: கோடி உறும்= இரந்து செல்வம் எய்தலின் கோடிமடங்கு நன்று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Not going and asking, even of one who is like your own eyes and gives gladly without hiding what he has, is ten million times better than getting wealth by asking. (That his poverty deepens is Parimelazhagar's addition.)
This verse is in tension
AI draft · pending scholar review