Impartiality
.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
takuti eṉavoṉṟu naṉṟē pakutiyāṉ / pāṟpaṭṭu oḻukap peṟiṉ
There is one virtue called fairness — holding to the right equally toward enemy, stranger, and friend; that alone, says Valluvar, is the true good.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“If justice, failing not, its quality maintain, / Giving to each his due, -'tis man's one highest gain.”
“The just and the fair that giveth each man his due, whether he is friend or foe — that is the good: nought else.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தகுதி என ஒன்று நன்று = நடுவுநிலைமை என்று சொல்லப்படும் ஓர் அறமுமே நன்று; பகுதியான் பாற்பட்டு ஒழுகப் பெறின் = பகை நொதுமல் நண்பு என்னும் பகுதிதோறும் தன் முறைமையை விடாது ஒழுகப் பெறின். (இதனான் நடுவுநிலைமையது சிறப்புக் கூறப்பட்டது.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Impartiality means holding to what is right equally toward all three kinds of people — enemy, stranger, and friend — never letting your dealing tilt according to the relationship. That single even-handed virtue, Valluvar says, is the one true good.