The Praise of God
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kaṟṟadhaṉāl āya payaṉeṉkol vālaṟivaṉ / naṟṟāḷ thozhāar eṉiṉ
What use is all one has learned, if one does not worship the sacred feet of the One of pure knowledge?
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“No fruit have men of all their studied lore, save they the 'Purely Wise One's' feet adore.”
“Of what avail is all thy learning if thou worship not the holy feet of Him of the perfect intelligence?”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கற்றதனால் ஆய பயன் என்கொல் = எல்லா நூல்களையும் கற்றவர்க்கு அக்கல்வி அறிவினாலாய பயன் யாது? வால் அறிவன் நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின் = மெய்யுணர்வினை உடையானது நல்ல தாள்களைத் தொழாராயின். (ஆகம அறிவிற்குப் பயன், அவன் தாளைத் தொழுது பிறவி அறுத்தல்.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
What use is all the learning of one who does not worship the good feet of the Divine who possesses true realization? Parimelazhagar says the fruit of scriptural knowledge is to worship those feet and thereby end the cycle of birth.