Knowing One's Duty to Society
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puttē ḷulakattu mīṇṭum peṟalaritē / yoppuravi ṉalla piṟa.
Neither here nor in the world of the gods is another good easily found that equals public-minded service.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“To 'due beneficence' no equal good we know, / Amid the happy gods, or in this world below.”
“A better thing than a gracious complaisance cannot be had either here or in heaven.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
புத்தேள் உலகத்தும் ஈண்டும்= தேவர் உலகத்தும் இவ்வுலகத்தும்;; ஒப்புரவின் நல்ல பிற பெறல் அரிது= ஒப்புரவு போல நல்லன பிற செயல்களைப் பெறுதல் அரிது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar reads the verse as ranking fitting service among the rarest goods in both the human and divine worlds.