Knowing One's Duty to Society
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otta taṟivā ṉuyirvāḻvāṉ maṟṟaiyāṉ / cettāruḷ vaikkap paṭum
The one who understands and practises what shared life calls for truly lives; the other is counted among the dead.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who knows what's human life's befitting grace, / He lives; the rest 'mongst dead men have their place.”
“He alone liveth who knoweth what is proper: he who knoweth not what is fitting shall be classed with the dead.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
உயிர்வாழ்வான் ஒத்தது அறிவான்= உயிரோடுகூடி வாழ்வானாவான் உலகநடையினை அறிந்து செய்வான்;; மற்றையான் செத்தாருள் வைக்கப்படும்= அஃதறிந்து செய்யாதவன், உயிருடையனேயாயினும், செத்தாருள் ஒருவனாகக் கருதப்படும் என்றவாறு.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The verse calls a person fully alive when they understand the fitting duties of life with others; it uses the severe image ‘among the dead’ for one who does not.