Renown
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īta licaipaṭa vāḻta latuvalla / tūtiya millai yuyirkku
Give to people in poverty, and live so that honour grows from that giving; the Kural says human life has no other gain apart from such renown.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“See that thy life the praise of generous gifts obtain; / Save this for living man exists no real gain.”
“Give to the poor and add glory unto thy name: there is no greater profit for man than this.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஈதல்= வறியார்க்கு ஈக; இசைபட வாழ்தல்= அதனால் புகழ் உண்டாக வாழ்க; அது அல்லது ஊதியம் உயிர்க்கு இல்லை=; அப்புகழ் அல்லது மக்கள் உயிர்க்குப் பயன் பிறிது ஒன்று இல்லை ஆகலான்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar reads two linked imperatives: give to people in poverty, and live so that praise arises from that giving. Because no benefit other than that praise belongs to human life, he treats it as life's distinctive gain.