Austerity
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
taṉṉuyir tāṉaṟap peṟṟāṉai yēṉaiya / maṉṉuyi rellān toḻum
All other enduring beings will revere the person who has gained true mastery of their own life-self.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who gains himself in utter self-control, / Him worships every other living soul.”
“Behold the man who hath attained mastery over himself: all other men worship him.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
(இதன்பொருள்) தன் உயிர் தான் அறப் பெற்றானை= தன் உயிரைத் தான் தனக்குரித்தாகப் பெற்றவனை; ஏனைய மன்னுயிர் எல்லாம் தொழும்= அது பெறாதனவாகிய மன்னுயிர்கள் எல்லாம் தொழும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar reads the ascetic as having made his own life truly his through the work proper to tapas; beings still caught in desire revere that rare self-possession, which also carries the traditional powers to curse and bless.