False Conduct
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neñciṟ ṟuṟavār tuṟantārpōl vañcittu / vāḻvāriṉ vaṇkaṇā ril
None is more hard-hearted than those who have not renounced attachment inwardly, yet live by deceiving others as though they had renounced.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“In mind renouncing nought, in speech renouncing every tie, / Who guileful live,- no men are found than these of 'harder eye'.”
“Behold the man that hath not renounced in his heart, but walketh about like one that hath renounced, and cheateth men: there is none more hard of heart than he.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நெஞ்சின் துறவார்= நெஞ்சாற் பற்று அறாதுவைத்து; துறந்தார்போல் வஞ்சித்து வாழ்வாரின்= பறறற்றார் போன்று தானம் செய்வாரை வஞ்சித்து வாழும் அவர்போல்; வண்கணார் இல்= வன்கண்மையை உடையார் உலகத்தில் இல்லை.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar describes people who retain attachment in the heart but imitate renouncers in order to deceive those who give; he calls that exploitation extreme hardness of heart.
This verse is in tension
AI draft · pending scholar review