Abstaining from Anger
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
ciṉameṉṉuñ cērntāraik kolli yiṉameṉṉu / mēmap puṇaiyaic cuṭum
Anger is like a fire that harms the person it grips and can burn through the protective raft of supportive relationships around them.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Wrath, the fire that slayeth whose draweth near, / Will burn the helpful 'raft' of kindred dear.”
“Choler destroyeth every man whom it approacheth: and it burneth also the family of him who nurseth it.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
சினம் என்னும் சேர்ந்தாரைக் கொல்லி= சினம் என்னும் நெருப்பு; இனம் என்னும் ஏமப் புணையைச் சுடும்= தனக்கு இனமானவரையே அன்றி, அவர்க்கு இனமாகிய ஏமப்புணையைச் சுடும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar compares anger to fire: it harms the person joined to it and also burns the protective raft formed by that person's kin and support. The metaphor describes anger spreading damage through relationships; it is not literal fire or death.