Renunciation
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paṟṟaṟṟa kaṇṇē piṟappaṟukku maṟṟu / nilaiyāmai kāṇap paṭum
Only when attachment is absent is rebirth cut off; otherwise, recurring impermanence is what will be seen.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“When that which clings falls off, severed is being's tie; / All else will then be seen as instability.”
“The moment that attachments are broken, that very moment reincarnations cease: the man who breaketh them not continueth in vanity.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
பற்று அற்ற கண்ணே பிறப்பு அறுக்கும்= ஒருவன் இருவகைப்பற்றும் அற்றபொழுதே, அப்பற்றுஅறுதி அவன் பிறப்பை அறுக்கும்; மற்று நிலையாமை காணப்படும்= அவை அறாதபொழுது அவற்றால் பிறந்து இறந்து வருகின்ற நிலையாமை காணப்படும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says that when both kinds of attachment are absent, that very cessation cuts rebirth. When they are not absent, birth and death continue, revealing instability. This is a karmic claim, not an explanation for every loss.