Realising the Truth
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aiyuṇar veytiyak kaṇṇum payamiṉṟē / meyyuṇar villā tavarkku
Even mastery of the five forms of sensory awareness is of no benefit, says the verse, for those without realization of ultimate truth.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Five-fold perception gained, what benefits accrue / To them whose spirits lack perception of the true?”
“Though risen to human birth, nought is gained if the soul realiseth not the Truth.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஐயுணர்வு எய்தியக் கண்ணும் பயம் இன்றே= செல்லப்படுகின்ற புலன்கள் வேறுபாட்டான் ஐந்தாகிய உணர்வு அவற்றை விட்டுத் தம் வயத்தாய வழியும், அதனாற் பயன் இல்லையேயாம்; மெய்யுணர்வு இல்லாதவர்க்கு= மெய்யினையுணர்தல் இல்லாதார்க்கு.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar distinguishes control of the five sensory fields from realization of truth and says the former alone does not yield liberation. The claim concerns ascetic mastery, not sensory disability, assistive technology, neurodivergence, or a person's human worth.