Ending Desire
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avāviṉai yāṟṟa vaṟuppiṟ ṟavāviṉai / tāṉvēṇṭu māṟṟāṉ varum
If one can cut desire off completely, the unfailing deed that leads to liberation will come in the way one rightly seeks.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who thoroughly rids his life of passion-prompted deed, / Deeds of unfailing worth shall do, which, as he plans, succeed.”
“If a man cutteth off utterly all his desires, salvation shall come to him by any path that he commandeth to it.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அவாவினை அற்ற அறுப்பின்= ஒருவன் அவாவினை அஞ்சித் துவரக்கெடுக்க வல்லனாயின்; தவா வினை தான் வேண்டும் ஆற்றான் வரும்= அவனுக்குக் கெடாமைக்கு ஏதுவாகிய வினை தான் விரும்புநெறியானே உண்டாம்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says that if a person can cut craving away completely, the action or path that causes imperishability will arise along the course that person seeks. The promise concerns liberation, not guaranteed worldly success.