Possession of Knowledge
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aṟivuṭaiyā rāva taṟivā raṟivilā / raḵtaṟi kallā tavar
Those who possess understanding know what is to come; those without it cannot know that beforehand.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The wise discern, the foolish fail to see, / And minds prepare for things about to be.”
“The man of understanding knoweth what is coming: but the fool foreseeth not what is before.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அறிவுடையார் ஆவது அறிவார்= அறிவுடையராவார் வரக்கடவதனை முன் அறியவல்லார்; அறிவிலார் அஃது அறிகல்லாதவர்= அறிவிலராவார் அதனை முன்னறிய மாட்டாதார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar defines the knowledgeable as able to know in advance what is due to come, and the unknowing as unable to do so. This concerns evidence-based foresight, not certainty about every future event.