Acting after Deliberation
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eḷḷāta veṇṇic ceyalvēṇṭun tammoṭu / koḷḷāta koḷḷā vulaku
One must deliberate and act by means that do not deserve contempt, for the world will not accept conduct incompatible with the actor's own position and responsibility.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Plan and perform no work that others may despise; / What misbeseems a king the world will not approve as wise.”
“Let the thing that thou decidest on be above reproach: for the world despiseth the man who stoopeth to a thing that is beneath himself.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தம்மொடு கொள்ளாத உலகு கொள்ளாது= அரசர் வினைமுடித்தற்பொருட்டுத் தந்நிலைமையோடு பொருந்தாத உபாயங்களைச் செய்வாராயின் உலகந் தம்மை இகழாநிற்கும்; எள்ளாத எண்ணிச் செயல் வேண்டும்= ஆகலான் அஃது இகழா உபாயங்களை நாடிச்செய்க.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar grounds public contempt in methods unfit for a ruler's position. A modern reading should connect fitness to accepted duty and integrity, not inherited social rank or the pursuit of popularity.