Knowing Strength
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
pīlipey cākāṭu macciṟu mappaṇṭañ / cāla mikuttup peyiṉ
Even a cart loaded with peacock feathers will have its axle break if that light load is piled on beyond what it can bear.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“With peacock feathers light, you load the wain; / Yet, heaped too high, the axle snaps in twain.”
“Put too many of them and even peacock’s feathers would break the wagon’s axle.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
பீலி பெய் சாகாடும் அச்சு இறும்= பீலி ஏற்றிய சகடமும் அச்சு முரியும்; அப்பண்டம் சால மிகுத்துப் பெயின்= அப் பீலியை அது பொறுக்கும் அளவின்றி மிகுத்து ஏற்றின்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar makes accumulation visible: the material may be exceptionally light, yet quantity beyond the vehicle's capacity still breaks the axle.