Knowing Strength
கடை.
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ākā ṟaḷaviṭṭi tāyiṉuṅ kēṭillai / pōkā ṟakalāk kaṭai.
There is no harm if the channel of income is small, provided the channel of expenditure does not become wider.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Incomings may be scant; but yet, no failure there, / If in expenditure you rightly learn to spare.”
“It mattereth not if the feeder channel is strait, provided that the draining channel is not wider.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஆகு ஆறு அளவு இட்டிதாயினும் கேடு இல்லை= அரசர்க்குப் பொருள் வருகின்ற நெறியளவு சிறிதாயிற்றானும் அதனாற் கேடில்லையாம்; போகு ஆறு அகலாக் கடை= போகின்ற நெறியளவு அதனிற் பெருகாதாயின்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar compares money to two channels. A narrow inflow is not itself ruinous; danger appears when the channel carrying resources out is allowed to exceed it.