Knowing Strength
கெடும்.
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uḷavarai tūkkāta voppura vāṇmai / vaḷavarai vallaik keṭum.
Beneficence that does not weigh the limit of available means will quickly destroy the boundary of one's wealth.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Beneficence that measures not its bound of means, / Will swiftly bring to nought the wealth on which it leans.”
“Behold the man that measureth not his wealth and lavisheth it with an unsparing hand: his substance will quickly come to nought.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
உள வரை தூக்காத ஒப்புரவு ஆண்மை= தனக்குள்ள அளவு தூக்காமைக்கு ஏதுவாய ஒப்புரவாண்மையால்; வள வரை வல்லைக் கெடும்= ஒருவன் செல்வத்தின் எல்லை விரையக் கெடும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar warns about unmeasured beneficence, not care itself. When helpful action ignores the limit of means, it rapidly consumes the resource on which future help depends.