Knowing the Right Place
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
kaṭalōṭā kālva ṉeṭuntēr kaṭalōṭu / nāvāyu mōṭā nilattu
A strong-wheeled tall chariot does not travel on the sea; a vessel that travels the sea does not run on land.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The lofty car, with mighty wheel, sails not o'er watery main, / The boat that skims the sea, runs not on earth's hard plain.”
“The strong-wheeled chariot runneth not on the sea: nor saileth the oceangoing ship on dry land.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கால் வல் நெடுந்தேர்= நிலத்தின்கண் ஓடும் கால் வலிய நெடிய தேர்கள் கடலின்கண் ஓடமாட்டா; கடல் ஓடும் நாவாயும் நிலத்து ஓடா= இனி, அக்கடலின்கண் ஓடும் நாவாய்கள் தாமும், நிலத்தின்கண் ஓடமாட்டா.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The commentary sets two capable vehicles in reciprocal limits: the chariot belongs on land and the vessel at sea. The point is fitness between means and medium, not that a person or tool has one permanent use; adaptation, accessible design, multimodal systems, and new training can change what is possible.