Knowing the Right Place
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kālāḻ kaḷari ṉariyaṭuṅ kaṇṇañcā / vēlāṇ mukatta kaḷiṟu
A jackal will kill the fearless-eyed elephant whose tusks have pierced spear-bearing fighters, if the elephant stands in ground where its feet sink.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The jackal slays, in miry paths of foot-betraying fen, / The elephant of fearless eye and tusks transfixing armed men.”
“Behold the high-mettled elephant that hath faced without wincing a whole multitude of lancers: even a jackal will triumph over him when he is entangled in marshy ground.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கண் அஞ்சா வேல்ஆள் முகத்த களிறு= பாகர்க்கு அடங்காவுமாய், வேலாட்களைக் கோத்த கோட்டவுமாய களிறுகளை; கால் ஆழ் களரின் நரி அடும்= அவை, கால்ஆழும் இயல்பிற்றாய சேற்றுநிலத்துப்பட்டுழி நரி கொல்லும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The final image reverses visible power: a formidable war elephant trapped in sinking mud can be killed by a jackal. Keep the comparison strictly strategic; never map elephant, jackal, mud, fearlessness, body, disability, race, sex, caste, or size onto human worth. Vulnerability calls for rescue and restraint, not predation or blame.