Testing and Trusting People
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aṟṟārait tēṟuta lōmpuka maṟṟavar / paṟṟilar nāṇār paḻi.
The classical claim warns against trusting a person without kin or social attachment, on the assumption that such a person will not fear blame.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Beware of trusting men who have no kith of kin; / No bonds restrain such men, no shame deters from sin.”
“Beware of trusting men that have no kindred: for their hearts will be without attachment and they will be callous to shame.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அற்றாரைத் தேறுதல் ஓம்புக= சுற்றம் இல்லாரைத் தெளிதலை ஒழிக; அவர் மற்றுப் பற்று இலர் = அவர் உலகத்தோடு தொடர்பிலர்; பழி நாணார்= ஆகலாற் பழிக்கு அஞ்சார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar advises against trusting a person without kin, explaining that someone with no attachment to the world will not shrink from blame. This is a historical social assumption that treats family bonds as a sign of accountability. Loneliness, migration, orphanhood, estrangement, unmarried life, and a small family are not moral defects. A present-day response should examine traceable commitments, reciprocal ties, prior conduct, and answerability for consequences—not family status.