Choosing People for Responsibilities
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viṉaikkaṇ viṉaiyuṭaiyāṉ kēṇmaivē ṟāka / niṉaippāṉai nīṅkun tiru.
Fortune leaves the ruler who, swayed by resentful voices, misreads the work-earned familiarity of one continually diligent in duty as something improper.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Fortune deserts the king who ill can bear, / Informal friendly ways of men his tolls who share.”
“Behold the man who resenteth the friendly advances of the servant who is skilful at his work: Fortune will depart from him.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
வினைக்கண் வினை உடையான் கேண்மை= எப்பொழுதும் தன்வினையின்கண்ணே முயறலை உடையான் அவ்வுரிமையால் தனக்குக் கேளாய் ஒழுகுகின்ற தன்மையை; வேறாக நினைப்பானைத் திரு நீங்கும்= அது பொறாதார் சொற்கேட்டு அரசன் மாறுபடக் கருதுமாயின், திருமகள் அவனை விட்டு நீங்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that a person who continually strives in his work may, by the standing that responsibility gives him, deal with the king with the familiarity of a close relation. If the king listens to those who resent this and interprets that familiarity as something improper, the goddess Fortune will leave him.