Avoiding Forgetfulness
.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
pukaḻntavai pōṟṟic ceyalvēṇṭuñ ceyyā / tikaḻntārk keḻumaiyu mil.
A ruler must carefully perform the actions that ethical authors praise as proper to rule; Parimelazhagar says that those who neglect them have no good even across seven births.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Let things that merit praise thy watchful soul employ; / Who these despise attain through sevenfold births no joy.”
“The prince shall devote himself assiduously to works that are commended by the wise: if he neglect them he will suffer in all his future births.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
புகழ்ந்தவை போற்றிச் செயல்வேண்டும்= நீதி நூலுடையார் இவை அரசர்க்கு உரியன என்று உயர்த்துக்கூறிய செயல்களைக் கடைப்பிடித்துச் செய்க; செய்யாது இகழ்ந்தார்க்கு எழுமையும் இல்= அங்ஙனம் செய்யாது மறந்தவர்க்கு எழுமையினும் நன்மையில்லை ஆகலான்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that a ruler must carefully observe and perform the actions ethical authors have praised as proper to rulers. In his religious frame, one who forgets and neglects those duties has no good even across seven births.