Tyrannical Rule
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nāṭoṟu nāṭi muṟaiceyya maṉṉava / ṉāṭoṟu nāṭu keṭum.
The country of a king who does not investigate wrongs and apply justice every day declines day after day.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who makes no daily search for wrongs, nor justly rules, that king / Doth day by day his realm to ruin bring.”
“Behold the prince who doth not oversee his administration every day and remove the irregularities therein: his sovereignty will wear away day by day.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நாள்தொறும் நாடி முறைசெய்யா மன்னவன்= தன் நாட்டு நிகழும் தீமைகளை நாள்தோறும் ஆராய்ந்து அதற்கொக்க முறைமையைச் செய்யாத அரசன்; நாள்தொறும் நாடு கெடும்= நாள் தோறும் நாடு இழக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that when a king does not examine the harms occurring in his country each day and apply the just remedy fitting them, the country is lost little by little every day.