The Worth of a Wife
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
peṟṟāṟ peṟiṉpeṟuvar peṇḍir peruñsiṟappup / puttēḷir vāzhum ulagu
The partner who stays wholly true to the one she has married wins great honour — a high place even in the world of the gods above.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“If wife be wholly true to him who gained her as his bride, Great glory gains she in the world where gods bliss abide.”
“Behold the woman who hath begotten a worthy son: her place is high in the world of the Gods.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
பெண்டிர் பெற்றாற் பெறின் = பெண்டிர், (தம்மை) எய்திய கணவனை (வழிபடுதல்) பெறுவராயின்; புத்தேளிர் வாழும் உலகு பெருஞ்சிறப்புப் பெறுவர் = புத்தேளிர் வாழும் உலகின்கண் (அவரால்) பெருஞ்சிறப்பினைப் பெறுவர். ('வழிபடுத' லென்பது சொல்லெச்சம்.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The classical commentary promises great distinction in the world of the divine beings to wives who fulfil its ideal of devotional fidelity to their husbands. This is a historical religious claim, not evidence that one-sided spousal submission is required today.