The Worth of a Wife
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
maṅgalam eṉba maṉaimāṭci maṟṟadaṉ / naṉkalam naṉmakkaṭ pēṟu
The wise call a worthy life-partner's good character the home's true blessing — and the gift of good children its finest ornament.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The house's 'blessing', men pronounce the house-wife excellent; The gain of blessed children is its goodly ornament.”
“The chiefest blessing is an honourable home: and its crowning glory is worthy offspring.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
மங்கலம் என்ப மனைமாட்சி = (ஒருவற்கு) நன்மையென்று சொல்லுவர் (அறிந்தோர்), மனையாளது நற்குண நற்செய்கைகளை; அதன் நன்கலம் (என்ப) நன்மக்கட் பேறு = அவைதமக்கு நல்ல அணிகலமென்று சொல்லுவர் நல்ல புதல்வரைப் பெறுதலை. ('அறிந்தோர்' என்பது, எஞ்சிநின்றது. மற்று அசைநிலை.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The wise call the wife's excellent household character the home's true blessing and good children its finest ornament. The verse makes children an added good, not the source of the household's basic worth; it must not stigmatize child-free families or people facing infertility.