Abstention from Sloth
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neṭunīr maṟavi maṭituyi ṉāṉkuṅ / keṭunīrār kāmak kalaṉ.
Delay, forgetfulness, sloth, and sleep are four desired boats for people disposed toward ruin.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Delay, oblivion, sloth, and sleep: these four / Are pleasure-boat to bear the doomed to ruin's shore.”
“Procrastination, forgetfulness, sloth, and sleep, these four are the cosy pleasure boats of those that are fated to perish.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
மடி நெடுநீர் மறவி துயில் நான்கும்= மடியும், விரைந்துசெய்வதனை நீட்டித்துச் செய்யும் இயல்பும், மறப்பும், துயிலும்ஆகிய இந்நான்கும்; கெடும் நீரார் காமக் கலன்= இறக்கும் இயல்பினை உடையார் விரும்பி ஏறும் மரக்கலம்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar lists four companions—prolonging urgent work, forgetfulness, sloth, and sleep—and calls them desired vessels boarded by people moving toward ruin. Healthy sleep is not condemned; the warning concerns sleep inside a compound pattern of neglected duty.