Comporting Oneself Before Princes
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koḷappaṭṭē meṉṟeṇṇik koḷḷāta ceyyār / tuḷakkaṟṟa kāṭci yavar.
People of unwavering judgment do not think royal favour permits them to do what the ruler rejects.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“'We've gained his grace, boots nought what graceless acts we do', / So deem not sages who the changeless vision view.”
“Behold the men whose vision is unconfused and clear: they never do things that displease the prince, saying, we are favoured of him.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கொளப்பட்டேம் என்று எண்ணிக்கொள்ளாத செய்யார்= அரசனால் யாம் நன்கு மதிக்கப்பட்டேம் என்று கருதி அவன் விரும்பாதவற்றைச் செய்யார்; துளக்கு அற்ற காட்சியவர்= நிலைபெற்ற அறிவினை உடையார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that ministers of stable understanding do not reason that the ruler's high regard permits them to do what the ruler does not accept.