Examining Friendship
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kuṇaṉuṅ kuṭimaiyuṅ kuṟṟamuṅ kuṉṟā / viṉaṉu maṟintiyākka naṭpu.
Know a person's character, lineage, faults, and unfailing circle of kin, and then form friendship.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Temper, descent, defects, associations free / From blame: know these, then let the man be friend to thee.”
“Take into thy consideration the family of the man whom thou desirest to make thy friend, his virtues and his vices, and the whole range of his associates and connections: and then befriend him if he is worthy.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
குணனும் குடிமையும் குற்றமும் குன்றா இனனும் அறிந்து= ஒருவன் குணத்தினையும், குடிப்பிறப்பினையும், குற்றத்தினையும், குறைவற்ற சுற்றத்தினையும் ஆராய்ந்து அறிந்து; நட்பு யாக்க= அவனோடு நட்புச் செய்க.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says to examine a person's character, lineage, faults, and adequate circle of kin before forming friendship. Lineage is an explicit historical social criterion in the commentary and must not be disguised. It is not endorsed here as a modern rule: caste, race, class, wealth, and family prestige do not determine human worth or eligibility for friendship.