Folly
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pētaimaiyu ḷellām pētaimai kātaṉmai / kaiyalla taṉkaṭ ceyal.
Of all follies, the greatest is becoming attached to conduct that is not right or fitting for the responsibility one has accepted.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“'Mid follies chiefest folly is to fix your love / On deeds which to your station unbefitting prove.”
“The chiefest among all kinds of folly is the folly of inclining the heart towards conduct that is unbecoming to oneself.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
பேதைமையுள் எல்லாம் பேதைமை= ஒருவனுக்குப் பேதைமை எல்லாவற்றுள்ளும் மிக்க பேதைமையாவது; கையல்லதன்கண் காதன்மை செயல்= தனக்கு ஆகாத ஒழுக்கத்தின்கண் காதன்மை செய்தல்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that the greatest folly is becoming attached to conduct that is not fitting for oneself. A humane modern reading must not turn this into exclusion by birth, caste, gender, disability, education, language, or poverty; it concerns conduct that conflicts with ethical limits, an accepted responsibility, or preparation genuinely required for the task.