Shallow Understanding
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kallāta mēṟkoṇ ṭoḻukal kacaṭaṟa / vallatūu maiyan tarum.
Assuming the posture of mastery in what one has not learned causes doubt even about what one has learned thoroughly and truly masters.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“If men what they have never learned assume to know, / Upon their real learning's power a doubt 'twill throw.”
“Behold the fool that pretendeth unto knowledge that be possesseth not: he raiseth doubts even as to those things that he really knoweth.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கல்லாத மேற்கொண்டு ஒழுகல்= புல்லறிவாளர் தாம் கல்லாத நூல்களையும் கற்றாராகத் தாம் மேலிட்டுக்கொண்டு ஒழுகுதல்; கசடு அற வல்லதூஉம் ஐயம் தரும்= கசடறக் கற்றதொரு நூலுண்டாயின், அதன்கண்ணும் பிறர்க்கு ஐயத்தை விளைக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that when people present themselves as learned in works they have not studied, they cause others to doubt even a work they have learned faultlessly and genuinely mastered.