Shallow Understanding
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arumaṟai cōru maṟivilāṉ ceyyum / perumiṟai tāṉē taṉakku.
One who lets rare and precious counsel slip away creates a great burden for oneself.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“From out his soul who lets the mystic teachings die, / Entails upon himself abiding misery.”
“Behold the shallow man that cannot keep a secret to himself: he will bring down great calamities on his own head.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அருமறை சோரும் அறிவிலான்= பெறுதற்குரிய உபதேசப்பொருளைப் பெற்றாலும் உட்கொள்ளாது போக்கும் புல்லறிவாளன்; தானே தனக்குப் பெருமிறை செய்யும்= அவ்வுறுதி அறியாமையான் தானே தனக்கு மிக்க வருத்தத்தைச் செய்துகொள்ளும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that one who receives hard-to-obtain beneficial counsel but fails to take it in, not recognizing its value, thereby creates great suffering for oneself.