Divisive Hostility
.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
ikaletir cāyntoḻuka vallārai yārē / mikalūkkun taṉmai yavar.
Who can hope to overpower those able, when hostility rises, to lean away from it and conduct themselves without accepting it?
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“If men from enmity can keep their spirits free, / Who over them shall gain the victory?”
“Who can desire the overthrow of the man who hath the talent to avoid hostilities?”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
இகல் எதிர் சாய்ந்து ஒழுக வல்லாரை= தம்முள்ளது மாறுபாடு தோன்றியவழி அதனை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளாது சாய்ந்து ஒழுகவல்லாரை; மிகல் ஊக்கும் தன்மையவர் யார்= வெல்லக் கருதும் தன்மயுடையார் யாவர்?
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar asks who could hope to defeat a person able, when hostility appears within, to lean away rather than accept and feed it. Refusing ikal does not abandon opposition. It denies the opponent the haste, anger, and disproportionate response they hoped to trigger, while preserving evidence, safety, and principle. The attempted provocation therefore finds no hold.