Assessing Enmity
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ēmuṟ ṟavariṉu mēḻai tamiyaṉāyp / pallār pakaikoḷ pavaṉ.
One who stands alone yet makes enemies of many is poorer in judgment than even the people whom the classical rhetoric stigmatizes as “mad.”
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Than men of mind diseased, a wretch more utterly forlorn, / Is he who stands alone, object of many foeman's scorn.”
“Behold the prince that hath no allies but challengeth to war a multitude of foes: he is more insane than even a madman.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தமியனாய்ப் பல்லார் பகைகொள்பவன்= தான் தனியனாய் வைத்துப் பலரோடு பகை கொள்பவன்; ஏமுற்றவரினும் ஏழை= பித்துற்றாரினும் ஏழை.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar harshly says that a person who stands alone and makes enemies of many is “poorer than one afflicted by madness.” That comparison reflects stigmatizing historical rhetoric and must not be treated as a clinical truth or a moral judgment on mental illness. The defensible strategic claim is narrower: an unsupported person acts with extremely poor judgment by deliberately multiplying hostile fronts. A lone dissenter, whistleblower, or person isolated by abuse is not condemned.