Following a Wife's Direction
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eṇcērnta neñcat tiṭaṉuṭaiyārk keññāṉṟum / peṇcērntām pētaimai yil.
In its ancient patriarchal frame, the couplet says: those who possess a mind joined to strategic thought and the resources it creates never suffer the folly born of attachment to a wife.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Where pleasures of the mind, that dwell in realms of thought, abound, / Folly, that springs from overweening woman's love, is never found.”
“Behold the men whose thoughts are set on great affairs and who are the favourites of fortune: they yield not to the folly of doting on their wives.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
எண் சேர்ந்த நெஞ்சத்து இடன் உடையார்க்கு= கருமச் சூழ்ச்சிக்கட் சென்ற நெஞ்சத்தினையும் அதனினாய செல்வத்தினையம் உடையராய வேந்தர்க்கு; பெண் சேர்ந்து ஆம் பேதைமை எஞ்ஞான்றும் இல்= மனையாளைச் சேர்தலான் விளையும் பேதைமை எக்காலத்தும் உண்டாகாது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains the subject as rulers who possess both a mind established in deliberation about action and the wealth or resources produced by that deliberation. For them, he says, the folly caused by attachment to a wife never occurs. The wife-blaming and male-authority frame is patriarchal and is not endorsed. Love, consultation, compromise, and reasoned changes of mind are healthy. The durable modern insight is that clear inquiry, prior plans, trusted advice, and usable resources help any person retain moral agency with any partner or peer. Kural 910 describes prevention: folly does not arise and no loss needs to be repaired.