Abstaining from Intoxicants
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īṉṟāṇ mukattēyu miṉṉātā leṉmaṟṟuc / cāṉṟōr mukattuk kaḷi.
If intoxicated revelry is distressing even before the mother who bore one, how much more so before discerning people?
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The drunkard's joy is sorrow to his mother's eyes; / What must it be in presence of the truly wise?”
“The sight of the man who is intoxicated is an abomination even unto his own mother: what must it be then to the worthy?”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஈன்றாள் முகத்தேயும் களி இன்னாது= யாது செய்யினும் உவக்கும் தாய் முன்பாயினும் கள்ளுண்டு களித்தல் இன்னாதாம்; மற்றுச் சான்றோர் முகத்து என்= ஆனபின், குற்றம் யாதும் பொறாத சான்றோர்முன்பு களித்தல் அவர்க்கியாதாம்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that intoxicated revelry is painful even before the mother who ordinarily delights in whatever her child does. The rhetorical question then intensifies the comparison: what must that revelry be like before discerning good people, who tolerate no fault? The severe comparison does not appoint a mother as a guard, use family pain as treatment, or define a person's permanent worth. The conduct is judged; gender, disability, dependency, and human dignity are not. Modern responses may set a private boundary, place immediate safety with responsible adults, and seek appropriate confidential support without ridicule or medical improvisation.