Nobility of Character
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aṭukkiya kōṭi peṟiṉuṅ kuṭippiṟantār / kuṉṟuva ceyta lilar.
Even were they given crores heaped upon crores, those born to such a house have no doing of the things that make them less.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Millions on millions piled would never win / The men of noble race to soul-degrading sin.”
“Men of family would not tarnish their name even for the sake of tens of millions.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அடுக்கிய கோடி பெறினும்= பலவாக அடுக்கிய கோடி அளவிற்றாய பொருளைப் பெற்றாராயினும்; குடிப்பிறந்தார் குன்றுவ செய்தல் இலர்= உயர்ந்த குடியின்கண் பிறந்தார் தம் ஒழுக்கம் குன்றும் தொழில்களைச் செய்யார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Even were they given crores heaped upon crores, those born to such a house do not do the things that make them less.