Farming
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ēriṉu naṉṟā meruviṭutal kaṭṭapi / ṉīriṉu naṉṟataṉ kāppu.
“To cast manure is better than to plough; / Weed well; to guard is more than watering now”
“Manuring profiteth more than the ploughing: and when the land is weeded, guarding it profiteth more than irrigation.”
Manuring is better than plowing; and once weeded, guarding the crop is better than watering.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஏரினும் எரு இடுதல் நன்றாம்= அப்பயிர்க்கு அவ்வுழுதலினும் எருப்பெய்தல் நன்று; கட்டபின் அதன் காப்பு நீரினும் நன்று= இவ்விரண்டும் செய்து களைகட்டால் அதனைக் காத்தல் அதற்கு நீர்கால் யாத்தலினும் நன்று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Applying manure does more good for crops than repeated plowing; and once the field is weeded, vigilant protection of the crops is even more vital than watering them.