Gratitude
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tiṉaittuṇai naṉṟi seyiṉum paṉaittuṇaiyāk / koḷvar payaṉteri vār
“Each benefit to those of actions' fruit who rightly deem, / Though small as millet-seed, as palm-tree vast will seem.”
“The benefit received may be small even like a millet-seed: but in the eyes of the just its measure is that of a palmyra tree.”
A good done to them may be as small as a millet seed, but those who know what a kindness is worth hold it as large as a palmyra tree.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தினைத்துணை நன்றி செயினும் = தமக்குத் தினை அளவிற்றாய உபகாரத்தை ஒருவன் செய்தானாயினும்; பனைத்துணையாக் கொள்வர் பயன் தெரிவார் = அதனை அவ்வளவிற்றாகக் கருதாது பனை அளவிற்றாகக் கருதுவர் அக்கருத்தின் பயன் தெரிவார். ('தினை' 'பனை' என்பன சிறுமை பெருமைகட்குக் காட்டுவன சில அளவை.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Those who understand what a kindness is worth take even a millet-seed-sized good done to them and hold it as though it were as large as a palmyra tree. The grateful magnify, never shrink, the help they received.