Baseness
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īrṅkai vitirār kayavar koṭiṟuṭaikkuṅ / kūṉkaiya rallā tavarkku.
“From off their moistened hands no clinging grain they shake, / Unless to those with clenched fist their jaws who break.”
“The degenerate would grudge even to jerk his hands moistened with food, save to those that can break his jaw with clenched fists.”
The base will not flick water off their hand for beggars; they give only to a threatening fist.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கயவர் கொடிறு உடைக்கும் கூன் கையர் அல்லாதவர்க்கு= கயவர் தம் கதுப்பினை நெரிப்பதாக வளைந்த கையினை உடையர் அல்லாதார்க்கு; ஈர்ங்கை விதிரார்= தாம் உண்டு பூசிய கையைத் தெறித்தல் வேண்டும் என்று இரந்தாலும் தெறியார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The base will not flick even the moisture off their hand for those who beg of them; they yield only to a clenched fist that threatens to shatter their jaw.