The Possession of Decorum
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
maṟappiṉum ōttuk koḷalākum pārppāṉ / piṟappoḻukkam kuṉṟak keṭum
“Though he forget, the Brahman may regain his Vedic lore; / Failing in 'decorum due,' birthright's gone for evermore.”
“Even the Vedas if forgotten can be learned again: but once fallen from virtuous conduct the Brahman is fallen from his place for ever.”
Even if a learned person forgets the texts studied, they can be learned again; but if personal conduct slips, honour and stature are destroyed.
Ask about this Kural
Answers are drawn only from this Kural's sourced text and named commentary, and always cite what they used.
Choose a section
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஓத்து மறப்பினும் கொளல் ஆகும் = கற்ற வேதத்தினை மறந்தான் ஆயினும் அவ்வருணம் கெடாமையில் பின்னும் அஃது ஓதிக் கொளலாம்; பார்ப்பான் பிறப்பு ஒழுக்கம் குன்றக் கெடும் = அந்தணனது உயர்ந்த வருணம் தன் ஒழுக்கம் குன்றக் கெடும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Even if a learned person forgets the texts studied, they can be learned again; but if personal conduct slips, honour and stature are destroyed. Knowledge can be regained, but lost integrity is not easily restored.