The Possession of Decorum
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naṉṟikku vittākum nalloḻukkam tīyoḻukkam / eṉṟum iṭumpai tarum
“'Decorum true' observed a seed of good will be; / 'Decorum's breach' will sorrow yield eternally.”
“Good conduct soweth the seed of prosperity: but an evil course is the mother of endless ills.”
Good conduct is the seed of every good; bad conduct yields sorrow without end.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நல்லொழுக்கம் நன்றிக்கு வித்து ஆகும் = ஒருவனுக்கு நல்லொழுக்கம் அறத்திற்குக் காரணமாய் இருமையினும் இன்பம் பயக்கும்; தீயொழுக்கம் என்றும் இடும்பை தரும் = தீய ஒழுக்கம் பாவத்திற்குக் காரணமாய் இருமையினும் துன்பம் பயக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Good conduct is the seed from which every good — happiness here and hereafter — grows; bad conduct is the seed of sorrow that yields suffering without end. What you sow in conduct, you reap in consequence.