Not Coveting Another's Wife
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aṟaṉvaraiyāṉ alla ceyiṉum piṟaṉvaraiyāḷ / peṇmai nayavāmai naṉṟu
“Though virtue's bounds he pass, and evil deeds hath wrought; / At least, 'tis good if neighbour's wife he covet not.”
“Though thou shouldst transgress and yield to every other sin, it were well for thee if thou desire not thy neighbour's wife.”
Even if a man does wrong and lives without virtue, it is still good if he does not desire the wife who belongs to another.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அறன் வரையான் அல்ல செயினும் = ஒருவன் அறத்தைத் தனக்கு உரித்தாகச் செய்யாது பாவங்களைச் செய்யும் ஆயினும்; பிறன் வரையாள் பெண்மை நயவாமை நன்று = அவனுக்குப் பிறன் எல்லைக்கண் நிற்பாளது பெண்மையை விரும்பாமை உண்டாயின் அது நன்று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Even if a person fails to make virtue their own and commits other wrongs, it is still genuinely good if they at least do not desire the spouse who stands within another's bounds. This one restraint shines even in a flawed life.