The Possession of Forbearance
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akazhvāraith thāngum nilampōlath thammai / igazhvārp poṟuttal thalai
“As earth bears up the men who delve into her breast, To bear with scornful men of virtues is the best.”
“The earth supporteth even those that dig into her: even so bear thou with those that traduce thee; for that is greatness.”
The ground holds up even the people who dig into it. The finest strength is to bear with those who look down on you.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கும் நிலம்போல — தன்னை அகழ்வாரை வீழாமல் தாங்கும் நிலம் போல; தம்மை இகழ்வார்ப் பொறுத்தல் தலை — தம்மை அவமதிப்பாரைப் பொறுத்தல் தலையாய அறம். (உரைவிளக்கம்: இகழ்தல் மிகையாயின செய்தலும், சொல்லுதலும்.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Just as the earth bears up even those who dig into it, bearing patiently with those who despise you is the highest virtue. (To 'despise' here covers both insulting deeds and insulting words.)