Dread of Evil Deeds
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taṉṉaittāṉ kātalaṉ āyiṉ eṉaittoṉṟum / tuṉṉaṟka tīviṉaip pāl
“Beware, if to thyself thyself is dear, / Lest thou to aught that ranks as ill draw near!”
“If a man love his own self, let him not incline toward evil in any degree.”
If one truly cherishes and loves oneself, one must not commit even the smallest fraction of an evil deed.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தன்னைத் தான் காதலன் ஆயின் = ஒருவன், தன்னைத் தான் காதல் செய்தல் உடையனாயின்; தீவினைப்பால் எனைத்து ஒன்றும் துன்னற்க = தீவினையாகிய பகுதி, எத்துணையும் சிறியதொன்றாயினும் பிறர்மாட்டுச் செய்யாது ஒழிக.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
If one truly cherishes and loves oneself, one must not commit even the smallest fraction of an evil deed.