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irattali ṉiṉṉātu maṉṟa nirappiya / tāmē tamiya ruṇal
“They keep their garners full, for self alone the board they spread;- / 'Tis greater pain, be sure, than begging daily bread!”
“Bitterer verily than the beggar’s bread is the hoarded meal of the miser eating alone.”
Hoarding wealth and feasting alone while ignoring the starving around you is far more shameful than begging for food.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நிரப்பிய தாமே தமியர் உணல்= பொருட்குறை நிரப்பவேண்டி வறியார்க்கு ஈயாது தாமே தனித்து உண்டல்; இரத்தலின் இன்னாது மன்ற= ஒருவர்க்குப் பிறர்பால் சென்று இரத்தலினும் இன்னாது ஒருதலையாக.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Hoarding wealth and feasting alone while ignoring the starving around you is far more shameful than begging for food.