Renown
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nattampōṟ kēṭu muḷatākuñ cākkāṭum / vittakark kallā laritu
“Loss that is gain, and death of life's true bliss fulfilled, / Are fruits which only wisdom rare can yield.”
“The ruin that addeth unto fame and the death that bringeth glory belong only to the great-souled.”
Transforming material loss into moral growth, and bodily death into immortal presence, is a rare mastery achieved only by the truly wise.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நத்தம் ஆகும் கேடும்= புகழுடம்பிற்கு ஆக்கமாகும் கேடும்; உளது ஆகும் சாக்காடும்= புகழுடம்பு உளதாகும் சாக்காடும்; வித்தகர்க்கு அல்லால் அரிது= சதுரப்பாடுடையார்க்கு அல்லது இல்லை.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Transforming material loss into moral growth, and bodily death into immortal presence, is a rare mastery achieved only by the truly wise.