Compassion
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aruṭcelvañ celvattuḷ celvam poruṭcelvam / pūriyār kaṇṇu muḷa
“Wealth 'mid wealth is wealth 'kindliness'; / Wealth of goods the vilest too possess.”
“The chiefest wealth is a heart that is rich in mercy: for material wealth is found even in the hands of vile men.”
Compassion toward all living beings is the wealth of wealths; mere material riches are possessed even by the base and ignoble.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
செல்வத்துள் செல்வம் அருட் செல்வம்= செல்வங்கள் பலவற்றுள்ளும் ஆராய்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட செல்வமாவது, அருளான்வரும் செல்வம்; பொருள்செல்வம் பூரியார் கண்ணும் உள= அஃது ஒழிந்த பொருளான்வரும் செல்வங்கள், இழிந்தார்கண்ணும் உளவாம் ஆகலான்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Compassion toward all living beings is the wealth of wealths; mere material riches are possessed even by the base and ignoble.
This verse is in tension
AI draft · pending scholar review