Truthfulness
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ellā viḷakkum viḷakkalla cāṉṟōrkkup / poyyā viḷakkē viḷakku
“Every lamp is not a lamp in wise men's sight; / That's the lamp with truth's pure radiance bright.”
“The worthy regard not all other light as light: it is only the light of truth that they look upon as a veritable illumination.”
Not every lamp is a lamp to the wise; the lamp that does not lie is their true light.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
எல்லா விளக்கும் விளக்கு அல்ல= புறத்திருள் கடியும் உலகத்தார் விளக்குகளெல்லாம் விளக்கு ஆகா; சான்றோர்க்கு விளக்கு பொய்யா விளக்கே= துறவான் அமைந்தார்க்கு விளக்காவது மனத்து இருள்கடியும் பொய்யாமையாகிய விளக்கே.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The physical lamps that dispel external darkness are not considered real lights by the wise; to them, the lamp of spotless truthfulness that dispels internal darkness is the only true illumination.