Abstaining from Anger
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taṉṉaittāṉ kākkiṟ ciṉaṅkākka kāvākkāṟ / ṟaṉṉaiyē kolluñ ciṉam
“If thou would'st guard thyself, guard against wrath alway; / 'Gainst wrath who guards not, him his wrath shall slay.”
“If thou want to look after thyself, keep off from choler: for if thou keep not off, it will come upon thee and destroy thy own self.”
To protect oneself, guard anger; left unguarded, anger brings severe harm upon the very person who carries it.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தன்னைத் தான் காக்கின் சினம் காக்க= தன்னைத் தான் துன்பம் எய்தாமல் காக்க நினைத்தான்ஆயின், தன்மனத்துச் சினம் வாராமற் காக்க; காவாக்கால் சினம் தன்னையே கொல்லும்= காவானாயின், அச்சினம் தன்னையை கெடுக்கும் கடும் துன்பங்களை எய்துவிக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
If a person desires to protect themselves from distress, let them guard against anger; if they fail to restrain it, that very anger will destroy their peace and well-being.