Lack of Learning
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kallā voruvaṉ takaimai talaippeytu / collāṭac cōrvu paṭum
“As worthless shows the worth of man unlearned, / When council meets, by words he speaks discerned.”
“Behold the ignorant man who is wise in his own eyes: he will be put to shame directly he openeth his lips in an assembly.”
An unlearned person's self-estimated intellectual stature collapses when informed discussion begins.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கல்லா ஒருவன் தகைமை= நூல்களைக் கல்லாத ஒருவன் யான் அறிவுடையேன் எனத் தன்னை மதிக்கும் மதிப்பு; தலைப்பெய்து சொல்லாடச் சோர்வுபடும்= அவற்றைக் கற்றவன் கண்டு உரையாடக் கெடும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
An unlearned person's inflated estimation of their own stature collapses completely the moment they engage in informed dialogue with learned scholars.