Lack of Learning
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nallārkaṭ paṭṭa vaṟumaiyi ṉiṉṉātē / kallārkaṭ paṭṭa tiru
“To men unlearned, from fortune's favour greater-evil springs / Than poverty to men of goodly wisdom brings.”
“Bitter verily is the poverty of the man of learning: but far worse is riches in the hands of the fool.”
The wealth accumulated by the unlearned brings greater harm than the poverty endured by the learned.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நல்லார்கண் பட்ட வறுமையின் இன்னாதே= கற்றார்மாட்டு நின்ற வறுமையினும் இன்னாது; கல்லார்கண் பட்ட திரு= கல்லாதார்மாட்டு நின்ற செல்வம்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Wealth held in the hands of the ignorant and unlearned causes far greater grief and ruin to the world than the poverty suffered by the noble and learned.