Acting after Deliberation
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eṇṇit tuṇika karuman tuṇintapi / ṉeṇṇuva meṉpa tiḻukku.
“Think, and then dare the deed! Who cry, / 'Deed dared, we'll think,' disgraced shall be.”
“Decide not upon any action except after careful deliberation: it is a fool who undertaketh first and sayeth in his heart, I shall think afterwards.”
Consider the undertaking and its means before resolving to act; saying ‘we shall think after committing’ is a fault.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கருமம் எண்ணித் துணிக= செய்யத்தக்க கருமமும் முடிக்கும் உபாயத்தை எண்ணித் தொடங்குக; துணிந்தபின் எண்ணுவம் என்பது இழுக்கு= தொடங்கி வைத்துப் பின் எண்ணக் கடவேம் என்றொழிதல் குற்றம்ஆதலான்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Deliberate deeply on the means to complete an action before embarking on it; to begin rashly and plan to think later is a ruinous error.