Knowing the Right Time
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ceṟunaraik kāṇiṟ cumakka viṟuvarai / kāṇiṟ kiḻakkān talai
“If foes' detested form they see, with patience let them bear; / When fateful hour at last they spy,- the head lies there.”
“Bend down before thy adversaries till the day of their decline: when that day is come thou mayest easily throw them down headlong.”
When facing an adversary, endure until a decisive vulnerability appears; when it does, the adversary's dominance will fall.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
செறுநரைக் காணின் சுமக்க= தாம் வெல்லக்கருதிய அரசர், பகைவர்க்கு இறுதிக்காலம் வருந்துணையும் அவரைக்கண்டால் பணிக; இறுவரை காணின் தலை கிழக்காம்= பணியவே, அக்காலம் வந்திறும்வழி அவர் தகைவின்றி இறுவர்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Endure patiently before an adversary until their decisive, vulnerable moment arrives; when that appointed time comes, their dominance will collapse of itself.