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kolaiyiṟ koṭiyārai vēntoṟuttal paiṅkūḻ / kaḷaikaṭ ṭataṉoṭu nēr.
“By punishment of death the cruel to restrain, / Is as when farmer frees from weeds the tender grain.”
“Punishing the wicked with death is like the removing of weeds from the cornfield.”
For a king to punish cruel wrongdoers by killing is like a farmer removing weeds to protect the tender crop.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
வேந்து கொடியாரைக் கொலையின் ஒறுத்தல்= அரசன் கொடியவர்களைக் கொலையான் ஒறுத்துத் தக்கோரைக் காத்தல்; பைங்கூழ் களை கட்டதனொடு நேர்= உழவன் களையைக் களைந்து பைங்கூழைக் காத்ததனோடு ஒக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
For a sovereign to punish merciless and destructive criminals with death is just like a diligent farmer weeding thorny tares from the field to protect tender green crops.
This verse is in tension
AI draft · pending scholar review