Abstention from Sloth
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kuṭiyeṉṉum kuṉṟā viḷakkam maṭiyeṉṉum / mācūra māyntu keṭum.
“Of household dignity the lustre beaming bright, / Flickers and dies when sluggish foulness dims its light.”
“The perennial light called Family will be extinguished if it is invaded by the foul vapour of sloth.”
The unfailing lamp called a household's standing fades and is extinguished when the stain called sloth spreads over it.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
குடி என்னும் குன்றா விளக்கம்= தான் பிறந்த குடியாகிய நந்தாவிளக்கு; மடி என்னும் மாசு ஊர மாய்ந்து கெடும்= ஒருவன் மடியாகிய இருள் அடர நந்திப்போம்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The enduring lamp of noble family honor will be choked with darkness and extinguished once the foul stain of sloth creeps over it.