Intrepidity in the Face of Misfortune
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maṭuttavā yellām pakaṭaṉṉā ṉuṟṟa / viṭukka ṇiṭarppāṭu ṭaittu.
“Like bullock struggle on through each obstructed way; / From such an one will troubles, troubled, roll away.”
“Behold the man who is prepared to strain his every nerve like the bull-buffalo to wade through every difficulty: he may meet with obstacles but he will send them away disappointed.”
Like a draught ox that draws its cart through every obstructed passage, one who can carry an undertaking onward makes adversity itself struggle for a way.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
மடுத்த வாய் எல்லாம் பகடு அன்னான்= விலங்கிய இடங்கள் எல்லாவற்றினும் சகடம் ஈர்க்கும் பகடுபோல வினையை எடுத்துக்கொண்டு உய்க்கவல்லானை; உற்ற இடுக்கண் இடர்ப்பாடு உடைத்து= வந்துற்ற இடுக்கண் தானே இடர்ப்படுதலை உடைத்து.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Like a sturdy bull pulling a heavy cart through mud and uphill tracks, whoever pushes tirelessly past every obstacle will see their distress broken and defeated.