Purity of Action
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calattāṟ poruḷceytē mārttal pacumaṭ / kalattuṇīr peytirīi yaṟṟu.
“In pot of clay unburnt he water pours and would retain, / Who seeks by wrong the realm in wealth and safety to maintain.”
“To try to lay by wealth by means of guile is like trying to preserve water in a pot of clay that is not baked.”
Trying to create security with wealth amassed through wrongful means is like pouring water into an unfired clay pot and expecting it to remain.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
சலத்தால் பொருள் செய்து ஏமார்த்தல்= அமைச்சன் தீய வினைகளாற் பொருள் படைத்து, அதனால் அரசனுக்கு ஏமஞ்செய்தல்; பசுமட் கலத்துள் நீர் பெய்து இரீஇயற்று= பசிய மட்கலத்துள்ளே நீரைப்பெய்து அதற்கு ஏமம் செய்ததனோடு ஒக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Amassing wealth through deceitful treachery to secure safety is like pouring water into an unbaked clay vessel expecting it to hold.