Military Spirit
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purantārkaṇ ṇīrmalkac cākiṟpiṟ cākkā / ṭirantukōṭ takka tuṭaittu.
“If monarch's eyes o'erflow with tears for hero slain, / Who would not beg such boon of glorious death to gain?”
“If one can die so as to draw tears from the eyes of one’s chief, one may even go a-begging in order to obtain for oneself such a death.”
If a warrior dies in battle so that the ruler who protected him weeps in grateful remembrance, the ancient martial judgement holds such a death worthy even of being begged for.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
புறந்தார் கண்ணீர் மல்கச் சாகிற் பின்= தமக்குச் செய்த நன்றிகளை நினைந்து ஆண்ட அரசர் கண்கள் நீர்மல்கும் வகை போரிடைச் சாவப் பெறின்; சாக்காடு இரந்து கோள் தக்கது உடைத்து= அச் சாக்காடு இரந்தாயினும் கொள்ளும் தகுதியை உடைத்து.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
If a warrior falls in battle so heroically that his sovereign weeps in gratitude remembering his devoted service, such an honorable end is worthy of being begged for.