Harmful Friendship
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pētai peruṅkaḻīi naṭpi ṉaṟivuṭaiyā / rētiṉmai kōṭi yuṟum.
“Better ten million times incur the wise man's hate, / Than form with foolish men a friendship intimate.”
“The enmity of the wise is ten million times better than the intimacy of fools.”
The estrangement of a discerning person is ten million times better than intimate friendship with one acting in practical folly.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
பேதை பெருங்கழீஇ நட்பின் = அறிவுஇலானது மிகச்செறிந்த நட்பின்; அறிவுடையார் ஏதின்மை கோடி உறும் = அறிவுடையானது பகைமை கோடி மடங்கு நன்று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The open estrangement or distance of a wise and discerning person is ten million times preferable to the suffocatingly close friendship of a fool.