Shallow Understanding
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kallāta mēṟkoṇ ṭoḻukal kacaṭaṟa / vallatūu maiyan tarum.
“If men what they have never learned assume to know, / Upon their real learning's power a doubt 'twill throw.”
“Behold the fool that pretendeth unto knowledge that be possesseth not: he raiseth doubts even as to those things that he really knoweth.”
Pretending mastery over what one has not learned casts doubt even upon the subjects one has truly mastered.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கல்லாத மேற்கொண்டு ஒழுகல்= புல்லறிவாளர் தாம் கல்லாத நூல்களையும் கற்றாராகத் தாம் மேலிட்டுக்கொண்டு ஒழுகுதல்; கசடு அற வல்லதூஉம் ஐயம் தரும்= கசடறக் கற்றதொரு நூலுண்டாயின், அதன்கண்ணும் பிறர்க்கு ஐயத்தை விளைக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Pretending mastery over subjects one has never studied casts doubt and suspicion even upon the genuine knowledge one has mastered.