Internal Enmity
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ceppiṉ puṇarccipōṟ kūṭiṉuṅ kūṭātē / yuṭpakai yuṟṟa kuṭi.
“As casket with its cover, though in one they live alway, / No union to the house where hate concealed hath sway.”
“The house that is divided against itself is like a vessel that is fitted with a lid: though it appeareth to be a single unit, it will never make a united whole.”
Though it may appear joined like a metal container fitted with its lid, a household possessed by internal enmity is not truly united.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
செப்பின் புணர்ச்சி போல் கூடினும்= செப்பினது புணர்ச்சிபோலப் புறத்து வேற்றுமைதெரியாமற் கூடினாராயினும்; உட்பகை உற்ற குடி கூடாது= உட்பகை உண்டாய குடியில் உள்ளார் அகத்துத் தம்முள் கூடார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Though members of a divided house appear seamlessly joined on the surface like a casket fitted with its lid, in their hearts they will never be truly united.