Abstaining from Intoxicants
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kaḷittāṉaik kāraṇaṅ kāṭṭutal kīḻnīrk / kuḷittāṉait tītturīi yaṟṟu.
“Like him who, lamp in hand, would seek one sunk beneath the wave. / Is he who strives to sober drunken man with reasonings grave.”
“Behold the man who reproveth one who is intoxicated: he is like a man who searcheth torch in hand one who is immersed under water.”
Reasoning with a drunkard is like searching underwater with a flaming torch.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
களித்தானைக் காரணம் காட்டுதல்= கள்ளுண்டு களித்தான் ஒருவனை, இஃது ஆகாது என்று பிறன் ஒருவன், காரணம் காட்டித் தெளிவித்தல்; நீர்க் கீழ்க் குளித்தானைத் தீத்துரீஇயற்று= நீருள் மூழ்கினான் ஒருவனைப் பிறன் ஒருவன் விளக்கினால் நாடுதலை ஒக்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Reasoning with an intoxicated drunkard to persuade him of the truth is as futile as searching for someone submerged deep underwater with a burning torch.