Noble Excellence
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kuṇanalañ cāṉṟōr nalaṉē piṟanala / mennalat tuḷḷatūu maṉṟu.
“The good of inward excellence they claim, / The perfect men; all other good is only good in name.”
“The comeliness of the worthy is the comeliness of their character: the comeliness of the body addeth nothing to their comeliness.”
The true excellence of the wise is the excellence of character; all other advantages count for nothing.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
சான்றோர் நலன் குணநலனே= சான்றோர் நலமாவது குணங்களான் ஆய நலமே; பிறநலம் எந்நலத்து உள்ளதூஉம் அன்று= அஃது ஒழிந்த உறுப்புக்களானாய நலம் ஒரு நலத்தினும் உள்ளதன்று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The true excellence of the noble is the excellence of their moral character; all other worldly advantages, such as beauty or wealth, count for nothing in comparison.