The Way of Building a Family Name
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Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
kuṭiceyva leṉṉu moruvaṟkut teyva / maṭitaṟṟut tāṉmun tuṟum.
To the one who says 'I will raise my household', the divine power itself goes ahead and stands there — with its cloth gathered at the waist, in Parimelazhagar's reading of that phrase.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“'I'll make my race renowned,' if man shall say, / With vest succinct the goddess leads the way.”
“When a man setteth out saying, I shall advance my house, the very Gods gird up their loins and march before him.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
குடி செய்வல் என்னும ஒருவற்கு= என் குடியினை உயரச்செய்யக் கடவேன் என்றுகொண்டு அதற்கு ஏற்ற கருமங்களின் முயலும் ஒருவனுக்கு; தெய்வம் மடிதற்றுத் தான் முந்துறும்= தெய்வம் ஆடையைத் தற்றுக்கொண்டு தான் முந்துற்று நிற்கும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
A man resolves to raise his household and sets about the work it needs. Then the divine tightens its garment and goes and stands ahead of him.