The Way of Building a Family Name
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Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
nallāṇmai yeṉpa toruvaṟkut tāṉpiṟanta / villāṇmai yākkik koḷal.
For a person, what is called good mastery is this — bringing into being the mastery of the house one was born into, and taking it as one's own.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Of virtuous manliness the world accords the praise / To him who gives his powers, the house from which he sprang to raise.”
“That is the supreme manhood which bringeth to a high estate the family wherein one is born.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஒருவற்கு நல்லாண்மை என்பது= ஒருவனுக்கு நல்ல ஆண்மை என்று உயர்த்துச் சொல்லப்படுவது; தான் பிறந்த இல்லாண்மை ஆக்கிக் கொளல்= தான் பிறந்த குடியினை ஆளும் தன்மையைத் தனக்கு உளதாக்கிக் கோடல்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
What is spoken of as a person's true capability? Making the capacity to govern the household one was born into one's own. ('The capacity to govern' is how Parimelazhagar expands it.)