The Way of Building a Family Name
.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
amarakattu vaṉkaṇṇar pōlat tamarakattu / māṟṟuvār mēṟṟē poṟai.
Like the unflinching in the midst of battle, so among one's own people too: the load rests on those able to bear it.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The fearless hero bears the brunt amid the warrior throng; / Amid his kindred so the burthen rests upon the strong.”
“Even as the brunt of an action falleth on the courageous on the battlefield, even so the burden of keeping up the family lieth only on the shoulders of those that can bear the burden.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அமர் அகத்து வன்கண்ணர் போல= களத்தின்கண் சென்றார் பலராயினும் போர்தாங்குதல் வன்கண்ணர்மேலது ஆனாற்போல; தமரகத்தும் பொறை ஆற்றுவார் மேற்றே= குடியின்கண் பிறந்தார் பலராயினும், அதன் பாரம்பொறுத்தல் அது வல்லார் மேலதாம்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Many go into the battlefield, but holding the battle rests on those who can. Many are born into a household, but carrying its weight rests in the same way on those able to carry it.