The Possession of Self-control
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kataṅkāttuk kaṟṟaṭaṅkal āṟṟuvāṉ sevvi / aṟampārkkum āṟṟiṉ nuḻaintu
To the one who guards off anger and, learned, holds himself in, righteousness itself comes seeking.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who learns restraint, and guards his soul from wrath, / Virtue, a timely aid, attends his path.”
“Behold the man who hath learned wisdom and whose mind is tranquil and under perfect control: Righteousness pilgrimageth to his home in order to have a look at him.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கதம் காத்துக் கற்று அடங்கல் ஆற்றுவான் செவ்வி = மனத்தின்கண் வெகுளி தோன்றாமல் காத்துக் கல்வி உடையனாய் அடங்குதலை வல்லவனது செவ்வியை; அறம் பார்க்கும் ஆற்றின் நுழைந்து = அறக்கடவுள் பாராநிற்கும் அவனை அடையும் நெறியின்கண் சென்று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
To the person who guards his mind from anger and, learned, is able to hold himself in, righteousness itself comes — travelling, as it were, the road to his door to be near him. Calm self-mastery draws virtue toward you.