129. Forgetting ourselves together

ஆலமர வேர்கள் பிணையுமிடம் ஒவ்வொருவேர்தானெனும் பேர்மறக்கும் மண்

aalamara verkal pinaiyumidam ovvoruverthaanenum permarakkum man

In the soil where banyan roots twine together, each root forgets the name it went by: ‘I’.

130. Ego at home

யானிலா இல்லம் இனிதிருக்கும் யானென்றான்தானிலா இல்லமும் இல்

yaanilaa illam inidhirukkum yaanendraanthaanilaa illamum il

A home without ‘I’ is pleasant; for the man who said ‘I’, no such home exists.

The ‘I’ he insisted on goes with him into every home. The Tamil word for home also means household and family.

131. Too ashamed to ask

பசிப்பவன் வாய்திறவான் நாணாற் பசிக்கும்பசியினுங் கொல்லும் பசி

pasippavan vaaythiravaan naanaar pasikkumpasiyinung kollum pasi

The hungry man will not open his mouth for shame; the hunger he keeps behind closed lips is deadlier than plain hunger.