778. An innocent excuse

சற்றே படுப்பேன் எனுஞ்சொல்லே கற்கோட்டைக்குற்றமிலா வாயிற் கதவு

satre paduppen enunjolle karkottaikkutramilaa vaayir kadhavu

“I’ll lie down, just a little”: those words are the blameless door of a stone fortress.

The fortress is idleness, walled in stone. Its door is a phrase so harmless that nobody would blame it, and through it one walks in.

779. The idle mind deteriorates

ஆடாத நீரின் அழுகும் அகமென்றும்ஓடா மடியார் உளம்

aadaadha neerin azhukum akamendrumodaa madiyaar ulam

Water that is never stirred will rot; the mind of the idle, who never move, rots the same way.

780. Knowledge without doing

நிலமறிவாள் நீர்நிலையும் காண்பாள் விதையின்இனமறிவாள் தொட்டறியாள் மண்

nilamarivaal neernilaiyum kaanpaal vidhaiyininamarivaal thottariyaal man

She knows the land, she reads the water, she knows each kind of seed; the soil she has never known by touch.