The biggest disability

There is always something uncomfortable about philosophers. They tend to hold uncomfortable mirrors to you and seem to revel in your embarrassment. It is especially true of long dead philosophers. You don't really enough about them and cannot say,"So what about you? YOU do not measure up, too, because of this that or the other." AND, of course, they are not around to be trolled and feel hurt or shamed, even if you know enough about them. (There is always this thing that they are not around to defend themselves either. Which is very handy when you are poking at someone who is using their words. It is no help, however, when you are trying to deflect the shame you feel while reading their words and knowing that you fall short.)

So, yeah, when Tiru says this...

Poriyinmai yaarkkum pazhiyandru arivarindhu aalvinai inmai pazhi - Tirukkural

There is no blame on someone who has ill-fortune; to be intelligent and knowledgeable and yet not exert oneself is disgraceful - Loose Translation

Ill-Fortune, here, needs interpretation. You see, if you say 'good luck' you relate it to the success of efforts. HERE, Tiru is talking about the mere putting in of efforts. So, the ill-fortune he means here is causing the inability to put in efforts. As in, a physical inability or the lack of intelligence or knowledge to know what needs to be done. So, essentially, what he is saying is that a person who does nothing because he knows not what to do or is incapable of actually doing it due to physical disability carries no blame. (In fact, poriyinmai can also literally translate to physical disability...lack of organs.)

The chap who has the intelligence to understand a situation and the knowledge of how to tackle it and, yet, chooses to remain idle is a disgrace, according to Tiru. Let us put it in a simple example. You see a fire starting in a house. Others around you also see it but are either disabled or children, say, who know not what to do or cannot do what is needed. YOU know it and, yet, instead of taking efforts to put out the fire, you stay idle and allow the house, with its occupants, burn. Are you, or are you not, a disgrace?

The extent of how much disgrace you deserve may depend on the effects of your negligence. The fact remains that a person like that will disgrace himself sooner or later.

THAT is what Tiru says.