THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION - 33

VERSES 321 TO 330

âæèùªùèéë     Avoidance   of   Killing
 
í÷ô¨éä   áèâêä¨ùª   âæèùªùèéë   îæè÷ùª  321
ç¨÷ô¨éä   öùªùèåР  êÕëª
 
í÷ô¨éä            all righteous acts
áèÊ    öä¨ùª        are those
âæèùªùèéë       non-killing
îæè÷ùª                killing
ç¨÷ô¨éä            various sins
öùªùè몠             all
êÕ몠                  will bring about
 
Avoidance   of   killing   is   the   highest   virtue.   He   who   kills  will   be   visited   by   every   possible   harm   (321).  
çÆêÐÊúªÌ   çùªÙá¨õР  Ø몵êùª   ¿îùèõР  322
âêèÆêÐêô÷ª×óª   öùªùèåР  êéù
 
çÆêÐÊ                      sharing
ãúªÌ                     food
çùªÙá¨õР                 various living beings
Ø몵êùª                   protecting
¿îùèõР                   the authors of the codes of right conduct
âêèÆêÐêô÷ª×óª       among all their injunctions
öùªùè몠                  comprehensively
êéù                        the greatest
 
Sharing   your   food   and   protecting   other   life   is   the   highest
teaching   of   all   holy   books   (322).    
øäª÷èæ   åùªùÊ   âæèùªùèéë   ë÷ª×íê䪠  323
ç¨äªòèõ窠  âçèáªáèéë   åäª×
 
øäª÷èæ               the highest virtue
åùªùÊ                 is better
âæèùªùèéë       non-killing
ë÷ª×    íê䪠      that nonkilling
ç¨äª    òèõ            and is stationed behind
âçèáªáèéë       not speaking untruth
åäª×                   which is good
 
The   highest   virtue   is   non-killing;   truthfulness   comes only   next   (323).  
åùªùè×   öäçªçÌôÊ   áèâêä¨äª   áèâêèäª×몠  324
âæèùªùèéë   ÎÇ몠  âå÷¨
 
åùªùè×                the good path
öäçªçÌôÊ          the one called
áèÊ    öä¨äª         is what
áèÊ    øäª×몠      any living being
âæèùªùèéë       not killing
ÎÇ몠                  consisting of
âå÷¨                     behaviour
 
That  teaching  is  the  highest  which  teaches  and  promotes non-killing  (324).  
å¨éùí¢ªò¨   å¨êÐêèÕóª   öùªùè몠  âæèéùí¢ªò¨æР 325
âæèùªùèéë   ÎȪôè䪠  êéù
 
å¨éù    í¢ªò¨           apprehending rebirth
å¨êÐêèÕóª                 among the renunciates
öùªùè몠                  all
âæèéù    í¢ªò¨       for fear of the sin arising out of killing
âæèùªùèéë            non-killing
ÎȪôè䪠                 the one who does not forget
êéù                        is the greatest
 
Of   those   who   renounce   life   for   release   from   its   ills,   he   is  the   highest   who   values   non-killing   (325).  
âæèùªùèéë   îë÷ªâæèúª   âìèÇÆôèäª ôèȪåèóªîëùª  326
âòùªùèÊ   ãá¨ÕúªÑ§ª   Ô÷ª×
 
âæèùªùèéë             non-killing
îë÷ªâæèúªÌ            taking the vow of
øÇÆôè䪠               will lead his life
ôèȪåèóª    îëùª       in his lifetime
âòùªùèÊ                 will not go
ãá¨õР                        life
ãúªÑ몠                  to the one who takes
Ô÷ª×                        the Lord of death
   
Even   the   Lord   of   Death   will   not   touch   the   one   who  takes   the   vow   of   non-killing   (326).  
êäªÄá¨õР  å©çªç¨Ä몠  âòáªá÷ªæ   êèäªç¨÷¨Ê   327
¬äªÄá¨õР  å©æÐÆ몠  ô¨éä
 
ê䪠  ãá¨õР      one's own life
å©çªç¨Ä몠       even if it should leave one's body
âòáªá÷ªæ        should not do
êè䪠               one
ç¨÷¨Ê              another's
¬äªÄá¨õР      the dear life
å©æÐÆ몠           of removing
ô¨éä             act
 
Even   if   one   should   lose   one's   own   life,   one   should   not   be
involved   in   the   loss   of   life   of   another   (327).  
åäª÷èÆ몠  ÍæÐæ몠  âçõ¨âêä¨Ä몠  òèäªî÷èõÐæÐÆæР  328
âæèäª÷èÆ몠  ÍæÐæ몠  æéì
 
åäª×    ÍÆ몠           beneficial
ÍæÐæ몠                     wealth
âçõ¨Ê                       great
öä¨Ä몠                   even then
òèäªî÷èõÐæÐÆ            for the wise
âæèäª×    ÍÆ몠      arising out of killing
ÍæÐæ몠                     wealth
æéì                        lower
 
The   high-minded   prefer   non-killing   to   even   a   (sacrificial)  killing   intended   to   bring   benefit   (328).  
âæèéùô¨éäá   õèæ¨á   ëèæÐæóª   µéùô¨éäáõР  329
  µäªéë   âêõ¨ôè   õæêÐÊ
 
âæèéù    ô¨éäáõР  Íæ¨á       all the habitual killers
ëèæÐæóª                                    people
éùô¨éäáõР                           doers of lowly acts
µäªéë                                   the smallness of it
âêõ¨ôèõР                                  who have realised
íæêÐÊ                                      mentally
 
Those   engaged   in   the   profession   of   slaughter   are   considered   to
be   low   by   the   high   minded   (329).  
ãá¨õÐãìëªç¨äª   å©æÐæ¨áèõР  öäªç   âòá¨õÐãìëªç¨äª    330
âòùªùèêÐê©   ôèȪæÐéæ   áôõÐ
 
ãá¨õР                           life
ãìëªç¨äª                     from body
å©æÐæ¨áèõР                     those who had separated
öäªç                           they say
âòá¨õР                        sickly
ãìëªç¨äª                    body
âòùªùè                      in penury
ê©   ôèȪæÐéæáôõР      given to evil ways of life
 
Poverty   and   illness   are   considered   by   the   knowledgeable   to   be
the   result   of   having   taken   the   life   of   living   creatures   (330).
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