Kural #258
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Tamil text
செயிரின் தலைப்பிரிந்த காட்சியார்
உண்ணார் உயிரின் தலைப்பிரிந்த ஊன்
Ceyiriṉ talaippirinta kāṭciyār
Uṇṇār uyiriṉ talaippirinta ūṉ
English translation
Those whose vision is free from delusion will not eat flesh from which life has been separated.
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Explanation
Clear perception (காட்சி) free from ignorance (செயிர்) leads to the understanding that meat comes from a being whose life was taken. Those with such wisdom naturally refrain from eating the flesh of killed animals.
விளக்கம்
குறள் 258: குற்றம் நீங்கிய தெளிந்த அறிவை உடையவர்கள், ஓர் உயிரைப் பிரித்து எடுத்த மாமிசத்தை உண்ண மாட்டார்கள். புலால் மறுத்தல் அதிகாரத்தின்படி, உயிர்களிடத்தில் கருணை காட்டுவதே அறம். உயிர்களைக் கொன்று உண்ணுதல் அறமாகாது.
Word meanings
- செயிர்ceyirdelusion/fault
- தலைப்பிரிந்தtalaippirintaseparated from/free of
- காட்சியார்kāṭciyārthose with vision/perception
- உண்ணார்uṇṇārwill not eat
- உயிரின்uyiriṉfrom life
- ஊன்ūṉflesh
Story behind this kural
The village of Eldoria thrived beside a whispering forest. A kind woodcutter named Bram lived there, known for his gentle heart. One day, a traveling merchant arrived, hawking roasted meats. The aroma filled the village, and many, lured by hunger, purchased the sizzling portions. Bram, however, stood apart. He watched the merchant, his gaze troubled. He saw not just food, but the memory of the living creatures they came from. He remembered their playful dances, their songs. He saw the empty eyes of the roasted animals. He approached the merchant and politely asked, "Do you see the life that once pulsed within this meat?" The merchant scoffed, "It's just food, friend. Enjoy it!" Bram shook his head and walked away, back towards the forest. He sat beneath the trees, eating the simple bread and fruit he'd brought with him. He felt a deep sense of peace, a connection to the living world that the others, with their full bellies, seemed to have lost.