Kural #321
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Tamil text
அறவினை யாதெனின் கொல்லாமை
கோறல் பிறவினை எல்லாம் தரும்
Aṟaviṉai yāteṉiṉ kollāmai
Kōṟal piṟaviṉai ellām tarum
English translation
What is virtue? It is not killing. Killing brings all other sins.
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Explanation
Thiruvalluvar defines virtue primarily as non-violence. Killing is not just one sin among many - it is the root from which all other evils grow. This echoes the concept of அஹிம்சை (ahimsa).
விளக்கம்
கொல்லாமை அறம். ஓர் உயிரைக் கொன்றால், மற்ற எல்லாப் பாவங்களும் அதிலிருந்து வரும். கொல்லாமை அதிகாரத்தில் இது முக்கியம். உயிர்களைப் போற்றினால் நன்மை பெருகும்.
Word meanings
- அறவினைaṟaviṉaivirtuous deed
- யாதுyātuwhat
- எனின்eṉiṉif asked
- கொல்லாமைkollāmainot killing
- கோறல்kōṟalkilling
- பிறpiṟaother
- வினைviṉaideeds/sins
- எல்லாம்ellāmall
- தரும்tarumgives/brings
Story behind this kural
In a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a farmer named Arul. He tended his fields with care, always ensuring his plow didn't harm the earthworms. One scorching summer, a wicked drought struck, withering his crops. Driven by desperation, some villagers whispered of sacrificing the village's oldest goat, hoping to appease the rain gods. Arul, however, refused. He argued that taking a life would only bring more hardship. Instead, he organized the villagers. They shared their meager water, digging deeper wells, and praying for relief. Days turned into weeks. Then, a single cloud appeared, followed by a gentle drizzle. Soon, the rain poured down, reviving the parched earth. Arul’s crops flourished, and the village rejoiced. The goat, spared, grazed peacefully, a symbol of their renewed prosperity. The other villagers realized then that their actions, not sacrifices, had brought them this blessing.