Not Coveting Another's Wife
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
nalakkuriyār yāreṉiṉ nāmanīr vaippiṉ / piṟarkkuriyāḷ tōḷtōyā tār
“Who 're good indeed, on earth begirt by ocean's gruesome tide? / The men who touch not her that is another's bride.”
“Who on earth deserve all the good things of the world? It is they who clasp not the arms of her who belongeth to another.”
Who, in this fearsome sea-girt world, deserves every good? Those who never reach for the one who belongs to another.
Ask about this Kural
Answers are drawn only from this Kural's sourced text and named commentary, and always cite what they used.
Choose a section
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நாம நீர் வைப்பின் = அச்சம் தரும் கடலால் சூழப்பட்ட உலகத்து; நலக்கு உரியார் யார் எனின் = எல்லா நன்மைகளும் எய்துதற்கு உரியார் யாவர் எனின்; பிறர்க்கு உரியாள் தோள் தோயாதார் = பிறன் ஒருவனுக்கு உரிமை ஆகியாள் உடைய தோளைச் சேராதார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Who, in this whole fearsome, sea-girt world, is worthy of every good thing here and hereafter? Those who never reach for the embrace of a woman who belongs to another.