Not Envying
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
aḻukkāṟṟiṉ allavai seyyār iḻukkāṟṟiṉ / ētam paṭupākku aṟintu
“The wise through envy break not virtue's laws, / Knowing ill-deeds of foul disgrace the cause.”
“The wise injure not others through envy: for they know the evils that result therefrom.”
The wise never do wrong out of envy, because they know the suffering that wrong path brings on them.
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.
அழுக்காற்றின் அல்லவை செய்யார் = அழுக்காறு ஏதுவாக அறன் அல்லவற்றைச் செய்யார் அறிவுடையார்; இழுக்காற்றின் ஏதம் படுபாக்கு அறிந்து = அத் தீநெறியால் தமக்கு இருமையினும் துன்பம் வருதலை அறிந்து.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The wise never let envy push them into doing wrong to those who have wealth or learning, because they understand the suffering — in this life and the next — that such a path brings on themselves.