Not Backbiting
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
aṟamsollum neñsattāṉ aṉmai puṟamsollum / puṉmaiyāl kāṇap paṭum
“The slanderous meanness that an absent friend defames, / 'This man in words owns virtue, not in heart,' proclaims.”
“The lips may speak righteousness: but a slanderous tongue betrayeth the meanness of the heart.”
However a person's lips may praise virtue, the meanness of heart behind the praise shows in the very fact that they backbite.
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.
அறம் சொல்லும் நெஞ்சத்தான் அன்மை = புறஞ்சொல்லுவான் ஒருவன் அறனை நன்று என்று சொல்லினும், அது தன் மனத்தானாய்ச் சொல்லுகின்றான் அல்லன் என்பது; புறஞ்சொல்லும் புன்மையால் காணப் படும் = அவன் புறஞ்சொல்லுதற்குக் காரணமான மனப்புன்மையானே அறியப்படும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
However sweetly a person's lips may praise virtue, if he backbites, that very backbiting reveals that the praise did not come from his heart — it exposes the smallness within. The mouth may say one thing; the habit of slander tells the truth.