Abstaining from Flesh
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
uṇṇāmai yuḷḷa tuyirnilai yūṉuṇṇa / vaṇṇāttal ceyyā taḷaṟu
“If flesh you eat not, life's abodes unharmed remain; / Who eats, hell swallows him, and renders not again.”
“In non-eating of flesh is Life: if thou eat, the pit of hell will not open its mouth to let thee out.”
The continuance of embodied life rests upon not eating flesh; if one eats it, the hell that swallows that person will not open its mouth to release 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.
உயிர் நிலை ஊன் உண்ணாமை உள்ளது= ஒருசார் உயிர் உடம்பின்கண்ணே நிற்றல் ஊன் உண்ணாமை என்கின்ற அறத்தின்கண்ணது; உண்ண= ஆகலான், அந்நிலை குலைய ஒருவன் அதனை உண்ணுமாயின்; அளறு அண்ணாத்தல் செய்யாது= அவனை விழுங்கிய நிரயம் பின் உமிழ்வதற்கு அங்காவாது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The preservation and flourishing of living beings depend upon abstaining from flesh; for one who destroys life to satisfy their appetite, the depths of misery will swallow them and never release them.