Non-Injuring
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
aṟiviṉāṉ ākuva tuṇṭō piṟitiṉōy / tanōypōṟ pōṟṟāk kaṭai
“From wisdom's vaunted lore what doth the learner gain, / If as his own he guard not others' souls from pain?”
“Of what avail is intelligence to a man if he doth not look on others’ pain as his own and abstain from injuring any?”
What use is knowledge if it does not lead one to guard another being's pain as carefully as one's own?
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.
அறிவினான் ஆகுவது உண்டோ= துறந்தார்க்கு உயிர் முதலியவற்றை உள்ளவாறு அறிந்த அறிவினான் ஆவதொரு பயனுண்டோ? பிறிதின் நோய் தந்நோய் போல் போற்றாக் கடை= பிறிதோர் உயிருக்கு வரும் இன்னாதவற்றைத் தம்முயிர்க்கு வந்தன போலக் குறிக்கொண்டு காவாவிடத்து.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
What benefit does wisdom bring to a person if they do not cherish and protect another living being's suffering as attentively as their own?