Abstaining from Intoxicants
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
uṇṇaṟka kaḷḷai yuṇiluṇka cāṉṟōrā / ṉeṇṇap paṭavēṇṭā tār.
“Drink not inebriating draught. Let him count well the cost. / Who drinks, by drinking, all good men's esteem is lost.”
“Let none drink: but if they desire, let those men drink who care not for the esteem of worthy men.”
Drink not intoxicants; let only those drink who do not care to be esteemed by the wise.
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.
கள்ளை உண்ணற்க= அறிவுடையராயினார் அஃதிலர் ஆதற்கு ஏதுவாய கள்ளினை உண்ணாதுஒழிக; உணில் சான்றோரான் எண்ணப்பட வேண்டாதார் உண்க= அன்றியே உண்ணல்வேண்டுவார் உளராயின், நல்லோரால் எண்ணப்படுதலை வேண்டாதார் உண்க.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Never drink intoxicating liquor; if anyone insists on drinking, let only those do so who care nothing about being respected by noble and wise people.