Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 16,182

Date uploaded in London – 10 September 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx 

Points to be noted

Poor Valluvar became a laughing stock in front of the whole wide world; he insisted vegetarian food in 20 couplets so far. Majority of the world including who hang Valluvar picture in their homes and offices, most of the Dravidians who wrote books on Valluvar are Pukka frauds, because they all consume meat. Speaking only Truth, Avoiding anger, following hospitality are difficult to follow.  But avoiding non- vegetarian food and refrain from killing is easy. But yet nobody is ready to follow it. Majority of the world is non-vegetarians. If he has written to ascetics, not for general public, then Jain ascetics and Hindu ascetics are mostly vegetarians. Only Buddhist monks eat flesh when the animal is killed by others. So he wont be accepted by the majority.

**

Sharing food and hospitality as in Kural 322 are done by many. We see it in Rig Veda, Bhagavad Gita and many other cultures.

Kural 326 is about bad cholesterol; cholesterol killing many thousands giving them heart diseases. Many have given up non veg. because of cholesterol.

**

As usual Valluvar talked about sin, next birth etc as an ardent Hindu (last Kural 330).

**

My personal feeling is Parimel Azakar, the Vaishnavite temple priest of Kanchipuram, has misled everyone in the commentary for Kural 328. Who is SANDROR must be debated and defined.

***

Go to Project Madurai website for all Tamil books; it is free and trouble free. No advertisements; no cookies!

****

Following Translations are used:

1.A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933

2.S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000

3.Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886

4.Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB

5.EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986

6.H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931

7.Tamil Original

****

Part 51- Kural Chapter 33 கொல்லாமை– Non-Killing- H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931 has skipped this chapter!!!

****

321.Not to kill is the very cream of all virtues; but killing leads to every other sin- A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933

***

321.Non -killing in itself is the highest virtue; whereas

The taking of life will bring in its wake, all evil -S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000

***

321
What is the work of virtue? ‘Not to kill’;
For ‘killing’ leads to every work of ill.
Never to destroy life is the sum of all virtuous conduct. The destruction of life leads to every evil. Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886

***

321.What is Virtue? ‘Tis not to kill
For killing causes every ill.        Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB
***

321.Killing leads to all other sinful acts. Therefore, non-killing is the highest virtue- EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986

***

321. அறவினை யாதெனில் கொல்லாமை கோறல்
பிறவினை எல்லாம் தரும்

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

322.Share your bread with the needy; love all that breathes on earth: these are the greatest commandments of the prophets of old– ANM+2

***

322.To share your food with and cherish all that lives

Is the best of precepts in the books of the world– SMD

***

322
Let those that need partake your meal; guard every-thing that lives;
This the chief and sum of lore that hoarded wisdom gives.
The chief of all (the virtues) which authors have summed up, is the partaking of food that has been shared with others, and the preservation of the mainfold life of other creatures. – GUP

***

322.Share the food and serve all lives
This is the law of all the laws.        SB
***

322.Enjoying one’s food, sharing it with others and sustaining other lives is held out as the highest virtue by learned sages –EVS

***

322. பகுத்துண்டு பல்லுயிர் ஓம்புதல் நூலோர்
தொகுத்தவற்றுள் எல்லாந் தலை.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

323.The scriptures of the world sing the glories of truthfulness, but far greater than truthfulness is non-killing– ANM+2

***

323. Non-killing by itself is an outstanding virtue, while

Non -lying as a virtue, comes only next in precedence– SMD

***

323
Alone, first of goods things, is ‘not to slay’;
The second is, no untrue word to say.
Not to destroy life is an incomparably (great) good next to it in goodness ranks freedom from falsehood. – GUP
***

323.Not to kill is unique good
The next, not to utter falsehood.        SB

***

323.Non-Killing is a matchless virtue according to the teachers of ethics. Truthfulness ranks as second in merit to non-killing- EVS

***

323. ஒன்றாக நல்லது கொல்லாமை மற்றுஅதன்
பின்சாரப் பொய்யாமை நன்று

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

324.Only through non-killing even the very worm that crawls beneath, does the sacred path to the far-off shrine of truth– ANM+2

***

324.The right path could be defined as the one,

Which secures the virtues of non-killing– SMD

***

324
You ask, What is the good and perfect way?
‘Tis path of him who studies nought to slay.
Good path is that which considers how it may avoid killing any creature. – GUP

***

324.What way is good? That we can say
The way away from heat to slay.       SB

***

324.The right road to salvation is to live in cherishment of the virtue of  not killing any living being-EVS

***

.324. நல்லாறு எனப்படுவது யாதெனின் யாதொன்றும்
கொல்லாமை சூழும் நெறி.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

325.Of all hose that dread the ceaseless cycle  of births and deaths, the greatest is he who, fearing the crime of  slaughter, slays not– ANM+2

***

325.Of all who have taken to renunciation in order to secure release from birth,

The one, who shrinks from violence and promotes non-killing is the leader– SMD

***
325
Of those who ‘being’ dread, and all renounce, the chief are they,
Who dreading crime of slaughter, study nought to slay.
Of all those who, fearing the permanence of earthly births, have abandoned desire, he is the chief who, fearing (the guilt of) murder, considers how he may avoid the destruction of life. – GUP

***

325.Of saints who renounce birth-fearing
The head is he who dreads killing.        SB

***

325.The man who fails in the virtue of Non-Killing in fear of committing the sin of killing is greater than those who renounce the world for fear of bondage off births-EVS

***

325. நிலைஅஞ்சி நீத்தாருள் எல்லாம் கொலைஅஞ்சிக்
கொல்லாமை சூழ்வான் தலை

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

326.Even death, which devours all, approaches not him that upholds with all his might the divine commandment

“Thou shall not kill”. – ANM+2

***

326.The Lord of Death shall not lay hands on the one,

Who observes the vow of non-killing– SMD

***

326
Ev’n death that life devours, their happy days shall spare,
Who law, ‘Thou shall not kill’, uphold with reverent care.
Yama, the destroyer of life, will not attack the life of him, who acts under the determination of never destroying life. – GUP
***

326.Life-eating-Death shall spare the breath
Of him who no life puts to death SB

***

326.The God of Death will not cut hort the life of  the man who upholds the ideal of non-killing in his life-EVS

***

326. கொல்லாமை மேற்கொண் டொழுகுவான் வாழ்நாள்மேல்
செல்லாது உயிருண்ணுங் கூற்று.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

327.Kill not any being, though it be rescuing your own from the very jaws of death– ANM+2

***

327.Even if it involves the loss of one’s own life,

It is best to abstain from killing another– SMD

***

327
Though thine own life for that spared life the price must pay,
Take not from aught that lives gift of sweet life away.
Let no one do that which would destroy the life of another, although he should by so doing, lose his own life. – GUP

***

327.Kill not life that others cherish
Even when your life must perish SB

***

327.You shall not do the act of taking the dear ife of a living being even though you may come to lose your own life- EVS

***

327. தன்னுயிர் நீப்பினும் செய்யற்க தான்பிறிது
இன்னுயிர் நீக்கும் வினை.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
328.Men say  that animal sacrifices in honour of the gods crown a man with countless blessings; but he fortune that is raised on such sacrifices is an abomination to the pure of heart– ANM+2

***

328.Even if great benefits are likely to flow from sacrificial killing,

The men of real nobility and virtue will prefer non-killing– SMD

***

328
Though great the gain of good should seem, the wise
Will any gain by staughter won despise.
The advantage which might flow from destroying life in sacrifice, is dishonourable to the wise (who renounced the world), even although it should be said to be productive of great good. – GUP

***

328.The gain of slaughter is a vice
Though deemed good in sacrifice.       SB

***

328.Though considerable prosperity and celestial happiness might be gained by killing in sacrifices, the wise who have renounced the world despise such advantages gained by killing-EVS

***

328. நன்றாகும் ஆக்கம் பெரிதெனினும் சான்றோர்க்குக்
கொன்றாகும் ஆக்கம் கடை.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

329.In the eyes of the discerning, the scum and refuse of mankind are they who delight in slaughter– ANM+2

***

329.The men who practise slaughter of animals as a profession,

Are identified by the discerning, as vile men– SMD

***

329
Whose trade is ‘killing’, always vile they show,
To minds of them who what is vileness know.
Men who destroy life are base men, in the estimation of those who know the nature of meanness. – GUP

***

329.Those who live by slaying are
Eaters of carrion bizarre!       SB

***
329.Those who destroy life despised as the lowest of humanity by the great who realise the degradation of killing-EVS

***
329. கொலைவினைய ராகிய மாக்கள் புலைவினையர்
புன்மை தெரிவா ரகத்து.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

330.Behold the loathsome leper of a beggar crouching in a street corner to the disgust of all: the wise say of him “Lo! There sits yonder an evil one that has that has taken in a former birth the life of another– ANM+2

***

330.Those, who live by killing animals, will surely go down

To a life of poverty, ill health and disgrace– SMD

***

330
Who lead a loathed life in bodies sorely pained,
Are men, the wise declare, by guilt of slaughter stained.
(The wise) will say that men of diseased bodies, who live in degradation and in poverty, are those who separated the life from the body of animals (in a former birth). – GUP

***

330.The loathsome poor sickly and sore
Are killers stained by blood before        SB

***

330.Those who suffer from dreadful diseases and ek out a poverty stricken miserable life are regarded by the wise

as those who had committed the sin of killing in their past life- EVS

***
330. உயிர்உடம்பின் நீக்கியார் என்ப செயிர்உடம்பின்
செல்லாத்தீ வாழ்க்கை யவர்

–subham—

Tags– Tirukkural Encyclopaedia- Chapter 33-Non Killing- கொல்லாமை,, Valluvar rejected