Thirukkural- On Virtue- Avoidance Of Meat-Eating-Kural-256

If there is no slaughtering, arising out of the desire for meat-eating,There will be none to sell meat for profit.

Some people say that slaughtering of animals is a profession and that there is no harm in eating meat already slaughtered, as that is the product of a trade. This according to the poet, is not right because no one will make a trade of butchery, if there are none who seek animal flesh for the purpose of eating and so account for the killing.

In this Kural the word 'Kollaadhu' has raised a controversy, because it is felt that there is no need for the person 'who kills to eat' to sell to others. The alternative reading suggested is 'Kollaadhu' which would mean 'who buy to eat'. Parithiar' interpretation would appear to adopt this reading.

A possible reconciliation is to interpret the word 'Kolladhu' in the causative sense, 'to cause to be killed for the purpose of eating'.