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Thirukkural- On Virtue- Avoidance Of Meat-Eating-Kural-257

By Staff

Thirukkural, kural 257
Unnaamai vendum pulaa al pirithonran Punn adhu unarvaarp perin.

Those who realize that flesh eaten is, as it were, a wound on another body,Will not have recourse to meat-eating'.

Rajaji would say that the 'disgusting' aspect of meat-eating is sought to be brought out here in order to persuade people to abstain from meat-eating. For, what is meat but a cruel and ugly ulcer on the body of another creature?

The Bible is only against excessive use of meat in the following line:

'Be not among wine-bibbers; among riotous
eaters of flesh'.

(Proverbs 23,20)

but Valluvar's is an all-out doctrine of complete abstention from meat, as an essential for the virtue of compassion. The idea that meat is an ulcer is referred to in 'Araneri' thus,

Tham punn kaluvi marundhiduvar thaampirithin
Uyirin thalaipirindha uoon

Story first published: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 10:39 [IST]