Thirukkural- On Virtue- Avoidance Of Meat-Eating-Kural-254

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To make others break the law of not killing is inconsistent with compassion;There is, therefore, no sense in eating the meat obtained by such killing.

Compassion is non-killing; killing betrays the absence of it (alladhu). Then what is the sense in eating the meat secured by killing? This is the straight meaning of the Kural, according to Manakudavar, which implies the meaning given by me above in the translation.

It constitutes Valluvar's criticism of the casuists, who try to isolate the virtue of non-killing from the dietary habits of meat-eating. Probably the poet, was also having a dig at the religious sects, some of whose members made a fetish of not killing even accidentally, small insects and other creatures, but at the same time did not hesitate to gorge themselves with the flesh of animals killed by others.

Quite surprisingly that prince among commentators, Parimelalagar, has tied himself up into knots, in trying to explain the construction and meaning of this Kural. As Thiru K M Balasubramaniam would say, Manakudavar interprets it appropriately straightway, without departing from the line adopted by Parimelalagar. I agree with Manakudavar's interpretation.