Tirukkural-On Virtue-Fear of Evil-Kural 203

The best and most precious of all knowledge,Is not to return evil for evil.

(Matt. 26:52)

Returning evil for evil is the response of ordinary men; the men of wisdom and righteousness exercise forbearance and break the vicious circle. Obviously, therefore, the idea here overlaps what has been said in chapter 16 on 'Forbearance'. This is the highest form of knowledge, because it stops the chain of evil by cutting one's link with it. That is why Christ exhorted St. Peter to forgive the wrong-doer even 'Seventy times seven' times, which is a manner of saying 'always'. That is also the idea behind the apparently naive injunction to 'turn the other cheek to the man who smites thee on the right cheek'.