Thirukkural- On Virtue- Hypocrisy-Kural-275

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Hypocritical conduct by people, who say they have renounced the world, Will ultimately entail painful self-denunciation.

This Kural obviously queries the worth-whileness, of people making public pretence of a pure life, while acting contrary to the code of righteousness privately, and so meriting the endless torture of 'one's own soul'.

The expression that has given rise to a lot of discussion in this connection is. 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxx' which really is an expression of derisive lament, for one's own fault. Hence Parimelalagar's interpretation is more acceptable than Manakudavar's, whose interpretation attributes the derisive words to neighbours and onlookers. It is in such a context Shakespeare wrote:

'The worm of conscience shall begnaw thy soul'.

And of such did the Bible say,

'There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked'.