Tirukkural-On Virtue-On Rectitude-Kural 116

If one's mind swerves from rectitude and contemplates evil deeds,The inevitable consequence will be one's own ruin.

This Kural emphasises that the basic virtue is rectitude in thought itself and that breach of it would spell ruin. It, therefore, follows that if evil deeds are also done in pursuance of the thought, disaster is certain. It is not merely the fear of ruin or of disaster to follow, that should deter the just man from doing an act of injustice, but more, the inherent disgrace of it all. Such a thought might have prompted the Greek Philosopher Plato to say.

'To do injustice is more disgraceful than to suffer it'

The following lines of the Bible are relevant;

'The thoughts of the righteous are right;
but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful'.

(Proverbs 12:5)

'As righteousness tendeth to life; so he that
pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death'

(Proverbs 11:19)