Dread of Evil Deeds
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taṉṉaittāṉ kātalaṉ āyiṉ eṉaittoṉṟum / tuṉṉaṟka tīviṉaip pāl
If one truly loves oneself, one should not draw near even the smallest part of an evil deed toward others.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Beware, if to thyself thyself is dear, / Lest thou to aught that ranks as ill draw near!”
“If a man love his own self, let him not incline toward evil in any degree.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
தன்னைத் தான் காதலன் ஆயின் = ஒருவன், தன்னைத் தான் காதல் செய்தல் உடையனாயின்; தீவினைப்பால் எனைத்து ஒன்றும் துன்னற்க = தீவினையாகிய பகுதி, எத்துணையும் சிறியதொன்றாயினும் பிறர்மாட்டுச் செய்யாது ஒழிக.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says that if a person possesses love for oneself, one should refrain from doing toward others anything belonging to evil action, however small it may be. The verse makes non-harm an expression of self-regard. It does not praise anxiety, perfectionism, self-denial, or punishment of oneself after a mistake; boundaries and ordinary self-care remain good.