Abstaining from Flesh
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paṭaikoṇṭār neñcampōl naṉṟūkkā toṉṟa / ṉuṭaṟcuvai yuṇṭār maṉam
As the mind of one holding a killing weapon does not incline toward good, the mind of one who has savoured another creature's body does not incline toward good.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Like heart of them that murderous weapons bear, his mind, / Who eats of savoury meat, no joy in good can find.”
“The heart of the man that tasteth flesh turneth not towards good, even as the heart of him that is armed with steel.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
படை கொண்டார் நெஞ்சம் போல்= கொலைக் கருவியைத் தம் கையில் கொண்டவர் மனம் அதனால் செய்யும் கொலையையே நோக்குவது அல்லது, அருளை நோக்காதவாறு போல; ஒன்றன் உடல்சுவை உண்டார் மனம் நன்று ஊக்காது= பிறிதோர் உயிரின் உடலைச் சுவைபட உண்டவர் மனம் அவ்வூனையே நோக்குவதுஅல்லது அருளை நோக்காது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar compares the direction of attention. A person holding a killing weapon looks toward the killing it enables rather than toward compassion; similarly, a mind fixed on savouring another creature's body looks toward that flesh rather than compassion. The verse makes a moral claim about cultivated attention, not a medical diagnosis, an irreversible personality change, or proof that everyone who has eaten meat is violent.
This verse is in tension
AI draft · pending scholar review