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Section 1 · அறத்துப்பால் (Virtue) · Chapter 33 / 133

Non-Killing

கொல்லாமை
Kural 323

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oṉṟāka nallatu kollāmai maṟaṟataṉ / piṉcārap poyyāmai naṉṟu

Modern readingAI draft

Non-killing stands alone as the highest good; after it, truthfulness is good in the next place.

▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
G.U. Pope1886

“Alone, first of goods things, is 'not to slay'; / The second is, no untrue word to say.”

V.V.S. Aiyar1916

“The greatest virtue of all is non-killing: truthfulness cometh only next.”

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Parimelazhagar’s commentary

13th century · public domain

Parimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.

ஒன்றாக நல்லது கொல்லாமை= நூலோர் தொகுத்த அறங்களுள் தன்னோடு இணை ஒப்பு அது இன்றித் தானேயாக நல்லது கொல்லாமை; பொய்யாமை அதன் பின்சார நன்று= அஃது ஒழிந்தால் பொய்யாமை அதன்பின்னே நிற்க நன்று.

Source: Tamil Wikisource

In plain EnglishAI draft · pending review

Parimelazhagar ranks non-killing as the incomparable first good and truthfulness immediately after it. The hierarchy does not make every disclosure mandatory: truth must be handled with safety, confidentiality, and legal duties, while deception that enables lethal harm cannot claim the verse's second-ranked virtue.

This verse is in tension

Unresolved against Kural 300
Nothing stands above truth — and non-killing stands above it
வாய்மையைவிட உயர்ந்தது எதுவும் இல்லை; கொல்லாமையோ அதற்கு முன் நிற்கிறது

Among the works we have found true, nothing of any kind has been declared better than truthfulness.

AI draft · pending scholar review