66.1 Purity of Action

 66.1 Purity of Action

Question:

              What should one do if one makes a mistake?

 

Answer:

One should not do anything that one will regret later.

If done, one should not repeat the mistake.                     (Couplet – 655)

எற்றென்று இரங்குவ செய்யற்க செய்வானேல்

மற்றன்ன செய்யாமை நன்று.                                       (குறள் – 655)

 

Explanation:

              In Couplet 655, Valluvar gives very practical advice. Indeed, one should not do anything that one will regret later. If one knows in advance that his action is wrong and he will regret it later, he should not do that in the first place. If one does not know in advance that his action is right or wrong and one happens to do it due to extenuating circumstances, one should reflect upon it after the act. If one realizes that one’s action was improper, instead of ruminating on the mistakes, one should ensure that one does not repeat such an action.