В индуистской традиции сплетни приравниваются к тяжкому греху, превосходящему по тяжести убийство

It is universally acknowledged that to gossip is to sin. In his Kural, Valluvar says, “It is more virtuous to die than to live as a false tale-bearer, sowing discord.” One should not gossip anywhere, anytime, especially in temples, said Tirukudanthai Dr. Venkatesh. Temples vibe with positive energy, pulsating with divine aura emanating from the rendering of devotional songs, chanting of mantras and pasurams among others. One can join in the recitations and chants or remain silent, quietly imbibing the positive energy and focus one’s mind upon Perumal. One cannot escape the consequences of indulging in gossip. Once there lived a poor but honest pandit whose family was struggling for even one full meal a day. Serendipitously, the local chieftain honoured the pandit and sent him away with a bowl of rice. Happy at the thought of feeding his family, he rushed home and asked his wife to prepare a meal. She was also relieved and joyously prepared a quick meal. Soon their children and the couple had a hot meal, but they promptly fell dead. Yama, the God of Death, was caught in the horns of a dilemma. To whose account should he attribute the untimely death so that the book of sins is balanced? The king had only done a charitable deed and therefore he was not at fault. The pandit merely carried it home, so no fault lay there either. Similarly, the wife prepared the rice into a meal by following standard practices, so she was not at fault either. How did the death itself happen? When the pandit was carrying the rice and rushing home, a drop of poison fell into the bowl from a dead snake carried in its talons by an eagle which flew over the pandit at the exact moment. The eagle was merely living its life, its dharma is to hunt prey. No fault can be laid on the snake that spewed the poison, for it was already dead. While Yama was deliberating, three men were gossiping nearby, all blaming the king for the death of the family of pandits. Yama immediately held them responsible for the death: to gossip is even more heinous than causing death. Published - July 04, 2026 05:02 am IST