Kural

Classic Tamil-language sacred poetic text

The Tirukkuṟaḷ or shortly the Kural is a classic Tamil language text. It has 1,330 short couplets (two-line poem parts), or kurals, of seven words each.[4]

Tirukkuṟaḷ
The Kural in Tamil, its original language
AuthorValluvar
Original titleதிருக்குறள்
Working titleKural
CountryIndia
LanguageOld Tamil
SeriesEighteen Lesser Texts
Subject
GenrePoetry
Set inProbably after the Sangam era (c. 500 CE or earlier)
Publication date
1812 (first known printed edition, older palm-leaf manuscripts exist)[3]
Published in English
1794
Original text
திருக்குறள் at Tamil Wikisource
TranslationTirukkuṟaḷ at Wikisource

The text is divided into three books with aphorisms (sayings) on virtue, wealth and love.[1][5][6] It is thought as one of the greatest works ever written on ethics and morality. It is also known for its all-inclusiveness and secular nature.[7][8]

History

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People say Thiruvalluvar wrote the work. The text has been dated between 300 BCE and the 5th century CE. [9]

The Kural text is among the earliest systems of Indian epistemology (way of thinking of knowledge) and metaphysics (way of thinking of reality and being). The Kural is traditionally praised with epithets such as "the Tamil Veda" and "the Divine Book".[10][11]

Contents

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Written on the ideas of ahimsa (non-violence),[12][13][14][15][16] it draws attention to non-violence and moral vegetarianism as good things for a person to do.[17][18][19][20][21][a] It highlights truthfulness, controlling your emotions and reactions, thankfulness, hospitality, kindness, goodness of one's wife, duty, giving, and so forth.[22] It covers many social and political topics such as kings, ministers, taxes, justice, forts, war, greatness of armies and soldier's honor, death sentence for the wicked, agriculture, education, not drinking alcohol and things that make people drunk or high.[23][24][25] It has chapters on friendship, love, sexual unions, and home life.[22][26] The text permanently redefined the cultural values of the Tamil land.[27]

Reputation

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The Kural has been liked and respected by experts from ethical, social, political, economic, religious, philosophical, and spiritual fields.[28] These include Ilango Adigal, Kambar, Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Ramalinga Swamigal, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, Karl Graul, George Uglow Pope, Alexander Piatigorsky, and Yu Hsi. The work remains the most translated, the most referred-to, and the most cited of Tamil literary works.[29]

The text has been translated into at least 40 languages. This made it one of the most translated ancient works. Ever since it was printed for the first time in 1812, the Kural text has never been out of print.[30] Its author is praised for selecting the best virtues found in the known books and showing them in an manner that most people understand.[31] The Tamil people and the government of Tamil Nadu have long revered and celebrated the text.[19]

Citations

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Sundaram 1990, pp. 7–16.
  2. Zvelebil 1973, pp. 156–168.
  3. Kovaimani and Nagarajan, 2013, p. 115.
  4. Pillai, 1994.
  5. Blackburn 2000, pp. 449–482.
  6. Zvelebil 1973, pp. 157–158.
  7. Lal 1992, pp. 4333–4334, 4341.
  8. Holmström, Krishnaswamy, and Srilata, 2009, p. 5.
  9. Zvelebil 1975, p. 124.
  10. Zvelebil 1973, p. 156.
  11. Cutler, 1992.
  12. Chakravarthy Nainar, 1953.
  13. Krishna, 2017.
  14. Thani Nayagam, 1971, p. 252.
  15. Sanjeevi, 2006, p. 84.
  16. Krishnamoorthy, 2004, pp. 206–208.
  17. Dharani 2018, p. 101.
  18. Das 1997, pp. 11–12.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Zvelebil 1973, pp. 156–171.
  20. Sundaram 1990, p. 13.
  21. Manavalan, 2009, pp. 127–129.
  22. 22.0 22.1 Zvelebil 1973, pp. 160–163.
  23. Hikosaka & Samuel 1990, p. 200.
  24. Ananthanathan, 1994, pp. 151–154.
  25. Kaushik Roy 2012, pp. 151–154.
  26. Lal 1992, pp. 4333–4334.
  27. Thamizhannal, 2004, p. 146.
  28. Sundaramurthi, 2000, p. 624.
  29. Maharajan, 2017, p. 19.
  30. Kovaimani and Nagarajan, 2013, p. 29.
  31. Chellammal, 2015, p. 119.

References

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Classical primary sources

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  • Alathur Kilar. Kḻuvāi Illai!, புறநானூறு [Puranānuru] (Verse 34), See original text in Tamil Virtual University.
  • Avvaiyar.   ta:திருவள்ளுவமாலை. Tirutthanigai Saravanaperumal Aiyar (commentator). Wikisource. 
  • Ilango Adigal, சிலப்பதிகாரம் [Silappathigāram], See original text in Tamil Virtual University.
  • Kambar, கம்பராமாயணம் [Kambarāmāyanam], See original text in Tamil Virtual University.
  • Manakkudavar (1917). திருவள்ளுவர் திருக்குறள் மணக்குடவருரை—அறத்துப்பால் [Tiruvalluvar Tirukkural Manakkudavar Commentary—Book of Aram]. V. O. C. Pillai (Ed.) (1 ed.). Chennai: V. O. Chidambaram Pillai. 152 pp.
  • Manakkudavar (2003). திருக்குறள் மணக்குடவர் உரை [Tirukkural Manakkudavar Commentary]. C. Meiyyappan (Ed.). Chennai: Manivasagar Padhippagam. 370 pp.
  • Parimelalhagar (2009). திருக்குறள் மூலமும் பரிமேலழகர் உரையும் [Tirukkural Original Text and Parimelalhagar Commentary]. Compiled by V. M. Gopalakrishnamachariyar. Chennai: Uma Padhippagam. 1456 pp.
  • Seethalai Sāthanār, மணிமேகலை [Manimekalai], See original text in Tamil Virtual University.
  • Sekkiḻar, பெரிய‌ புராண‌ம் [Periya Puranam], See original text in Tamil Virtual University.
  • Valluvar.   ta:திருக்குறள். Wikisource.  See original text in Project Madurai.

Modern secondary sources

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