Tirukkuṛaḷ

Tirukkuṛaḷ (Tamil: திருக்குறள் also known as the Kural), sometimes spelt 'Thirukkural, is a classic of couplets or Kurals (1330 rhyming Tamil couplets) or aphorisms[1] celebrated by Tamils.[2] It was authored by Thiruvalluvar, a poet who is said to have lived anytime between the 2nd and 6th centuries AD. Although the exact period of its composition is still disputed, scholars agree that it was produced in the late Tamil Sangam period. The Thirukkural expounds on various aspects of life and is one of the most important works in the Tamil language. This is reflected in some of the other names by which the text is known: Tamil marai (Tamil Vedas); poyyamozhi (words that never fail); and Daiva nool (divine text).[3] The book is considered to precede Manimekalai and Silapathikaram since they both acknowledge the Kural text.[4]

Thirukkural (or the Kural) is a collection of 1330 Tamil couplets organised into 133 chapters. Each chapter has a specific subject ranging from "ploughing a piece of land" to "ruling a country". It preaches simplicity and truth thorugh out its verses . According to the LIFCO Tamil-Tamil-English dictionary, the Tamil word Kural literally means "short verse", and is typified by the Venpa metre that consists of two lines. In the aspect of metre & brevity, and the profoundity of expression,Thirukkural comes under one of the four categories of Venpas (Tamil verses) called Kural Venpa. The 1330 couplets are arranged into 3 main sections and 133 chapters. Each chapter contains 10 couplets. A couplet consists of seven cirs, with four cirs on the first line and three on the second. A cir is a single or a combination of more than one Tamil word. For example, Thirukkural is a cir formed by combining the two words Thiru and Kural, i.e. Thiru + Kural = Thirukkural. It has been translated to various other languages.[5]

There are claims and counter claims as to the authorship of the book and to the exact number of couplets written by Thiruvalluvar. The first instance of the author's name mentioned as Thiruvalluvar is found to be several centuries later in a song of praise called Garland of Thiruvalluvar in Thiruvalluva Malai.[6]

Most of the Researchers and great Tamil Scholars like George Uglow Pope or G.U. Pope who had spent many years in Tamil Nadu and translated many Tamil texts into English, which includes Thirukkural.

Contents

Other names

Thirukural is praised with many names such as:[7]

  1. Uttravedam - the ultimate Veda or Creed
  2. Poyyamozhi - falseless word
  3. Vayurai vazhthu - truthful praise
  4. Teyvanul - the divine book
  5. Pothumarai - the common Veda or Creed
  6. Muppal - threefold path
  7. Tamil marai - Tamil Veda

Sections

Thirukkural is structured into 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets, thus a total of 1330 couplets.[8] The 133 chapters are grouped into three sections:[8][9]

Aram contains 380 verses, Porul with 700 and Inbam with 250.[8] While Aram and Inbam discuss about ethical living in private life, Porul deals with public affairs.

Legend

Upon completion, Thiruvalluvar took the work (Thirukkural) to Madurai (Tamil Nadu, India) as per the prevailing practice of reading out new compositions in a public forum where critics and scholars would be present. The conceited scholars at Madurai, insisted on measuring the greatness of the work through a test where the manuscript would be placed with other works on a plank kept afloat in the tank of the Meenakshi temple and it was to be seen if the plank remained afloat. The significance of this is that the greatness of a work is realized on the basis of not the weight of its manuscript (written on Palm leaves) but the divine qualities of the work which forced the plank to stay afloat. It is said that to the amazement of the critics, the Sangam Plank shrunk itself in size to hold only the Kural manuscript and in the process throwing out the rest.

1330 Thirukkurals

For complete list of Thirukkural, see 1330 Thirukkurals at Wikisource

Translations

The Latin translation of Thirukkural made by Constanzo Beschi in 1730 did much to make known to European intellectuals the richness and beauty of Oriental Tamil literature. One of the earliest commentaries on the Thirukkural was by Parimelazhagar, belonging to the 12th century. His commentary (Urai) give us an idea of the amount of information contained in each and every kural. A lot of software are available these days for installing Kurals in desktops. The software based Kural (poem) changes each day and you get the kural and its explanation in both English and Tamil. An English Translation of Tirukural by GU Pope brought the Tirukkural to the western world in 1886. This work is widely revered and accepted in many parts of the world. Pope's translation can be viewed from the website http://pm.tamil.net/pub/pm0153/trkrlpop.html?q=projectmadurai/pub/pm0153/trkrlpop.html

The following is a list of translations/commentaries of the Tamil literary classic THIRUKURAL - taken out from the Encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature, vol. 1, Inst. of Asian Studies, Thiruvanmayur, Tamil Nadu, India.

Bengali

Burmese

Chinese

Czech

Dutch

English

Fijian

Finnish

French

German

Gujarati

Hindi

Japanese

Kannada

Latin

Malay

Malayalam

Oriya

Punjabi

Polish

Rajasthani

Russian

Sanskrit

Saurashtra

Sinhala

Swedish

Telugu

Urdu

FAMOUS QUOTES OF KURAL (English Translation)

• Something may not be achievable even by God or through God's help. But the effort exerted to attain that non-achievable will yield its deserving result!

"Deivathal aagatheninum muyarchi than
 meivarutha kooli tharum"

• Though the world goes round with many activities, it is dependent on agriculture. Hence, though laborious, farming is the foremost activity.

• As water changes its nature, from the nature of the soil in which it flows, so will the character of men resemble that of their associates.

• Friendship is not just a smile on the face; It is what is felt deep within a smiling heart.

• The stalks of water-flowers are proportionate to the depth of water; so is men's greatness proportionate to their minds (Knowledge).

• Avoid an act which you may repent later; If done by mistake, better not to repeat it.

• Whatever is thought to be done will be achieved as planned, if the planners possess firmness in execution.

• Excessive or deficient food or activity causes disorders in mobility, breathing and digestion.

• Agriculturists are the linchpin of the mankind since they support all others who cannot till the soil.

• The learned teacher makes you enjoy learning; On leaving, makes you to keep thinking of his teaching.

• Think and then undertake the work; to think after commencement will bring disgrace.

• Determined efforts result in prosperity; Idleness will bring nothing.

• Defer not virtue to another day; receive her now; and at the dying hour she will be your undying friend.

• Water will flow from a water well in proportion to the depth to which it is dug, and knowledge will flow from a man in proportion to his learning.

• That which God gives, nobody can ban. That which God bans, nobody can give.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Blackburn, Cutler (2000). "Corruption and Redemption: The Legend of Valluvar and Tamil Literary History". Modern Asian Studies 34: 449–482. doi:10.1017/S0026749X00003632. http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FASS%2FASS34_02%2FS0026749X0000363Xa.pdf&code=3271a95da1f62e5a9a01ec5fab104dcd. Retrieved 2007-08-20. 
  2. ^ Pillai, MS (1994). Tamil literature. Asian Education Service. ISBN 8120609557. http://books.google.com/?id=QIeqvcai5XQC&pg=PA1&dq=valluvar+Jain. 
  3. ^ Cutler, Norman (1992). "Interpreting Thirukkural: the role of commentary in the creation of a text". The Journal of the American Oriental Society 122. http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=GLvhZT9rv6h6WZXdrVkPGRdXRhfw2Q7BZrnpRXhbddz8YKCfPtZG!644681601?docId=5000163847. Retrieved 2007-08-20. 
  4. ^ Aiyangar Thirukkural cannot be compared with Arthashastra as it not only deals with Kingship or Statesmanship as in Arthashastra but also deals with various other aspects of life., SK (1995). Some Contributions of South India to Indian Culture. Asian Educational Services. pp. 125. ISBN 8120609999. http://books.google.com/?id=vRcql-QBhRwC&pg=PR1&dq=kural+Tamil. 
  5. ^ Ramasamy, V. 2001. On Translating Tirukkural. International Institute of Tamil Studies, Chennai. page 29
  6. ^ Tirukkural. http://acharya.iitm.ac.in/tamil/kural/kural_ref.php. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  7. ^ Kamil Zvelebil (1973). The smile of Murugan on Tamil literature of South India. BRILL. pp. 156–. ISBN 9789004035911. http://books.google.com/books?id=VF2VMUoY_okC&pg=PA156. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 
  8. ^ a b c Ravindra Kumar (1 January 1999). Morality and Ethics in Public Life. Mittal Publications. pp. 92–. ISBN 9788170997153. http://books.google.com/books?id=nigNndLgqGQC&pg=PA92. Retrieved 13 December 2010. 
  9. ^ Sujit Mukherjee (1 January 1999). A dictionary of Indian literature. Orient Blackswan. pp. 393–. ISBN 9788125014539. http://books.google.com/books?id=YCJrUfVtZxoC&pg=PA393. Retrieved 13 December 2010. 

External links