Tirukkuṛaḷ

Tirukkural
திருக்குறள்
Author Thiruvalluvar
Country India
Language Tamil
Genre Poetry
Topics in Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Akattiyam Tolkāppiyam
Patiṉeṇmēlkaṇakku
Eṭṭuttokai
Aiṅkurunūṟu Akanaṉūṟu
Puṟanāṉūṟu Kalittokai
Kuṟuntokai Naṟṟiṇai
Paripāṭal Patiṟṟuppattu
Pattuppattu
Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai Kuṟiñcippāṭṭu
Malaipaṭukaṭām Maturaikkāñci
Mullaippāṭṭu Neṭunalvāṭai
Paṭṭiṉappālai Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Poruṇarāṟṟuppaṭai Ciṟupāṇāṟṟuppaṭai
Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku
Nālaṭiyār Nāṉmaṇikkaṭikai
Iṉṉā Nāṟpatu Iṉiyavai Nāṟpatu
Kār Nāṟpatu Kaḷavaḻi Nāṟpatu
Aintiṇai Aimpatu Tiṉaimoḻi Aimpatu
Aintinai Eḻupatu Tiṉaimalai Nūṟṟu Aimpatu
Tirukkuṛaḷ Tirikaṭukam
Ācārakkōvai Paḻamoḻi Nāṉūṟu
Ciṟupañcamūlam Mutumoḻikkānci
Elāti Kainnilai
Tamil people
Sangam Sangam landscape
Tamil history from Sangam literature Tamil literature
Ancient Tamil music Sangam society
Tamil Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Tirukkural (Tamil: திருக்குறள் also known as the Kural) is a classic Tamil sangam literature consisting of 1330 couplets or Kurals.[1][2] It was authored by Thiruvalluvar.

The Thirukkural 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 given by such as Tamil marai (Tamil Vedas); poyyamozhi (words that never fail); and Deiva nool (divine text).[3] The work is dated to sometime between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century BC and is considered to precede Manimekalai and Silapathikaram, since they both acknowledge the Kural text.[4]

Sections

Thirukkural is structured into 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets, for a total of 1330 couplets.[5] The 133 chapters are grouped into three sections:[5][6]

A couplet or Kural 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. Aram contains 380 verses, Porul with 700 and Inbam with 250.[5]

Author

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.[7]

Other names

Thirukural is known by many names such as:[8]


  1. பொய்யாமொழி / Poyyamozhi - statements devoid of untruth
  2. வாயுரை வாழ்த்து / Vayurai vazhthu - truthful utterances
  3. தெய்வநூல் / Deyvanool - Holy book
  4. பொதுமறை / Pothumarai - Veda for all
  5. முப்பால் / Muppal - three chaptered
  6. தமிழ் மறை / Tamil marai - Tamil Veda
  7. முப்பானூல் / Muppaanool - three chaptered book
  8. திருவள்ளுவம் / Thiruvalluvam - the work of Thiruvalluvar

Commentaries and translations

There have been several commentaries written on Thirukkural over the centuries. The pioneer commentator is Manakkudavur. The earliest commentaries on the Thirukkural were by Manakkudavar and Pari Perumal belong to 11th century, Kaalingar belongs to 12th century, Parimelazhagar belongs to 13th century. In 1935, V. O. Chidambaranar had written commentary on the First Part of Tirukkural - Virtue and was publishled in the different title. In 2008, complete work of Commentary on Tirukkural was published, as manuscript of V. O. C. was provided by his son AmarJothi. V. O. C. was scholared in Tholkappiyam, Tirukkural and many other Tamil literature and had done deep and wide research in Tirukkural and has done the excellent job of comparative study of all the preceding Commentaries and has provided a proven new unequalled version. His commentary is helpful to all and precious to who doing research in Tirukkural and Tamil literature. The Latin translation of Thirukkural was made by Constanzo Beschi in 1730. An English Translation of Tirukural by GU Pope brought the Tirukkural to the western world in 1886.[9] This work is the first translation to the English language. Thirukkural has been translated to more than 35 languages across the world by various authors. Thirukural does not refer to any religion.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Blackburn, Cutler (2000). "Corruption and Redemption: The Legend of Valluvar and Tamil Literary History" (PDF). Modern Aian Studies 34 (2): 449–482. doi:10.1017/S0026749X00003632. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  2. ↑ Pillai, MS (1994). Tamil literature. Asian Education Service. ISBN 81-206-0955-7.
  3. ↑ Cutler, Norman (1992). "Interpreting Thirukkural: the role of commentary in the creation of a text". The Journal of the American Oriental Society 122. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  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. p. 125. ISBN 81-206-0999-9.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ravindra Kumar (1 January 1999). Morality and Ethics in Public Life. Mittal Publications. pp. 92–. ISBN 978-81-7099-715-3. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Sujit Mukherjee (1 January 1999). A dictionary of Indian literature. Orient Blackswan. pp. 393–. ISBN 978-81-250-1453-9. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "Tirukkural". Retrieved 8 October 2007.
  8. ↑ Kamil Zvelebil (1973). The smile of Murugan on Tamil literature of South India. BRILL. pp. 156–. ISBN 978-90-04-03591-1. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  9. ↑ GU Pope (1886). Tirukkural English Translation and Commentary (PDF). W.H. Allen, & Co. p. 160.

External links