Ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi (September 12-13), Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Russian President Vladimir Putin a translated version of the traditional Tamil text Tirukkural during their bilateral meeting on Friday (September 11).

The text, authored by the poet-philosopher Tiruvalluvar (also known as “Valluvar”), is considered a seminal work of ancient Tamil literature and philosophy. Here’s what to know about the Tirukkural, and its diverse themes and subjects.

‘Sacred verses’

Tirukkural, which translates to “sacred verses” or “sacred couplets” in English, consists of 1,330 stanzas or couplets, each of seven words called “kurals”. These are arranged into 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets.

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Regarded as an influential work on ethics, Tirukkural is divided into three books:

1. The Book of Virtue (Dharma), dealing with morality (aram) and values of an individual. It has 38 chapters.
2. The Book of Polity, which is filled with teachings regarding materialism (porul) and socio-economic values. This has 70 chapters.
3. The Book of Love, which details teachings of love (inbam). It has 25 chapters.

Tirukkural was first published in English in 1840. Since then, it has been translated into more than 60 different languages. The edition that Modi gifted Putin is in Russian, translated by Naira Mkrtchyan. It was published this year by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil as part of its Tirukkural translation series.

Themes of Tirukkural

Tirukkural emphasises moral conduct and speaks of the realities of human life. Tiruvalluvar discouraged divisions based on religion, caste, creed, and race. Instead, he asserted that morality and kindness are indispensable for a meaningful human life. 

Although composed more than two millennia ago (between 300 BCE and 500 BCE), the Tirukkural holds profound relevance in modern times. Tiruvalluvar warned that a life devoid of morality leads to misery, as individuals become dominated by jealousy, greed, wrath, and harshness. To elevate human life and social well-being, he outlines certain virtues, such as spirituality, charity, and love. 

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The statue of Tiruvalluvar in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The concept of God, delineated in the very first chapter titled Kadavul Vazhthu (The Praise of God), is distinctive. For him, God is “pure intelligence” and omniscient, and embodies wisdom, compassion, morality, and love.

The topic of love (inbam) is categorised in two forms: Kalaviyal and Karpiyal. Kalaviyal refers to pre-marital love and is subsequently tied to marriage without any ceremony, whereas Karpiyal refers to traditional marital love. Tiruvalluvar uses poetic imagery and different dramatic and lyrical situations to explore countless characteristics of love. His verses portray love not just as passion but as a source of tranquil joy.

Some scholars draw parallels between Tiruvalluvar’s reflections on the importance of education to those of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. For the Tamil philosopher, virtue, wisdom, and education are inseparable: one who has received proper education is a virtuous man.

E S Ariel, who translated the seminal Tamil text into French in the 19th century, famously described Tirukkural as “a book without a name by an author without a name”.

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George Uglow Pope (1820-1908), an Anglican Christian missionary and Tamil scholar, was one of the first scholars to study Thiruvalluvar systematically. He honoured the poet-philosopher with the title, “The Bard of Universal Man”.