Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Thirukkural - Translated by M Rajaram

 I have heard a lot about Thiruvalluvar's Thirukkural - the most impactful one being about this bus conductor in Tamil Nadu who always begins the bus journey by reading a couplet from the book and even better, gifting a copy to anyone who is celebrating a birthday or an anniversary. I mentioned the same to Abhinay who immediately gifted me this lovely copy.


The Thirukkural was written 2000 years ago by the Tamil sage, poet, Thiruvalluvar and is considered a book fro all ages. Thiruvalluvar is compared to the greatest minds and his work is practical and applies to all in any age. the book has 133 chapters with 10 couplets each, making up 1330 couplets. The three major divisions in the book are about Virtue, Wealth and Love.

The book is written in Tamil metre 'Kural' which means short, while 'Thiru' means sacred, beautiful etc. It is said that Tolstoy told Gandhi that he first heard of the concept of non-violence was taken from this book.

One cannot write much about the book except perhaps discuss its structure. 

Virtue is subdivided into Domestic Virtue (life, wife, children, speech, behavior, self control, not coveting another's wife, society, chastity, fame etc). Acetic Virtue (companions, not eating meat, penance, not stealing, conduct, desires)     

Wealth includes Politics (company, action, timing, duty, perseverance), Limits of the State (speech, action not fearing the assembly, friendship, being hen pecked, wanton women, liquor, gambling), Miscellaneous (birth, honour, greatness, futile wealth, begging, shame)

Love includes Secret love (beauty, sex), Wedded love (separation, pining, longing, sulking etc)

  One line on health stayed with me - if you eat only after having digested what you ate previously, you will be in good health.

Thanks Abhinay. A prized possession. 

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