Thiru Kural - The Classic of Tamil Literature

Thirukural:
Chapter. 32. Not doing Evil
Kural - 314


To punish wrong, with kindly benefits the doers ply;
Thus shame their souls; but pass the ill unheeded by.

Meaning: The (proper) punishment to those who have done evil (to you), is to put them to shame by showing them kindness, in return and to forget both the evil and the good done on both sides.

Thiru Valluvar, the author of Thiru Kural, was not only a sage with the good of humankind at heart, a psychologist having deep imminent into the intricacies of human nature and a philosopher with an urge to restructuring. He is believed to have born 30 years earlier than Jesus Christ. Thiruvalluvar himself was one of those rare great men who had their roots firmly in the history and culture of the Tamils of the Sangam Age, who had made their own all that was good in the religious and social teachings that blew into Tamil Nadu, from outside the state and country in those spacious days and in addition, had their own characteristic vision of the future. Out of the catholicity of his spirit and the depth of his integrated thinking arose the Kural, the moral line of which is not clouded by dogma or prejudice of any kind.

Photo Courtesy: Photobucket

In Tamil Nadu, Tamil calendar is dated from that stage and referred as Thiruvalluvar Aandu (Year). It is however, a disappointment that we know so little about the Mastermind who authored the great work. What we know about him is that he existed in Mylapore which now forms a division of the city of Chennai and that he was a wedded man and a weaver by occupation. It is known that his wife was the Great example of attachment and obedience to her husband, and several tales are told portraying the harmony in their marriage life. Due to scarcity of accurate details about his life, in course of time, this great saint poet has entered into mythology and there are many of them. We discover Thiruvalluvar as an ethical philosopher, political scientist and master of public administration in the first two parts of Thirukkural. We find him to be an imaginative artist in the third part, describing the fascinating aspects of lovers.

Photo Courtesy: Flicker Under Creative Commons License

If we see certain likeness between Valluvar's thought and those of Buddha, Mahaveera, Plato, Confucius, Kautalya and Vatsayana, these are only justifiable absorptions by a subsequent thinker of ideas, of which he approves from among those that have preceded him and are available to him, or natural similarities in the working of great minds. But there are also basic differences and substantial originality of thought and expression for ahead of his times, particularly in respect of his treatment of Godliness, casteless society, importance of agriculture, taxation with peoples' consent and enabling of physical love.

To appropriately understand his perspective on a subject, each of the ten couplets must be read, for they are like facets of a gem - all dazzling the light of his understanding slightly in a different way and adding to the richness of his conception. That is the reason why Thiruvalluvar's Thirukural has continued to attract the best minds of the world down the ages. This Holy Book is indicated in some of the other names by which the text is known: Tamil marai (Tamil Veda); Poyya mozhi (word that does not lie); and Teyva nool (divine book) Muppal (Three fold path) Pothu Marai (the common Veda or Creed) etc.

An artistic marginal wall around the statue thereby forms an appealing mandabam (Hall). The statue constructed on the pedestal which represents "wealth" and "pleasure", symptomatic of wealth and love be earned and enjoyed on the basis of solid virtue. The statue that was devoted at the beginning of the new millennium stands out there as a light-house to guide human life for ever. It was sculpted by the Famous sculptor Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapathi, who also created the Iraivan Temple.

To Top ⇑

Height of the statue

: 95 feet

Height of the pedestial

: 38 feet

Statue along with the pedestial

:133 feet

Height of the face

: 10 feet

Height of the body part

: 30 feet

Height of the thigh part

: 30 feet

Height of the leg part

: 20 feet

Fore arm

:10 feet

Length of the manuscript

: 10 feet

Width of the shoulder

: 30 feet

Length of the hairdo

: 5 feet

Weight of the pedestial statue and the wall

: 7000 tones

The Thirukkural is a very old non-religious literature that guides people on better living. The utter plainness of Thiruvalluvar's language, his crystal clear expressions, accurate and forceful, his brevity, his choice articulation, no less his inwardness, his learning, culture and wisdom, his catholicity and eclecticism, his gentle wittiness and wholesome counsel have made him an object of reverence for all time and his book is considered the Sacred of the Tamils.

Even if written over 2000 years ago, the way of life advised by Thirukkural is still relevant today. Thirukkural is a treasured gem among the classics, unique in the liberation of code of conduct to the mankind to follow for time to come. Thiruvalluvar's this discourse encompasses the whole range of human life, its memorable author clarifies every bit of it! In the field of Political Science and Public administration, Thiruvalluvar seems absolute in his treatment and humanistic approach than Aristotle, Kautilya, Machiavelli and Harold Laski. In the variety of subject-matter and briefness of the couplets, Thirukkural stand out the other moralizing literature of the World. Thirukural is the only Tamil literary work that has been translated many times in almost all main languages of the world..

No introduction is needed for the incomparability of its subject matter, than the piece of evidence that it has been interpreted into a number of languages of the World. Thirukural explains different aspects of life and is one of the most important works in Tamil. The Tamil word "Kural" means whatever thing short and in writing it refers to an elegiac form using the shortest probable meter. Thiru Kural has been written in couplets ten of which form a section, there being in all 133 episodes.

They have been prearranged in three books, the first one being on 'ARAM', the second one 'PORUL', and the third one on 'INBAM'. The first part related with Aram (Virtue), the moral value of individual life and it has 38 chapters. The second part is on Porul (Wealth), the socio economic principles of men in a civilized culture and it has 70 chapters. The third portion is about Kamam or Inbam (Love), the psychological values of life, it has 25 chapters. The approach is brusque, epigrammatically. This may be as much due to the meter used as to the form of appearance. One of the furthermost benefits of Tirukural is to direct our actions and our thoughts, to guide our purpose in life and purify our relations with our fellow man.

Thirukural is a discourse on the art of living, a set of healthy principles of guidance's for the variety of segments of the civilization for a pleasant-sounding combined living. Thiru Kural was belongs to the epoch of Sangam literature. Tamil Sangam was a 'court of congregation of the poets held under the patronage of a King. The poems belonging to the Sangam literature were composed by Tamil poets, both men and women, from various professions and classes of society. This literature create by these assemblies was accumulated in the period straddling over 600 AD.

Photo Courtesy: Flickr

Up on 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 and 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.

Photo Courtesy: Photobucket Under Creative Commons License

This book consisting of 133 sections of 10 couplets each which was recognized as a masterpiece of literature in Tamil, has stood the test of history and is accepted by posterity as a seminal work which has influenced the thoughts of man throughout the centuries. It is a work of not only great aesthetic and stylistic literary value, but also a guide to the art of living with nuggets of invaluable wisdom. The range of these verses covers subjects like ethics, statecraft, citizenship, love, the art of life in its myriad forms. It deals with the three ARAM, PORUL, INBUM which are essential for a life of action. The profound thoughts and ideas of this great saint-poet are encapsulated in the shortest possible Tamil metre called "Kural". Thus the wisdom of Thiru Valluvar (Author) is expressed in unparalleled verses which combine beauty with brevity. The translation of these verses into other languages will enrich the literature of this language as well. Even though it has been translated into English by several scholars, the Thirukural has never been widely known in the Western world. Possibly, it can be claimed that there is no other work of non-religious nature, which stand in similarity to Thirukkural.

To Top ⇑

Translation of the poetry of Thiruvalluvar must have been indeed a intimidating task. To evoke the appearance and expression of the Kurals in another language other than Tamil is not simple. Anyhow here below some of the Kurals for your reference:

He who controls his five senses
Becomes very powerful
Indira, the King of heavenly Kingdom
Is himself a living example. 3:25

The five common sense foes, viz, lust, ire, greed, attachment, envy are natural opponents of man and of even gods of heaven. They are so commanding that if not kept under control any one of them may spoil the career of the man or God concerned.

'Tara' wife of an olden saint, fascinated by her bewitching loveliness, the King of heaven, Indira, be short of control over his sense 'lust', visited Tara in the seize and figure of the saint and had sexual contact with her.

The saint who was for the time being absent from the hermitage performing his ablutions somewhere else returned at that point in time. Indira tried to flee assuming some other grab but was wedged red handed in course of his flight and was cursed by the saint as an effect of which he had a thousand women genitals hanging all over his body. And he lost the kingship of Heaven in penalty.

Man has to control his sense of lust, ire, greed, attachments and envy to avoid suffering situations as in case of Indira.

Thirukural is a lighthouse steer the ships of Virtue, Wealth and Love, a treasure-trove of wisdom center on practical, analytical, scientific and worldly outlook; shaped in the standard of virtue, aesthetics, kindness, hospitality, sociability, generosity, service etc. covered in ones family life. It is not humiliated by the doctrine of any religious faith but recognizes and highlights the virtues in many of them, in tune with natural senses. The descriptions are framed in three parts and 133 chapters of ten verses each. Two thousand years later, we see the same concern for ethical values and the same commitment to expressing these sublime thoughts in a language and an idiom understood by the common man in the Kural. Thirukkural's immortality and universality are indisputable. Its ethics and values are appropriate to all religions, nations and time. It has been interpreted in over 60 languages of the world.

Photo Courtesy: Photobucket Under Creative Commons License

To accurately understand Thiruvalluvar's viewpoint on a subject, each of the ten couplets must be read. Because they are like facets of a gem - all reflecting the effulgence of his perceptive to some extent differently and integrating to the richness of his knowledge. It has been explicated that the saint spent his whole life quietly observing the human condition. After that, toward the cessation of his life, he was created and shared the sagaciousness through his Thirukurals to others in the society knew he possessed.

To Top ⇑

It is not only of great artistic and stylistic literary value, but also a direct to the art of living with pieces of precious wisdom. This holy book consisting of 133 sections of 10 couplets each which was predictable as a masterpiece of ancient Tamil literature in its own times, has stood the test of history and is established by posterity as a decisive work which has predisposed the thoughts of man throughout the centuries. Thirukural is the only Tamil literary work that has been translated many times in almost all main languages of the world.

One of the furthermost benefits of this holy scripture is to steer our actions and our mental conceptions, to undeviating our purpose in life and purify our interactions with our fellow man. Dilemma can be resolved in the light of Valluvar's sagaciousness. If something is going off beat in your life, bring the forces of life back into synchronization by studying the Thirukural and submitting an application its intelligence.

It is perhaps its most important function - to absolute and guards our lives in this world by averting misconstrues which can cause a fed-up karma, by avoiding wrong attitudes which can bring avoidable sadness into our experience. Until now, there is nothing in the Holy Kural that has to be obeyed. Each of the couplets encloses such insight, then again, that we are drawn to it and want to obey.

These kurals should be memorized, particularly by children. Small kids all through Tamil Nadu learn by heart the Holy Kural in order to be able to chant it verse after verse. Many can recite the entire 1,330 verses by heart. This helps them by a code of living that goes along with them rest of their lives. It is compulsory that children be given the advantage of vigorous principles from an early age. This advice and warnings are emanating from the world's earliest faith and culture. It will develop every kid's perceptive of goodness, right conduct and right thought. It is one of the most perspicacious scriptures in the world today.

To Top ⇑

Latin translation of Thirukkural made by Constanzo Beschi in 1730 did much to make known to the European intellectuals the richness and beauty of this Oriental Tamil classical literature.

"Thiruvalluvar's Kural is one of the gems of the world literature."
- Professor M. Winternitz, Germany

" ...one of the highest and purest expressions of human thought."
-M. Ariel , Translated Thirukural into French, France

"Thirukkural was a treasure house of worldly knowledge, ethical guidance and spiritual wisdom."
- Dr. Zakir Hussain, President of India

"There hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of maxims in which we find such lofty wisdom."
- Dr Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Laureate, Germany & France

"Nothing in the whole compass of human language can equal the force and terseness of the distiches in which the author of Kural conveys the lessons of wisdom."
- Rev. P. Percival

"The teaching of Thiruvalluvar is however, purely eclectic and inculcates such principles as are common to all systems of morality."
- Dr. R. W. Frazer

"I wanted to learn Tamil, only to enable me to study Valluvar's Thirukkural through his mother tongue itself%u2026. There is no one who has given such treasure of wisdom like him."
-Mahatma Gandhi

The lofty ideals that are enshrined in thus didactic work transcends the barriers of race, creed, place and time. Besides, this universal and cosmopolitan outlook, Thirukkural shines supreme in its poetic excellences.
- Dr. Wilfried Noelle

The KURAL's sentences are as binding as the TEN commandments on the jews. KURAL is as important and influential on the Tamil mind as Dante's great work on the language and thought of Italy.
- Mr Charles E. Gover

Thiruvalluvar's poem is thus by no means a long one; though in value it far outweighs the whole of the remaining Tamil literature, and is one of the select number of great work which have entered into the very soul of a whole people, and which can never die.
- Dr G. U. Pope

The KURAL, on the other hand all the time stays at the level of general principles, i.e., what may be called a mandatory ethics.
- Dr E. H. Hopkins

"In its own land, the Kural owes its popularity as much to the beauty of its versification as to its morality, but it is in its breadth of view and its speaking that to the heart of men, must make it a favourite work with the world at large."
- Dr R. C. Temple

Thirukural is not mortified by the doctrine of any religion or system of belief but admit and highlights the virtues in various religions, in tune with natural senses. It is not a Testament, a Scripture, a Heavenly Indulgence. This book is a dialogue on Social Life. It is the embodiment of enlightened wisdom; the quality of the ancient Tamil civilization, with affluent legacy, tradition and culture pretend in a unique language and expression. It is a brilliant literary of verses with poetic vividness, shortness and flavour, rhythm and syntax, uncomplicated to understand and remember.

To Top ⇑

Page Dragged From: Google Books under Public domain. Visit further read.

♣ Think and then undertake the work; to think after commencement will bring disgrace.
♣ Determined efforts result in prosperity; Idleness will bring nothing.
♣ True friends guard you from evil, make you walk in right path and share your sorrow in difficult times.
♣ Friendship is not just a smile on the face; It is what is felt deep within a smiling heart.
♣ Agriculturists are the linchpin of the mankind since they support all others who cannot till the soil.
♣ Though the world goes round with many activities, it is dependent on agriculture. Hence, though laborious, farming is the foremost activity.
♣ Whatever is thought to be done will be achieved as planned, if the planners possess firmness in execution.
♣ Avoid an act which you may repent later; If done by mistake, better not to repeat it.
♣ Water will flow from a well in the sand in proportion to the depth to which it is dug, and knowledge will flow from a man in proportion to his learning.
♣ 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.
♣ Listening is the best of all wealths; It is considered to be the foremost.
♣ Learning is the true imperishable wealth; Other things are not wealth
♣ Friendship is not just a smile on the face; It is what is felt deep within a smiling heart
♣ True friends guard you from evil, make you walk in right path and share your sorrow in difficult times
♣ Think and then undertake the work; To think after commencement will bring disgrace
♣ Determined efforts result in prosperity; Idleness will bring nothing.
♣ A help rendered in hour of need Though small, is greater than the world.
♣ Learn thoroughly whatever is to be learnt; Then, let the conduct be worthy of his learning.
♣ Learning is the true imperishable wealth; Other things are not wealth.
♣ Avoid an act which you may repent later; If done by mistake, better not to repeat it.

We declare that the Kural is a dissertation on the art of living. If it is so, it should not hang about within the class room, nor should it be restricted to the forums of intellectuals and the world of researchers. It must get through to the people; must form a part of their bequest, must be as omnipresent as the proverbs and maxims that people in general quote spontaneously as the occasion demands.

At least the Tamils in whose language Kural has been written must have an acquaintance with, and knowledge of, its subject matter even at the level of the common man. They must realize that its plea is secular and that it belongs to the Hindus, Christians, Muslims and the others, all alike.

To Top ⇑

In an attempt to popularize reading and understanding of Thirukural, members of Thirukural Sevai Maiyam, Thiruvannamalai, have been conducting processions for the last 17 months around the compound walls of the Arunachaleswarar Temple, Mada Veedhis and Girivalam path on the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every month.

They have also been writing couplets from Thiru Kural on the compound walls of the house in Rajarajan, Then mada veedhi and Kosamedu streets in the town using oil paint. They used to write couplets in 20 houses every 100 days. So far they have written couplets on 130 houses with the consent of the house owners. The couplets will be selected based on the interest of the house owners. They have also given a Thiru Kural book to each house owner.

In a move aimed at ending the obsession for the western pop and rock among the young global Tamils, a few Tamil literary well wishers have come together and launched the 'Digital Thirukural' microchip that can recite all the 1330 couplets of the legendary Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, together with explanations in contemporary Tamil. All the three chapters of Aram (deeds), Porul (wealth) and Inbam (pleasure) comprising 133 chapters and holding 1330 kurals have been recorded in song pattern follower by Kalaignar Karunanidhi's explanatory notes.

The chip-player allows the user to switch between the desired athikarams (chapters) through the nine hour rendering and it would be a great hit amid the 80 million Tamils around the globe - particularly the youth since it has great music composed by Sikkil B. Balasubramanyam. The user will be able to hear the Kurals rendered by Sirkhazhi Sivachidambaram a famous classical singer along with explanatory notes by Saradha Nambi Aruran reading from 'Kalaignar Urai'.
This Digital Thirukural is priced INR 3000 and is available at www.thirukkuraldigital.com in online on enquiry or it can be ordered through +91 944 499 0152.

To Top ⇑

Having worked towards promoting camaraderie among the 1.2mn strong Tamil populace in Hyderabad over the past four years, the Thiruvalluvar Tamizh Sangam, celebrated its anniversary at the Hari Hara Kala Bhavan. Showcasing contributions of renowned poets of your Tamizh language - Thiruvalluvar and Bharatiyar - a Bharatanatyam performance from the disciples of dancer Parvathy Balasubramanian, marked the evening. The Thiruvalluvar Sangham works towards solving problems of entrepreneurs and also the working-class and likewise runs a Tamizh medium school for children in Kachiguda. For details - contact: 9949048198.

In the modern age of Internet and digital notepads, it could be hard to find people like S.K.Ramesh a part-time school teacher who took upon himself the task of creating an illustrated guide to the timeless wisdom of the Thirukural. He has painstakingly drawn each of the 1,330 couplets with descriptive imagery in order to spread the message of the Kural among wider audiences. The original couplets are a compilation of about 1330 chapters, each comprising 10 verses. Ramesh's book measures about 2.25 feet long and two feet wide. It was created in a span of one year. Each couplet carries images that explain the Kural in a simple manner.

So, what inspired him to illustrate all the 1,330 couplets in a single book? Ramesh says, "It was actually a suggestion made by a few colleagues at work. They told me to us my talent and draw the couplets in the form of a book so that students could easily understand the Thirukural". Although the Thirukural is popular, a lot of people find it hard to understand. This pictorial reference should make things easier for them. Ramesh also has plans to print all the kurals in an abridged format. His daughter Mugil Madhi, a student of 6th standard was an able assistant in this artistic journey. After sketching each couplet, he consulted with his daughter about whether she was able to understand the Kural or not. This book is around 30 kilos and is kept on display at Mugil Art Studio in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu.

3y75u2daig

In the year 1921 Tamil philomaths who accumulated under the leadership of the "Tamil Kadal" Maraimalai Adikal researched on the subject of the Tamil New Year. This committee included Tamil veterans like Tamil Thenral Thiru V. Kalyanundaram, Tamil Kavalar K.Subramaniumpillai, Saiva Periyar Satchithananthampillai, Navalar Somasundara Barathiyar, Navalar N.M. Vengkadasami Naddar and Muthamil Kavalar K.A.P. Visvanatham. After long deliberations they unanimously arrived at the conclusion that the Tamil New Year commenced on the first day of the Tamil month "Thai."

Now The Tamil Calendar is dated from that period and referred as Thiruvalluvar Year (Aandu). The state of Government of Tamil Nadu accepted the Thiruvalluvar Aandu officially in 1972. We can find Thiruvalluvar as an ethical philosopher, political scientist and master of public administration in the first two parts of his Thirukkural. We can find him as a creative artist in the third part, describing the enticing aspects of lovers.

To Top ⇑

Pearls of Wisdom from Thirukkural

The Wisdom Of Thirukkural/A Guide To Living-A Commentary

Tirukural

Thirukkural

Thirukkural/Pearls Of Inspiration

Thiruvalluvar ♠ Thiru Valluvar and His Philosophy ♠ The Thiru Kural ♠ Thiru Kural Tamils Classical Literature ♠ Learn Tamil -Voting (plexo) ♠ Few Kurals for your Reference ♠ Thirukural Sevai Maiyam ♠ Digital Thiru Kural ♠ Thiru Kural Goes Grapic ♠ Its Plea is Secular ♠ More Vids About Thiru Kural ♠ Guest Book

To Top ⇑