Thirukkural
Thirukkural means “The Tirukkural” in
Tamil. It is a collection of over 100 short poems written by the great poet and
saint Arunagirinathar (or Periyapuranam) who lived in the 6th century AD. It
was composed between 580-650 A.D., before his death in 650 A.D.
In Tamil, the book is called 'Naladharan
Kaviyam' meaning Book of the Nectar of Poetry. In English, it is known as the
'Divine Eye'. In Hindi, it is called 'Thirukkural', meaning 'The Nectar'.
For thousands of years, these verses have been
recited daily at 5 AM by millions of people around the world for inspiration
and guidance. Many consider them the greatest poem ever written. Today, they
continue to provide comfort and enlightenment for countless others worldwide.
What is special about Thirukkural?
The Thirukkural (Tamil:,
literally'sacred verses') is considered by Hindus to be one of the most revered
texts in the world. It is generally regarded as composed between 200 BCE and
100 CE, although some scholars believe it was written much earlier. There are
two versions of the Thirukkural; the shorter version is called the Kurunthogai
('little book') and consists of 1018 slokas divided into 13 chapters. The
longer version, called Tirukkuṛaḷ ('great book'), contains 1199 slokas divided
into 18 chapters. In addition, there exists a prose commentary known as the
Parimelalai ("commentary on the pari"), which is thought to have been
written later than the text.
How old is the Kural?
The Kurunthogai is dated to between
200 BCE - 100 CE. But the Tirukkuṛinī was likely written much earlier.
Which came first? English translation?
The Kurunthaigai is the original
Tamil poem. A Sanskrit verse equivalent was translated into English in the 16th
century.
Who were its authors?
The authorship of the Kurunthogam is
attributed to three poets or divine beings named Appar, Agathiyar and
Manickavasagar.
What about the translator?
The Kurunthalai is a translation of
the Kurunthagam.
Where did I get these numbers?
There are 3 different numbering
systems in use for the Thirukkurral. The author uses his own number system.
Number 11 comes after the author, while the translators use number 19 (from the
introduction). These translations use only the numbers 1-18.
Why do they say it was not written at once?
They think that the poem was written
over a period of time, based on how long each section takes to read. However, I
am not sure if that is true.
Benefits of Thirukkural for all students
Thirukkural is one of the most
ancient literary works ever written in Tamil. The Thiruvalluvar was born around
the fourth century AD in the city of Tiruvanamalai, India. He belonged to the
Sangam period (500 BC – 300 AD) and he is considered a great poet. His verses
have been translated into many languages. Thiruvalluvaar’s poems consist of
4,032 couplets, each couplet consisting of four syllables.
Thirukkurral means “Four thousand”.
There were only four books at that time, namely Shiva Puranam, Skanda Puranam,
Ramayana and Mahabharatam. But due to his profound knowledge in the Vedas, he
composed five more books, i.e., Thirukkuraivil, Avvaiyaar, Ettuthokai, Pancha
Pandavadhitha and Manimegalai. Each book consists of ten chapters. Thirukkural
has four divisions namely, Kalaignaan Paripadal, Kaarthigai, Kaalamegam and
Kurungal Nooli. The first three divisions are meant for men while the last
division is meant for women.
The first chapter of Kurunthogai is
about virtues. In this section, he says, “Those who are good in their deeds,
they are good in word; those who are good in word, they are good in deed and
are good both in their words and actions.”
In the second chapter of Kurungal
Nool, he explains how to behave towards people. He says, “He who behaves like a
mother towards her son is like a mother towards God.”
In chapter 3, he talks about the
importance of education. He says, ‘Without education, no man could live
happily. Those who know well, they do not fear any calamities.’
In the final chapter, he talks about
the proper way to treat others. He says, ”If we love our parents, the world
calls us virtuous and if we hate them, the world calls us wicked.”
Kurunthogai is one of the greatest
texts of the Tamils. It has influenced many writers in various fields
throughout history. Among these writers are Dravidian poets Subramania
Bharathiyar, Subramanya Bharathi, Kannadasan, Ceyk Aloor Pattachitra, Bharathidasan,
Kalki Krishnamurthy, and Aranganathan Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai. Many of these
writers wrote in different languages based on the region in which they lived.
However, all the aforementioned writers adhered to the rules of grammar laid
down in the book of Kurunthogail. Even though the language of Kurunthogael is
Tamil, the use of Sanskrit words in the text indicates the influence of
Sanskrit literature. The book also contains some references to the Vedas and
the Buddhist religion.
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