What Is Thirukkural? Ancient Tamil Classic Gifted by PM Modi to Vladimir Putin

Honorable PM Narendra Modi presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural while hosting him in New Delhi prior to the BRICS Summit. This has led to increased interest in one of the most important books in Tamil literature, traditionally credited to poet philosopher Thiruvalluvar.

Written in Old Tamil, the Thirukkural consists of 1,330 kurals spread out in 133 chapters, which teach ideas related to ethics, behavior, administration, justice, money, friendships, family life, and love; hence it is not limited to any religion or philosophy.

What Is Thirukkural?

The Thirukkural, also known as the Kural, is an ancient Tamil text traditionally written by Thiruvalluvar. The book consists of 1,330 couplets that contain one idea or lesson.

This text is made up of 133 chapters, each consisting of 10 couplets. Instead of focusing on one area, it addresses a wide variety of aspects of human life.

These include,

• Honesty and self-control
• Humility, kindness, and hospitality
• Learning and generosity
• Social and family relationships
• Leadership and good governance
• Justice and taxation
• Agriculture and wealth
• Friendship and human behavior
• Love and relationships

This work is especially important due to the relationship between private virtue and public life in it.

What is the Age of Thirukkural?

The precise age of Thirukkural continues to be a debatable topic for the scholars. It is estimated that it could be a text anywhere between 2,000 to 2,500 years old, however, there is no established period of its creation.

Different scholarly works have dated Thirukkural to a period anywhere from 300 BCE to the 5th century CE. There have been some linguistic studies which place a much younger date, even the 5th century CE.

Thus, calling Thirukkural a text of 2,500 years is just a traditional estimate and not an undisputed historical fact.

The Central Institute of Classical Tamil claims that it is a text written over 2,000 years ago and is still relevant.

What Are the Three Parts of Thirukkural?

The 133 chapters of the Thirukkural are divided into three major sections:

Porul is the largest section and deals extensively with political and social life, including rulers, ministers, justice, armies, agriculture, friendship and administration.

Why Did PM Modi Gift a Russian Edition to Putin?

The Russian version of the ancient Tamil book that was gifted to Vladimir Putin brings the ancient Tamil book into reach of the Russian speakers.

The Russian edition contains the original Tamil language text, Roman script transliteration, and Russian translation of the verses. The translation will make the book readable to those who cannot understand Tamil but want to learn about the ideas of Thiruvalluvar.

It is a way of showcasing the rich classical literary heritage of India in the international context.

Why Is Thirukkural Relevance?

The eternal relevance of Thirukkural lies in the variety of topics covered in it. It talks about qualities like honesty, compassion and self-restraint along with leadership, justice, civic responsibilities and relationship.

Its concepts are not limited to any specific time period or particular aspect of life. This broad human perspective has been instrumental in keeping the book relevant for centuries.

Therefore, gifting the Russian edition of Thirukkural to Putin has put the focus on Tamil literary heritage and a classical book with universal appeal.