thirukkural book review in english

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Thirukkural in english

An introduction to thirukkural and its author.

Thirukkural, is a classic of couplets or Kurals (1330 rhyming Tamil couplets) or aphorisms. It was authored by Thiruvalluvar, a poet who is said to have lived anytime between 2nd century BCE and 5th century CE. Most believe he wrote Thirukkural in 30 BC which is part of Tamil Sangam Period.

Thirukkural contents

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Thirukkural (Tamil - English): Pearls of Wisdom From Classical Tamil Series Paperback – April 23 2021

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• ISBN-10 163850833X
• ISBN-13 978-1638508335
• Publication date April 23 2021
• Language English
• Dimensions 12.7 x 2.06 x 20.32 cm
• Print length 322 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Notion Press (April 23 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 163850833X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1638508335
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 100 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.06 x 20.32 cm
• #113 in Translating (Books)
• #34,273 in Textbooks

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Home > Tamil Language & Literature > Introduction to Thirukural of Thiruvalluvar > Thirukural - English Translation: Himalayan Academy - Introduction >  Thirukural - English Translation: Himalayan Academy - Index >  Couplets 1-100 > Couplets 101-200 > Couplets 201-400 > Couplets 401 - 600 > Couplets 601-810 > Couplets 811-950   > Couplets 951-1080

• Words, Language & Grammar
• Translation & Interpretation

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Thirukkural (Tamil - English): Pearls of Wisdom From Classical Tamil Series Paperback – 23 April 2021

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 322 pages
• Language English
• Publication date 23 April 2021
• Dimensions 12.7 x 2.06 x 20.32 cm
• ISBN-10 163850833X
• ISBN-13 978-1638508335
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Notion Press (23 April 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 163850833X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1638508335
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.06 x 20.32 cm
• 194 in Translation & Interpretation Reference

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Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma

author, poet, teacher, and performer

THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural

A new translation of the classical tamil masterpiece on ethics, power, and love..

I am humbled to have been able to translate Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural into English.

In the Tamil-speaking world, rooted in the state of Tamil Nadu in south India, this book is revered as a guide for how to practice compassion, goodness, and good sense in the nitty-gritty of daily life —from the life of the home, to the work of leaders, to the ways of love in our heart. Its great practicality, openness, and ecological wisdom make it astonishingly relevant to our time.

Yet this masterpiece of world literature, on par with the Tao Te Ching and the poetry of Rumi , has long lacked translations that make its guidance, vision, and playfulness available to readers in English.

And for years I never dared or even thought to make a translation.

THE KURAL, Part One: Virtue

How It Happened

In 2004, during a Fulbright year in India, I had a chance to study the book with my Tamil teacher, the late Dr. K. V. Ramakoti.

Each day we read and discussed one of the Tirukkural ‘s 133 chapters at length, exploring what each set of ten verses had to say on topics such as rain , hospitality , knowing the right time to do something , what it means to have power or to listen or to speak , and how not to be defeated by adversity . I also learned many of these verses by heart, wanting to know the book as well as I could.

Why? Because I’d recently rediscovered poetry as a source of both pleasure and insight (rather than the irrelevant puzzle it had seemed to me in school) and I wanted to experience why people in Tamil Nadu recognize this book as a treasure. I’d seen its verses at the front of countless city buses and heard even the most ordinary seeming people not only quote but delight in discussing their meanings.

Even more important, I wanted to see what these poems might teach me about what it means to live well in a time when the question of how we live is more important than ever.

In the years since that first in-depth exploration, whenever I spoke with Dr. Ramakoti on the phone or was able to visit him in India, he would often say, “Wouldn’t it be good if someone finally did a proper literary translation of the Tirukkural ?” I would always agree, but it never crossed my mind that this someone could be me.

Verse 315 from THE KURAL at the front of a bus in Tamil Nadu

Till suddenly it did.

Starting on January 1, 2016, almost on a whim, I began translating one verse each morning. When I finished a handful of chapters, I called my Tamil teacher to tell him what I was doing.

“Oh, good,” he said, “you finally got it.” In every other area of life, he’d never hesitated to tell me what he thought I should or shouldn’t do, but because he was also a poet, I think he understood that he needed to wait until this particular task occurred to me naturally.

Now, after five years of work and the support of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, I’m delighted to announce that the venerable Beacon Press published Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural on January 11, 2022.

And a special announcement, through June 8:

“To translate even a single kural couplet, bewitching in its rhythm and packed with meaning, is a formidable task. But we now have Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma’s translation, without doubt the best ever into English.”

— David Shulman , The New York Review

“In the astonishingly fresh and vibrant translations that adorn this book, Tiruvalluvar’s voice can now reach the universal audience that so deeply needs its universal wisdom.”

— Andrew Harvey , from the Foreword

“[An] exquisite translation . . . To live as the wise Kuṟaḷ advises us to—in a state of chronic, cultivated empathy and in service of others—is indeed to live right and to live well.”

— Archana Venkatesan , from the Introduction

A Peek Inside

From the cover.

One of the masterpieces of world literature, Tiruvalluvar’s  Tirukkural has been known in equal measure for the beauty of its poetry and for its practical philosophy: its discussions of ethics and the life well-lived. But the Kural has long been underserved by translators, who tend to sacrifice its poetry for what they see as its ideas. This new translation by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma draws on two decades of study under the Tamil scholar Dr. K. V. Ramakoti to bring English readers closer than ever to the brilliant inner and outer music of the original.

Likely composed between the 3rd and 5th centuries CE, each chapter of the Kural consists of ten short verses, or kurals , on a single theme, arranged in turn into three main sections: ethics at home, wealth in the world, and love in its many complexities. Together they encompass a vast range of personal and cosmic experience stretching from politics to hospitality, friendship, and greed. Tiruvalluvar’s text illuminates a vision of goodness that is as worldly as it is spiritual, and as broad as it is detailed and nuanced.

Accompanying the translation is a foreword by the founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism, Andrew Harvey; an introduction by the translator and scholar Archana Venkatesan; and a “Commentary of Notes,” in which Pruiksma elucidates key words and shares insights from important Tamil commentaries.

Publisher: Beacon Press ISBN: 978-080700361-9 (Cloth) Publication Date: January 11, 2022 Price: US $24.95

A Publication-Day Conversation with Archana Venkatesan

For the book launch of the Kural on January 11, 2022, the Elliott Bay Book Company and Tasveer hosted an online conversation between me and Archana Venkatesan, who wrote the marvelous introduction to the book. You can watch a complete recording below!

Interview with Andrew Harvey

Andrew Harvey , who wrote the splendid foreword to the Kural, interviewed me about this masterpiece of the Tamil language, exploring the work’s profound relevance for the present. Take a peek and a listen below!

A Note on My Approach

For those who may be interested, you can read about my approach to translating the Kural in this excerpt from my preface to the book .

Speaker Requests

I am delighted to speak about this seminal work to and with audiences of all kinds. If you are interested in having me present, please submit a speaker request . I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us!

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The Tirukkural or Thirukkural (Tamil Name: திருக்குறள்), or shortly the Kural, is a classic Tamil sangam literature consisting of 1330 couplets or kurals, dealing with the everyday virtues of an individual.[1][2] Considered one of the greatest works ever written on ethics and morality, it is known for its universality and non-denominational nature.[3] It was authored by Valluvar, also known as Thiruvalluvar.

Considered as chef d'oeuvre of both Indian and world literature,[4] the Tirukkural is one of the most important works in the Tamil language. This is reflected in some of the other names by which the text is given by, such as Tamiḻ maṟai (Tamil veda), Poyyāmoḻi (words that never fail), and Deiva nūl (divine text).[5] Translated into at least 82 languages (as of 2014), Tirukkural is one of the most widely translated non-religious work in the world.[6] The work is dated to sometime between the third and first centuries BCE and is considered to precede Silappatikaram (1st century CE) and Manimekalai (between 1st and 5th centuries CE), since they both acknowledge the Kural text

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THIRUKKURAL Paperback – 1 April 2009

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• Print length 272 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Rupa
• Publication date 1 April 2009
• Dimensions 14 x 1.7 x 21.59 cm
• ISBN-10 8129114674
• ISBN-13 978-8129114679
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From the Publisher

Conversation with M. Rajaram

INTRODUCTION

Thirukkural as a book that deals with the art of living is gaining increasing acceptance. It transcends national boundaries, historical, social limitations and language barriers. It makes great sense and relevance even today and for all times. Among the ethical works in Indian languages, Thirukkural stands supreme.

Thirukkural was written 2000 years ago. It was more truly presented in a language that was in vogue at that time. Thiruvalluvar, who brought out ‘ Thirukkural ’, the book for all ages , was an eminent and exceptional scholar endowed with divine quality.

He was not only a sage with a humane heart but also a psychologist with a deep insight into the complexities of human nature and a philosopher with an urge to reform. As Subramania Bharati , the Indian national poet, has rightly observed,

“ Tamil Nadu gave unto the world Valluvar and thereby won great renown .” Shri Sane Guruji goes on to say, “ Great thinkers belong to the world. More truly, Thiruvalluvar belongs not only to Tamil Nadu but also to the whole world .” Thiruvalluvar has been compared with Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Rousseau and the like.

Thiruvalluvar has not dwelt upon any abstract thought or dogma. He is intensely conscious of the practical world. The noble as well as the ignoble, the haves as well as the have-nots, the honest as well as the dishonest dwell side by side. He is solely concerned with the present world. To him, how one lives at present is a matter of supreme importance. He does not consider ascetic life better than family life. He gives the ploughmen the highest place in society because they provide food for all.

Thirukkural is recognized as a classic in the literature of the entire world and it is a part of world literature.

It is not only a work of great aesthetic value but also a guide to the art of living with nuggets of valuable wisdom sprinkled everywhere. It consists of 133 chapters of 10 couplets each, totalling in all 1330 couplets. They have been systematically arranged in three parts – Virtue, Wealth and Love . All of them deal with various aspects of human activities like devotion to God, acetic life, family life, charity, king-ship, military spirit, friendship, love, etc

Thirukkural covers subjects like ethics, statecraft, citizenship, etc in myriad forms. The profound thoughts of the great saint-poet , Thiruvalluvar , are encapsulated in the shortest Tamil metre called ‘ Kural’ which means anything short. Thiru means sacred, beautiful , etc. each couplet conveys maximum sense in minimum words. It is appealing to the mind, sweet to the ear and delicious to the tongue . We can say, “ Age cannot wither it nor custom stale its infinite variety .”

It is not easy for all to comprehend the real meaning of Kural at the first reading itself. G. U. Pope , who translated this work into English metric verse a century ago, explains poetically the beauty of Thirukkural thus: Their construction resembles that of a design in a mosaic. The materials fitted together are sometimes mere bits of coloured glasses, but sometimes also very precious stones and pure gold.

Thirukkural was among the earliest of Tamil classics translated by the Christian missionaries. Rev.Fr.Beschi (1700-1742) translated it into Latin. There are also versions of Thirukkural in French by Monsieur Ariel and in German by Dr. Graul . The great attraction of Thirukkural for the missionaries and others has been its ethical content.

The dynamics of Thirukkural has been richly complimented by various scholars. Dr. Albert Schweitzer says, “ There hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of maxims in which we find so much of lofty wisdom. ” Mahatma Gandhi calls it ‘ a textbook of indispensable authority on moral life’ and goes on to say, “ The maxims of Valluvar have touched my soul. There is none who has given such a treasure of wisdom like him .” He has also said that he came to know about Thirukkural from Leo Tolstoy , who had said that the concept of non-violence was taken by him from a German version of the Kural. And so he expressed his desire to learn Tamil so as to study Thirukkura l in original. As Sri Aurobindo states, “ Thirukkural is gnomic poetry, the greatest in planned conception and force of execution ever written in this kind .” Rajaji says, “ It is the gospel of love and a code of soul-luminous life. The whole of human aspiration is epitomized in this immortal book, a book for all ages .”

According to K. M. Munshi, “Thirukkural is a treatise par excellence of the art of living .” It cuts across castes, creeds, climes, ages, etc and has a freshness which makes one feel as if it is meant for the present time. Dr. Zakir Hussain , late president of India, says, “ Thirukkural is a treasure house of worldly knowledge, ethical guidance and spiritual wisdom .” Monsieur Ariel calls it a ‘ masterpiece of Tamil literature, one of the highest and purest expressions of human thought.’

E. J Robinson finds that it contains all things and there is nothing which it does not contain . Rev. Emmons E. White opines, “Thirukkural is a synthesis of the best moral teachings of the world .” As Rev. J. Lazarus declares, “ No Tamil work can ever approach the purity of Kural. It is a standing repute to modern Tamil. ”

There are several translations already made available by eminent scholars like F.W. Ellis, Rev. G.U Pope, Rev.W.H.Drew, Dr. John Lazarus, Yogi Suddhananda, Bharati, Rajaji, K.M. Balasubramaniam, P.S. Sundaram, J. Narayanasamy and others. Then, what is the need for one more English translation of this Tamil classic?

Although there are numerous translations of Thirukkural, the fact remains that no translation could ever render full justice to the original. As the ancient Tamil poet, Avvaiyar , observes, “ Thiruvalluvar pierced an tom and injected seven seas into it and compressed it into what we have today as Kural .” Dr. Graul rightly states that no translation can fully convey the charming effect of Thirukkural.

Because of its universality, social philosophy and non-denominational nature, it finds its echoes in the teachings of every religion.

The present translation is an attempt to bring out the Tamil text of Thirukkural into English in a complete form.

Product description

'Dr Rajaram's translation of Thirukkural makes a garland of knowledge guiding the people on the right path. There have been a number of translations of Thirukkural by many authors. The present translation is unique in its simplicity, elegance and maintenance of poetic rhythm.' – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam,former President of India

'It is a book for readers of all ages.' –Justice K Venkatasamy, former Judge of Supreme Court of India

'It is a very useful book to understand the cultural values of India.' –Alex Edwin Raj IT Professional, Boston, USA

'Outstanding work… will immensely benefit all sections of people.' –Dr. N Ravichandran CEO Lucas-TVS.

'He has ardently ventured to take on the arduous task and … has accomplished it with commendable success,' –Prof. Dr S V Chittibabu, Former Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj and Annamalai Universities

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rupa; Special Edition (1 April 2009); Rupa Publications India
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8129114674
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8129114679
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 400 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14 x 1.7 x 21.59 cm
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India
• Net Quantity ‏ : ‎ 1 Piece
• Importer ‏ : ‎ Rupa Publications India
• Packer ‏ : ‎ Rupa Publications India
• Generic Name ‏ : ‎ Book
• #340 in Biographies & Autobiographies (Books)
• #571 in Reference (Books)

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