Tirukkural, the most celebrated of the Patiren-kirkkanakku (“Eighteen Ethical Works”) in Tamil literature and a work that has had an immense influence on Tamil culture and life. It is usually attributed to the poet Tiruvalluvar, who is thought to have lived in India in the 6th century, though some scholars assign an earlier date (1st century bc). In its practical concerns, aphoristic insights into daily life, and universal and timeless approach, the Tirukkural has been compared to the great books of the world’s major religions.
An all-inclusive ethical guide, the Tirukkural has as its foremost moral imperatives the avoidance of killing and the avoidance of falsehood. It also commends to the reader a feeling of compassion for all individuals, regardless of caste or creed. Its 133 sections of 10 couplets each are divided into three books: aram (virtue), porul (government and society), and kamam (love). The first section opens with praise of God, rain, renunciation, and a life of virtue. It then presents a world-affirming vision, the wisdom of human sympathy that expands from one’s family and friends to one’s clan, village, and country. The porul section projects a vision of an ideal state and relates good citizenship to virtuous private life. The kamam section addresses both “secret love” and married love; the section on married love is written as a dialogue between husband and wife.
Tirukkural has been translated into English many times; it is also available in several other languages.