News: Thiruvalluvar was invoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thiruvalluvar Day, praising his works and urging people to read Thirukkural.
About Thirukkural
- The Tirukkural (literally “Sacred Couplets”) is a classical Tamil text consisting of 1,330 couplets on ethics, politics, economics, and love.
- Authored by: It was authored by Thiruvalluvar.
- Timeline: It was composed during the post-Sangam period, roughly between 100 CE and 500 CE.
- The Three Pillars: The text is divided into three sections reflecting the goals of life:
- Aram (Virtue): Focuses on individual ethics and moral codes (Dharma).
- Porul (Wealth/Polity): Discusses governance, statecraft, and economy (Artha).
- Inbam (Love): Deals with personal relationships and emotional life (Kama).
- Key Features
- Structure: It contains 1,330 stanzas arranged into 133 chapters, each with ten couplets.
- Ethics: It emphasizes moral conduct and the realities of human life.
- Equality: It discourages divisions based on religion, caste, creed, and race.
- Wide scope: It discusses personal conduct, social life, governance, justice, and family life.
- Universal relevance: It is widely applicable across communities and is seen as a pillar of Tamil literary heritage.
About Thiruvalluvar
- He was a celebrated Tamil poet–philosopher and moral teacher whose ethical vision transcended religious and cultural boundaries.
- Titles: He is known by several titles, including Mudharpaavalar and Deivappulavar.
- His birthplace is believed to be Mylapore near Chennai.
- His ideas emphasize morality, education, and human welfare through ethical action.
- Thiruvalluvar Day: Celebrated annually on the second day of the Tamil month Thai (January).
