Introduction

• Thiruvalluvar is one of the most celebrated poets in Tamil Nadu, known for writing Thirukkural, a highly regarded ethical work in Tamil literature.
• Thirukkural is composed of couplets and is considered evidence of the intellectual tradition of Tamil society.
• The period of composition of Thirukkural is unknown, but it is considered to be over 2,000 years old.
• Thirukkural is respected by Tamils across all religions, castes, and cultures.
• An in-depth study reflects the siddhar tradition, which is saintly and emphasizes selfless living.
• Thirukkural is an ancient, non-religious literature guiding society on ethics and morality for better living.
• There is uncertainty about Thiruvalluvar’s birth, birthplace, and social background.
• He is said to have been born either in Thiru Mylae (Mylapore, part of Chennai) or in Thirunayanar Kuruchi, a village in Kanyakumari.
• Mylapore was a Brahmin settlement, and Thiruvalluvar was believed to be engaged in weaving.
• The name Valluvan refers to a caste now known as a scheduled caste, though this has not been definitively confirmed by scholars.
• Textile weavers today trace their ancestral profession to Thiruvalluvar’s caste.
• The name Thiruvalluvar (Thiru-Valluvar) means respected (Thiru) and hereditary genius/legendary scholar(Valluvar) in Tamil tradition.
• Thiruvalluvar is believed to have lived between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century BC.
• Mamulanar, a Tamil poet from the Sangam period, called Thiruvalluvar the greatest Tamil scholar during the rule of the Nanda dynasty.
• This dating is based on linguistic analysis of his writings, as no archaeological evidence exists.
• Thiruvalluvar is also known by titles such as Theiva Pulavar (divine poet), Valluvar, Poyyamozhi, Pulavar, Senna Pothar, Gnana Vettiyan, and Ayyan.
• Thirukkural is considered a basic work and a historical document reflecting Tamil society, its language, script, and literary tradition.
• The work articulates the social, economic, cultural, and political life of the time.
• Thirukkural is written in the form of couplets, consisting of two-line poems with only seven words per line.
• It has 1,330 couplets divided into 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets.
• The work has three major parts:
  • The first part, Aram (virtue), contains 38 chapters on moral values in human life.
  • The second part, Porul (wealth), has 70 chapters on social and economic life.
  • The third part, Kamam or Inbam (pleasure), describes love, sexuality, chastity of women, and their behavior in the family in 25 chapters.
• The Tamil calendar is dated from the period of Thiruvalluvar, referred to as Thiruvalluvar Aandu (Year).
• Thiruvalluvar is also considered a moral philosopher who proposed a value-based life in all aspects of humanity.
• His verses in the second part discuss the functioning of the state, executive, judiciary, army, and various institutions, indicating a tradition of political institutions and public administration.
• Thirukkural has been translated into more than 60 languages worldwide.