Why Thirukkural by Tamil philosopher Thiruvalluvar remains relevant today

Who is Thiruvalluvar?

Popularly known as Valluvar in Tamil Nadu, Thiruvalluvar is regarded as a peerless philosopher whose ethical vision transcends religious and cultural boundaries. ‘Thiru’ in Tamil means saint, and ‘Valluvar’ is a title associated with a community of either soothsayers or priests. Thiruvalluvar is also known by different names like Mudharpaavalar, Deivappulavar, Gnanavettiyan, Maadhaanypangi, Naanmuganaar, and Naayanaar. 

Although very little is known about him, it is believed that his birthplace is Mylapore near Chennai, where a temple dedicated to his memory stands as the only monument associated with him. He is also believed to be married to a woman called Vasuki. Legends about Thiruvalluvar and some internal evidence from his work, Thirukkural, offer clues about his life. 

Thirukkural (or Tirukkural) is the only known work of Valluvar, but the text does not mention his name in it. Thirukkural has dominated the literary world of Tamil Nadu for over two millennia. It is a collection of 1,330 couplets (‘kurals’ in Tamil) on ethics, politics, economics, and love.

What Thirukkural emphasises 

Without referring to Thirukkural, any portrayal of Valluvar remains incomplete. Thirukkural consists of 1,330 stanzas arranged into 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets. The text is divided into three major sections: Morality (aram), materialism (porul), and love (inbam). These divisions comprise 38 chapters on morality, 70 on materialism, and 25 on love. 

Thirukkural emphasises moral conduct and speaks of the realities of human life. Valluvar discouraged divisions based on religion, caste, creed, and race, and asserted instead that morality and kindness are indispensable for a meaningful human life. 

Although composed nearly thousand years ago, the Thirukkural holds profound relevance in the twenty-first century. Valluvar warned that a life devoid of morality leads to misery, as individuals become dominated by jealousy, greed, wrath, and harshness. To elevate human life and social well-being, he outlines certain virtues, such as spirituality, charity, and love. 

A 19th century French translator, E S Ariel, translated Thirukkural, and famously described it as “This is a book without a name by an author without a name”.  An important source about Thiruvalluvar is “Thiruvalluva malai”, an anthology of fifty-five Tamil verses, each credited to different poets praising the Thirukkural – also known as Kural – and its author Thiruvalluvar. These poets are believed to have lived in different centuries, beginning around the 1st century, while the anthology was compiled in the 10th century. 

One of the first scholars to study Valluvar systematically was George Uglow Pope (1820-1908), an Anglican Christian missionary and Tamil scholar, who honoured him with the title, “The Bard of Universal Man”. Through centuries, Thirukkural remained a masterpiece that transcends caste and creed, and communicated enduring ethical, social and political knowledge to humanity.

Views on god, love, education 

In Tamil tradition, Thiruvalluvar is widely considered a scholar with divine insights and prophetic vision. Based on his writings that reflect eternal verities of life and the nuances of the art of living, some scholars suggest that Thiruvalluvar’s thought resonates with Greek, Roman, Buddhist, Jain, Vedic, Vaishnavite and Saivaite philosophers. 

Thiruvalluvar’s concept of God is distinctive. For him, God is divine intelligence and omniscient, and embodies wisdom, compassion, morality, and love. The topic of love (inbam) is classified into two modes: Kalaviyal and Karpiyal. Kalaviyal refers to pre-marital love and subsequently tied to marriage without any ceremony, while Karpiyal refers to traditional marital love. Through poetic imagery and different dramatic and lyrical situations, Valluvar explores countless characteristics of love. His verses portray love not just as passion but as a source of tranquil joy. 

The reflections of Thiruvalluvar on the importance of education bear resemblance to those of Plato, the great Greek philosopher. Although Thiruvalluvar lived after the classical Greek period, some scholars speculate that he might have attained knowledge from Greece, facilitated by ancient maritime trade routes. For Thiruvalluvar, virtue, wisdom, and education are inseparable. A virtuous man is one who has received proper education.  

Is Thiruvalluvar an existentialist?

From a rationalistic perspective, Thiruvalluvar’s emphasis on human experience as the foundation of knowledge invites comparison with thinkers like Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche and Jean Paul Sartre. It suggests Thiruvalluvar was an existentialist, as, like these thinkers, he valued knowledge grounded in lived human experience and objectivity. The ultimate purpose of knowledge and education is the betterment of human life, according to Thiruvalluvar.

In ancient Tamil literary works, knowledge was preserved on palm leaves. Yet, learning was not confined to literacy alone, as those unable to read could be knowledgeable through attentive listening to men of understanding and experience. Reflecting this oral tradition, Valluvar says in Thirukkural, “The Wealth of wealth is the wealth acquired through the ear; it is the noblest among all the wealths.” Listening to the exposition of truth by a learned man is, for him, far more fruitful than remaining intellectually uninformed. 

During his lifetime, Valluvar was concerned with human emancipation through love, benevolence, and ethical action. His reflection on karma emphasised activity over being inactive. Through action, individuals gain opportunities to discern right from wrong. Ultimately, to understand Thiruvalluvar, it is essential to engage with Thirukkural. 

Post read questions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thiruvalluvar’s “works and ideals inspire innumerable people… He personifies the best of Tamil culture.” Comment.

Discuss the philosophical and cultural significance of Thirukkural in shaping Tamil intellectual traditions.

To what extent can Thiruvalluvar be considered a global philosopher rather than merely a regional literary figure? How does his views remain relevant today?

Knowledge rooted in human experience is true knowledge. Discuss this idea with reference to Thiruvalluvar and existentialist thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre.

(Dr. Jabir T K EKM is an Assistant Professor at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.)

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