1 Page PH: 24339436, 42867555, 1. The factors influencing the distribution of population I. Accessibility II. Economic and political factors. Thiruvalluva Malai is presented in an independent page with the text in the Tamil script. Thirukkural expounds various aspects of life and is one of the most important works in Tamil. This is reflected in some of the other names by which the text is known: tamil marai (Tamil Veda); poyyamozhi (words that never fail); and teyva nul or dheiva. The exact date of Valluvar is unclear. His work Tirukkuṟaḷ has been dated variously from 300 BCE to about the 6th century CE. According to traditional accounts, it was the last work of the third Sangam and was subjected to a divine test (which it passed).
Tirukkuralconstitutes one of the most important literary works in Tamil. It is generallyreckoned that Kural was composed during the Sangam Period of literary developmentin Tamil (500-200 BC). Kural continues to be important today, in the twentyfirstcentury, for scholars believe that Kural conveys many many important messagesto the society. International interest in the study of Kural can be tracedto the second half of the Nineteenth century.This comprehensivereference has been made possible due to the availability of the Multilingualsoftware from IIT Madras. Visitors to these pages should be able to viewthe text in Tamil script on most graphic enabled web browsers. The presentationsare unique and one of a kind on the web.
Introductionto Tirukkural
Tirukkural is a masterpieceof Tamil literature, composed during the last of the three Sangam eras.While it has not been possible to exactly date the work, the referenceto Kural in the great epics Manimekalai and Silappadhikaram give us someidea of when it would have been composed.
About Tiruvalluvar
Not much is knownabout Tiruvalluvar, the author of the work though it is believed that hewas born in Mylaopore (Chennai, Tamilnadu) and belonged to the weaver community.He is also known by several other names e.g., Nayanar, Theivappulavar,Perunavalar. The work itself is often called Tamil Marai, a reference toits identification with the Vedas.
HistoricalInformation
It is believed thatValluvar composed the work on request from his close friend and studentby name Elela Singan. Upon completion, Valluvar took the work to Madurai,as per the prevailing practice of reading out new compositions in a publicforum where critics and scholars would be present.
The conceited scholars atMadurai, insisted on measuring the greatness of the work through a testwhere the manuscript would be placed with other works on a plank kept afloatin the tank of the great temple and it was to be seen if the plank remainedafloat. The significance of this is that the greatness of a work is realizedon the basis of not the weight of its manuscript (written on Palm leaves)but the devine qualities of the work which foced the plank to stay afloat.
It is said that tothe amazement of the critics, the Sangam Plank shrunk itself in size tohold only the Kural manuscript and in the process throwing out the rest.
There is also a beliefthat Valluvar and the great poetess Auvaiyar were siblings and it was Auvaiyarwho went one step ahead of what had been said about Kural earlier. Idaikkadarhad praised Kural with a reference that the greatness of Kural is suchthat Valluvar had packed inside a mustard seed, the essence of all knowledgefrom the broad world spanned by seven seas. Auvaiyar had substituted theterm kadugu (mustard) by Anu (meaning an atom). It is interesting to notethat the concept of Atom had already been established in the Tamil countrytwo thousand years ago!
Kural- statistics
Tirukkural is a workof 1330 couplets each of which conforms to the structure of 'Kural Venba',a grammatical construction with two lines offour and three words respectively.The work is arranged in 133 Adhikarams, each with 10 couplets. The 133Adhikarams are divided into three major groups known as 'Aram', 'Porul'and 'Inbam'. Aram represents Virtue, Porul defines the principles of Lifefor common people as well as the State.The last section deals withaspects of Love. The overall organization of Tirukkural is as follows,based on seven ideals prescribed for people followed by observations onLove.
Thiruvalluvar Malai Pdf Free
40 couplets on God, Rain,Virtue and Ascetics.
200 couplets on DomesticVirtue
140 couplets on Higher Virtuebased on Grace
250 couplets on Royalty
100 couplets on Ministersof State
220 couplets on the Essentialrequirements of Administration
130 couples on Morality,both positive and negative
250 couplets on Human Loveand Passion
Listof Adhikarams
Thiruvalluvar Malai Pdf Download
The list provides the titles of the 133 Adhikarams (in Tamil script).
Inpraise of Kural
Today, one also reads an appendix to thework where great men had praised the author. This appendix is known as'Tiruvalluva Malai' or the 'Garland of Valluvar'. It has fiftythree versesfrom fiftythree different poets spanning several centuries. This appendixis a goldmine of information about Tirukkural. ThiruvalluvaMalai is presented in an independent page with the text in the Tamilscript.