Frontlist | Narendra Modi urges youngsters to read Tirukkural; what is the book about?

Frontlist | Narendra Modi urges youngsters to read Tirukkural; what is the book about?
on Jul 18, 2020

Translated as Sacred Verses in English, Tirukkuṛaḷ was first published in English in 1840. It consists of 1,330 short couplets, each of seven words known as Kurals.

On Thursday, Prime Miniter Narendra Modi urged the youth to read the Tamil classic, Tirukkural. Tweeting in both Tamil and English, he wrote about the text, expressing hope that youngsters across the country read it. “The Tirukkural is extremely inspiring. It is a treasure of rich thoughts, noble ideals and great motivation. The words of respected Thiruvalluvar have the power to spread hope and brightness. I hope more youngsters across India read it!” he wrote. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1283713012587655168?s=20 Translated as Sacred Verses in English, Tirukkuṛaḷ was first published in English in 1840. It consists of 1,330 short couplets, each of seven words known as Kurals. Regarded as a seminal work on ethics, it is divided into three books. First is the Book of Virtue (Dharma), dealing with morality and values of an individual, second is Book of Polity which is filled with teachings regarding socio-economic values, and the third, Book of Love, details teachings of love. Even though it cannot be ascertained with certainty, Thiruvalluvar is conjectured to be the author. Over the years, the text has been translated into as many as 40 languages. This, however, is not the first time Modi has referred to the text. Earlier, he had quoted Thiruvalluvar’s couplet when he was addressing soldiers at Ladakh on a surprise visit. Source: Indian Express