The Tirukkural: A New English Version
The <i>Tirukkural</i> (honoured Kural) is one of the world�s greatest literary and philosophical masterpieces. Composed in Tamil by Tiruvalluvar sometime between 2 BCE and 5 CE, its succinct couplets seek to explain and guide the reader through life�s various situations: political, spiritual, domestic and social.<br><br> Not much is known about Tiruvalluvar�he is believed to have been one or more of the following: a weaver, an ascetic, a teacher, a minister, a seafarer or even a king. What is indisputable, as Gopalkrishna Gandhi says in the preface, is that he was �a clear thinker�, �a sharp observer of life� and �a master of his language and�complex poetic forms�.<br><br> �Kural�, in Tamil, means �short�. Each of the <i>Tirukkural�s</i> 1,330 verses holds its meaning tightly, gives its message in something like telegraphese. Often called the universal book of principles, the work is organized into 133 chapters and three books. �Book I: Being Good� is aimed at householders and sets out the principles of leading an ethical life. �Book II: Being Politic� is a manual for rulers and statesmen on the qualities and duties of leaders, aspects of governance, military strategies, and methods to acquire wealth honestly. �Book III: Being in Love� is a poetic exposition on love. It is presented from the points of view of both the man and the woman in different situations�from the moment of falling in love, through the pain of separation to the joy of reconciliation. <br><br> Talking about our classics, the philosopher and statesman Dr S. Radhakrishnan said as they �constitute the essential spirit of our culture, are a part of our very being, they should receive changing expression according to the needs and conditions of [a particular] time.� Gopalkrishna Gandhi�s retelling of the Kural, in keeping with that philosophy, showcases the great beauty and wisdom of Tiruvalluvar�s masterpiece for the twenty-first-century reader.
Categories: Fiction
