Array ( [0] => {{short description|Tamil poet and philosopher}} [1] => {{About|Thiruvalluvar|the social group|Valluvar (caste)}} [2] => {{Distinguish|Tiruvallur}} [3] => {{Use Indian English|date=October 2017}} [4] => {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} [5] => {{Infobox philosopher [6] => | regions = [[Tondaimandalam|Tondai Nadu]] of [[Tamil nadu]] [7] => | name = Thiruvalluvar [8] => | image = திருவள்ளுவர் கலைப் படைப்பு.jpg [9] => | image_size = [10] => | alt = [11] => | caption = Artistic modern depiction of Thiruvalluvar [12] => | spouse = [[Vasuki (wife of Valluvar)|Vasuki]] [13] => | other_names = {{flatlist| [14] => * Valluvar [15] => * Mudharpaavalar [16] => * Deivappulavar [17] => * Maadhaanupangi [18] => * Naanmuganaar [19] => * Naayanaar [20] => * Deivaparaiyar [21] => * Poyyirpulavar [22] => * Dhevar [23] => * Perunaavalar{{sfn|Natarajan|2008|p=2}} }} [24] => | birth_date = Uncertain{{Ref label|A|a|none}} [25] => | birth_place = Birthplace unknown; probably [[Mylapore]], [[Chennai]]{{sfn|Waghorne, 2004|pp=120–125}}{{sfn|Muthiah, 2014|p=232}} [26] => | main_interests = {{flatlist| [27] => * [[Ethics]] [28] => * [[ahimsa]] [29] => * [[justice]] [30] => * [[virtue]] [31] => * [[politics]] [32] => * [[education]] [33] => * [[family]] [34] => * [[friendship]] [35] => * [[love]]}} [36] => | school_tradition = [[Indian philosophy]] [37] => | language = [[Old Tamil]] [38] => | notable_students = [[Elelasingan]] [39] => | notable_works = ''[[Kural]]'' [40] => | notable_ideas = [[Secular ethics|Common ethics]] and [[Secular morality|morality]] [41] => | influences = [[Indian literature|Ancient Indian literature]] including [[Hindu Literature|Hindu]] and [[Jain literature]], [[Tolkappiyam]], [[Sangam literature|Early Sangam literature]]{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=157–171}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|pp=123–127}}{{sfn|Lal|1992|pp=4333–4334, 4341–4342}} [42] => | influenced = Virtually all subsequent [[Indian philosophy]]{{sfn|Lal|1992|pp=4333–4334, 4341–4342}} [43] => }} [44] => [45] => '''Thiruvalluvar''', commonly known as '''Valluvar''', was an Indian poet and philosopher. He is best known as the author of the ''[[Tirukkuṟaḷ]]'', a collection of [[couplets]] on [[ethics]], political and economic matters, and love. The text is considered an exceptional and widely cherished work of [[Tamil literature]].{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|pp=123–124}} [46] => [47] => Almost no authentic information is available about Valluvar, states [[Kamil Zvelebil]] – a scholar of Tamil literature.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=124}} His life and likely background are variously inferred from his literary works by different biographers. There are unauthentic hagiographic and legendary accounts of Valluvar's life, and all major [[Indian religions]], as well as Christian missionaries of the 19th century, have tried to claim him as secretly inspired (''crypto-'') or originally belonging to their tradition.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=125}} Little is known with certainty about his family background, religious affiliation, or birthplace. He is believed to have lived at least in the town of [[Mylapore]] (a neighbourhood of the present-day [[Chennai]]), and his [[floruit]] is dated variously from fourth century BCE to early fifth century CE, based on the traditional accounts and the linguistic analyses of his writings. Kamil Zvelebil infers the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' and Valluvar are best dated to around 500 CE.{{harvnb|Zvelebil|1973|pp=155–156 (c. 450–550 CE)}};
{{harvnb|Zvelebil|1974|p=119 (c. 450–500 CE)}};
{{harvnb|Zvelebil|1975|p=124 (c. 500 CE)}}{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|p=454}} [48] => [49] => Valluvar has influenced a wide range of scholars down the ages since his time across the ethical, social, political, economical, religious, philosophical, and spiritual spheres.{{sfn|Velusamy and Faraday, 2017|pp=7–13}}{{sfn|Sundaramurthi, 2000|p=624}} He has long been venerated as a great sage, and his literary works a classic of [[Tamil culture]].{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=168}} [50] => [51] => == Life == [52] => There is negligible authentic information available about Valluvar's life.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=155}}{{sfn|Chatterjee, 2021|p=77}} In fact, neither his actual name nor the original title of his work can be determined with certainty.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=125}} ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' itself does not name its author. [[Monsieur Ariel]], a [[French people|French]] translator of his work in the 19th century, famously said it is "the book without a name by an author without a name".{{sfn|Pope, 1886|p=i}} The name ''Thiruvalluvar'' (''lit.'' Saint Valluvar) was first mentioned in the later text ''[[Tiruvalluva Maalai]]''.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=449–482}} [53] => [54] => The speculations about Valluvar's life are largely inferred from his work ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' and other Tamil literature that quote him. According to Zvelebil, Valluvar was "probably a learned Jain with eclectic leanings and intimate acquaintance with the early works of Tamil classical period and some knowledge of the Sanskrit legal and didactic texts (''[[subhashita]]'')".{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=125 with footnotes)}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=155 with footnotes)}} [55] => [56] => ===Traditional biographies=== [57] => [[File:Screenshot 20221030-184328 Gallery.jpg|thumb|180px|Traditional Shaivite portrait of Valluvar]] [58] => The Shaivite Tamil text ''[[Tiruvalluva Maalai]]'' contains the earliest known textual reference to the legend of Valluvar, but it remains undated.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=456–457}}{{refn|group=note|Blackburn suggests tenth century, but expresses his doubt with a question mark.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|p=454}}}} This text attracted attention in the colonial era because an early 19th-century commentary referred to him as "Valluvan" (Valluvar) whose text presented the "esoteric wisdom of the Vedas to the world".{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=456–457}} The original text relates the Kural in the context of Sanskrit literature. The commentary includes the gloss that Valluvan was "born in a low caste", but the original text does not. According to Stuart Blackburn, this comment appears to be extra-textual and possibly based on the [[oral tradition]]. No other pre-colonial textual sources have been found to support any legends about the life of Valluvar. Starting around the early 19th century, numerous legends on Valluvar in Indian languages and English were published.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=456–457}} [59] => [60] => Various claims have been made regarding Valluvar's family background and occupation in the colonial era literature, all inferred from selective sections of his text or hagiographies published since the colonial era started in Tamil Nadu.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=458–464}} One traditional version claims that he was a [[Paraiyar]] weaver.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|pp=124–125}} Another theory is that he must have been from the agricultural caste of [[Vellalar]]s because he extols agriculture in his work.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}} Another states he was an outcast, born to a Pariah woman and Brahmin father.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}}{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=458–464}} [[M. Raghava Iyengar|Mu Raghava Iyengar]] speculated that "valluva" in his name is a variation of "vallabha", the designation of a royal officer.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}} [[S. Vaiyapuri Pillai]] suggested Valluvar derived his name from "Valluvan" (a Paraiyar caste of royal drummers) and theorized that he was "the chief of the proclaiming boys analogous to a trumpet-major of an army".{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}}{{sfn|Pavanar, 2017|pp=24–26}} H. A. Stuart, in his ''Census Report of 1891'', claimed that [[Valluvar|Valluvans]] were a priestly class among the Paraiyars and served as priests during [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]] reign, and similarly [[Robert Caldwell]], [[J. H. A. Tremenheere]] and [[Edward Jewitt Robinson]], too, claimed that Valluvar was a Paraiyar.{{sfnp|Moffatt|1979|p=19-21}} Valluvar was likely married to a woman named Vasuki and lived in Mylapore.{{sfn|Periyanna, 1968|p=23}} According to traditional accounts, Valluvar died on the day of [[Anuradha (nakshatra)|Anusham]] in the Tamil month of [[Vaikasi]].{{sfn|Periyanna, 1968|p=227}} [61] => [62] => The poem ''Kapilar Agaval'', purportedly written by [[Kapilar]], describes its author as a brother of Valluvar. It states that they were children of a [[Pulaya]] mother named Adi and a [[Brahmin]] father named Bhagwan.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=227}} The poem claims that the couple had seven children, including three sons (Valluvar, Kapilar, and Atikaman) and four sisters (Avvai, Uppai, Uruvai, and Velli).{{sfn|Zvelebil|1991|p=25}} However, this legendary account is spurious.{{sfn|Sarma|2007|p=76}}{{sfn|Nākacāmi|1997|p=202}} [[Kamil Zvelebil]] dates ''Kapilar Agaval'' to 15th century CE, based on its language.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=227}} Various biographies mention the name of Valluvar's wife as [[Vasuki (wife of Valluvar)|Vasuki]],{{sfn|Pavanar, 2017|pp=32–33}} but such details are of doubtful historicity.{{sfn|Lal|1992|p=4341}} [63] => [64] => The traditional biographies are not only inconsistent, they contain claims about Valluvar that are not credible. Along with various versions of his birth circumstances, many state he went to a mountain and met the legendary [[Agastya]] and other sages.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=460–464}} During his return journey, he sits under a tree whose shadow sits still over Valluvar and does not move the entire day, he kills a demon, performs miracles such as causing floods and making them retreat, he touches a grounded ship which miraculously then floats and sails off, his bride Vasuki cooks sand which comes out as boiled rice, and many more.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=460–464}} Scholars consider these and all associated aspects of these hagiographic stories to be fiction and ahistorical, a feature common to "international and Indian folklore". The alleged low birth, high birth, and being a pariah in the traditional accounts are also doubtful.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=459–464}} [65] => [66] => By 1904, Purnalingam Pillai, an ardent Dravidianist, had analyzed and called these traditional accounts and stories as myths. Pillai's analysis and arguments are robust, according to Blackburn.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=464–465}} These fictional accounts of Valluvar's life have become popular because aspects of the traditional accounts were selectively accepted by Christian missionaries such as George Pope and other European writers, were widely published and then became a required reading about Tamil history.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=467–469}} [67] => [68] => == Date == [69] => {{main| Dating the Tirukkural}} [70] => [[File:Thiruvalluvar 123.jpg|thumb|180px|Statue of Valluvar in the Thiruvalluvar Temple, Mylapore]] [71] => The exact date of Valluvar is unclear. His work ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' has been dated variously from 300 BCE to about the sixth century CE. According to traditional accounts, it was the last work of the third [[Tamil Sangams|Sangam]] and was subjected to a divine test (which it passed).{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=124 with footnotes}} The scholars who believe this tradition, such as [[Somasundara Bharathiar]] and M. Rajamanickam, date the text to as early as 300 BCE. Historian [[K. K. Pillay]] assigned it to the early first-century CE.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=124 with footnotes}} These early dates such as 300 BCE to 1 BCE are unacceptable and not supported by evidence within the text, states Zvelebil. The diction and grammar of the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'', his indebtedness to some earlier Sanskrit sources, suggest that he lived after the "early Tamil bardic poets", but before Tamil bhakti poets era.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=124 with footnotes}} [72] => [73] => In 1959, [[S. Vaiyapuri Pillai]] assigned the work to around or after the sixth-century CE. His proposal is based on the evidence that the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' contains a large proportion of Sanskrit loan words, shows awareness and indebtedness to some Sanskrit texts best dated to the first half of the first-millennium CE, and the grammatical innovations in the language of ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}''.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=124 with footnotes}}{{refn|group=note|For examples of Sanskrit loan words, see Zvelebil's ''The Smile of Murugan''.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=169–171}}}} Pillai published a list of 137 Sanskrit loan words in ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}''.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=170–171}} Later scholars [[Thomas Burrow]] and [[Murray Barnson Emeneau]] show that 35 of these are of Dravidian origin, and not Sanskrit loan words. Zvelebil states that an additional few have uncertain etymology and future studies may prove those to be Dravidian.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=170–171}} The 102 remaining loan words from Sanskrit are "not negligible", and some of the teachings in the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' states Zvelebil are "undoubtedly" based on the then extant Sanskrit works such as the ''[[Arthashastra]]'' and ''[[Manusmriti]]'' (also called the ''Manavadharmasastra'').{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=170–171}} [74] => [75] => According to Kamil Zvelebil, the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' does not belong to the ([[Sangam literature|Sangam]]) period. In the 1970s, Zvelebil dated the text to somewhere between 450 and 500 CE.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=124}}{{refn|group=note|Zvelebil gives several date ranges. In 1973, he suggested 450–550 CE.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=155–156 (c. 450–550 CE)}} In 1974 and 1975 publications, he narrowed that to 450–500 CE.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1974|p=119 (c. 450–500 CE)}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=124 (c. 500 CE)}}}} His estimate is based on the dates of Tamil texts with similar Tamil language features,{{refn|group=note|An example would be the use of the suffix -kal for both nouns of the higher and lower class. Another example is the frequent use of condition suffix -el, a feature absent in early Tamil literature and common by about the fifth-century.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=169}}}} and by placing it after some of the Tamil and Sanskrit treatises that are evidenced in the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}''.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}} Zvelebil notes that the text features several grammatical innovations, that are absent in the older [[Sangam literature]]. The text also features a higher number of [[Sanskrit]] [[loan word]]s compared with these older texts.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=169}} According to Zvelebil, besides being part of the ancient Tamil literary tradition, the author was also a part of the "one great Indian ethical, didactic tradition", as a few of his verses are "undoubtedly" translations of the verses in Sanskrit classics.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=171}} [76] => [77] => In the 19th century and early 20th century, European writers and missionaries variously dated the text and Valluvar to between 400 and 1000 CE.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=454 with footnote 7}} According to Blackburn, the "current scholarly consensus" dates the text and the author to approximately 500 CE.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=454 with footnote 7}} [78] => [79] => In January 1935, the [[Government of Tamil Nadu|Tamil Nadu government]] officially recognized 31 BCE as the year of Valluvar. As suggested by [[Maraimalai Adigal]], the [[Valluvar Year]] was added to the calendar.{{sfn|''Thiruvalluvar Ninaivu Malar'', 1935|p=117}} Thus, the Valluvar year is calculated by adding 31 to any year of the common era.{{sfn|Arumugam, 2014|pp=5, 15}}{{sfn|Iraikkuruvanar, 2009|p=72}} [80] => [81] => == Birthplace == [82] => [[File:Thiruvalluvar Temple.JPG|thumb|180px|A temple for Valluvar in [[Mylapore]]]] [83] => As with most other details about Valluvar, the exact place of his birth remains uncertain. Valluvar is believed to have lived in [[Madurai]] and later in the town of Mayilapuram or Thirumayilai (present-day [[Mylapore]] in [[Chennai]]).{{sfn|Pavanar, 2017|pp=24–26}} There are also accounts that say he was born in Mayilapuram and later moved to Madurai in order to publish his work at the royal court.{{sfn|Robinson, 1873|pp=15, 20}} The poem ''Kapilar Akaval'' states that Valluvar was born on the top of an oil-nut or ''iluppai'' tree (''Madhuca indica'') in Mayilapuram,{{sfn|Zvelebil|1991|p=25}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/as-a-war-of-words-rages-outside-peace-reigns-inside-this-temple/article29976407.ece |title=As a war of words rages outside, peace reigns inside this temple |last=Ramakrishnan |first=Deepa H. |date=15 November 2019 |work=The Hindu|access-date=5 January 2020 |publisher=Kasturi & Sons |location=Chennai |page=3}} [84] => while verse 21 of the ''Tiruvalluva Maalai'' claims that he was born in [[Madurai]].{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=125}} [85] => [86] => In 2005, a three-member research team from the [[Kanyakumari (town)|Kanyakumari]] Historical and Cultural Research Centre (KHCRC) claimed that Valluvar was born in Thirunayanarkurichi, a village in present-day [[Kanyakumari district]]. Their claim was based on an old [[Kani tribe|Kani]] tribal leader who told them that Valluvar was a king who ruled the "Valluvanadu" territory in the hilly tracts of the Kanyakumari district.{{sfn| ''Research team claims to have found Thiruvalluvar's kingdom'', 2005}}{{Ref label|B|b|none}} [87] => [88] => == Religion == [89] => Valluvar is generally thought to have belonged to either [[Jainism]] or [[Hinduism]].{{sfn|Robinson, 1873|p=14}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=156–171}}{{sfn|Lal|1992|pp=4333–4334}} Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism were the three religions that flourished in the Indian subcontinent during the time of Valluvar.{{sfn|Kovaimani|Nagarajan|2013|p=148}} Early 19th-century writers proposed that Valluvar may have been a Jain. The 1819 translation by [[Francis Whyte Ellis]] mentions that the Tamil community debates whether Valluvar was a Jain or Hindu.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=463–464}} If Valluvar was indeed a Jain, it raises questions about the source of the traditional Valluvar legends and the mainstream colonial debate about his birth.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=463–464}} [90] => [91] => [[Kamil Zvelebil]] believes that the ethics of the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' reflects the [[Jainism|Jain]] moral code, particularly [[moral vegetarianism]] (couplets 251–260), and [[ahimsa]], that is, "abstention from killing" (couplets 321–333); scholars also note the articulation of Thiruvalluvar in one of the couplets of [[Tirukkuṟaḷ]] on the liberation (''[[Moksha]]'') from the cycle of rebirth (''[[Saṃsāra]]'') through living a life with a compassionate heart.{{cite journal|journal= Promoting the Interdisciplinary Study of Death and Dying |volume=23|issue=4|first=Hamilton|last=Inbadas|date=17 May 2017|doi=10.1080/13576275.2017.1351936|issn=1357-6275|title= Indian philosophical foundations of spirituality at the end of life|pages=320–333|publisher=[[University of Glasgow]]|pmid=30294243|pmc=6157526}} Zvelebil states that the text contains epithets for God that reflect Jain ideology:{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=157}} [92] => * ''Malarmicaiyekinan'' (Couplet 3), "he who walked upon the [lotus] flower" [93] => * ''Aravaliyantanan'' (Couplet 8), "the Brahmin [who had] the wheel of dharma" [94] => * ''Enkunattan'' (Couplet 9), "one of the eight-fold qualities" [95] => [96] => These, according to Zvelebil, are "very much Jaina-like" because the arhat is seen as "standing on the lotus",{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=157}} or where the ''arhat'' in the Jain conception is the god with the lotus as his vehicle.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=125 with footnotes}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=155 with footnotes}} There are exceptions, adds Zvelebil, when Valluvar treats this God with epithets found in the Hindu text ''Manusmriti'' (1.6), that is, "the Primeval Lord" and "the King, the Monarch".{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=157}} Zvelebil states that his proposal is supported by the 13th-century Hindu scholar [[Parimelalhagar]], who wrote a commentary on the Kural text, who admitted that these epithets are "very well applicable" to a Jain [[Arihant (Jainism)|Arhat]].{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=157}} However, according to [[P. S. Sundaram]] – a scholar who has translated the text in the late 20th century, Parimelalhagar's commentary explicitly states that there are no [Jaina] heretical beliefs in the texts either.{{sfn|Sundaram|1987|pp=xiii–xiv}} [97] => [98] => Some other epithets mentioned in the text also reflect a "strong ascetic flavour" of Jainism in Zvelebil's view:{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=157}} [99] => [100] => * ''Ventutal ventamai ilan'' (Couplet 4), "he who has neither desire nor aversion" [101] => * ''Porivayil aintavittan'' (Couplet 6), "he who has destroyed the gates of the five senses" [102] => [103] => Zvelebil further states that Valluvar seems to have been "cognizant of the latest developments" in Jainism.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=157}} Zvelebil theorizes that he was probably "a learned Jain with eclectic leanings", who was well-acquainted with the earlier Tamil literature and also had knowledge of the Sanskrit texts.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=155}} Nevertheless, early Digambara or Svetambara Jaina texts do not mention Valluvar. The first claim of Valluvar as an authority appears in a 16th-century Jain text, about 1,100 years after his life.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1974|p=119 with footnote 10}} [104] => [105] => According to other scholars, Valluvar's writings suggest that he belonged to [[Hinduism]]. Hindu teachers have mapped his teachings in ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' to the teachings found in Hindu texts.{{sfn|Iraianban|1997|p=13}} Valluvar's treatment of the concept of [[ahimsa]] or [[non-violence]], which is the principal concept in both Jainism and Hinduism, bolsters this argument.{{sfn|Sundaram|1987|pp=xiii–xvii, Appendix note on verse 1103}} While the text extols the virtue of non-violence, it also dedicates many of 700 ''porul'' couplets to various aspects of statecraft and warfare in a manner similar to ''Arthasastra'': "An army has a duty to kill in battle, and a king must execute criminals for justice."{{Cite journal |first=A.K. |last=Ananthanathan |year=1994 |title=Theory, and Functions of the State The Concept of aṟam (virtue) in Tirukkural |journal=East and West |volume=44 |jstor=29757156 |number=2/4 |page=325}}, Quote: "Non-killing is an absolute virtue (''Aram'') in the ''Arattuppal'' (the glory of virtue section), but the army's duty is to kill in battle and the king has to execute a number of criminals in the process of justice. In these cases, the violations of the ''Aram'' [in the earlier section] are justified [by Thiruvalluvar] in virtue of the special duties cast on the king and the justification is that 'a few wicked must be weeded out to save the general public' (TK 550)." This non-mystic realism and the readiness for just war teachings are similar to those found in Hinduism.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vRE3n1VwDTIC |title=Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia: From Antiquity to the Present |first=Kaushik |last=Roy |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-01736-8 |pages=152–154, context: 144–154 (Chapter: Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia)}} According to M. S. Purnalingam Pillai, Valluvar has not condemned [[Saiva Siddhanta]] or its principles anywhere in the text, which he says is the crucial test to be applied in determining his religion.{{sfn|Pillai, 2015|p=75}} [[Matthieu Ricard]] believes Valluvar belonged to the Shaivite tradition of South India.{{sfn|Ricard, 2016|p=27}} [106] => [107] => The three parts that the Kural literature is divided into, namely, ''aram'' (virtue), ''porul'' (wealth) and ''inbam'' (love), aiming at attaining ''vitu'' (ultimate salvation), follow, respectively, the first three of the four foundations of Hinduism, namely, [[dharma]], [[artha]], [[kama]] and [[moksha]].{{sfn|Sundaram|1987|pp=xiii-xvii, Appendix note on verse 1103}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vRE3n1VwDTIC |title=Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia: From Antiquity to the Present |first=Kaushik |last=Roy |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-01736-8 |pages=152–155}} According to Norman Cutler, the prodigious 13th-century Tamil scholar Parimelalakar – who wrote the most influential commentary on ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' – interprets the layout and focus on the Valluvar to be synonymous with the Sanskritic concept of [[Puruṣārtha]] (the objectives of human life).{{sfn|Cutler|1992|pp=553–554}} According to Parimelalakar, the Valluvar text covers primarily and directly the first three aspects, but not ''vitu'' (''moksha'', release). The text, however, does cover ''turavaram'' (renunciation) – the means to attain spiritual release. Thus, ''vitu'' is indirectly discussed in the Kural text.{{sfn|Cutler|1992|pp=554–555}} [108] => [109] => In the introductory chapters of the Kural, Valluvar cites [[Indra]], the king of heaven, to exemplify the virtue of conquest over one's senses.{{sfn|Sundaram|1987|pp=21,159}} According to Tamil Hindu scholars such as Parimelalakar, other concepts and teachings found in Valluvar's text and also found in Hindu texts include Vedas,{{Cite journal |first=A.K. |last=Ananthanathan |year=1994 |title=Theory and Functions of the State The Concept of aṟam (virtue) in Tirukkural |journal=East and West |volume=44 |jstor=29757156 |number=2/4 |page=321}} gods (''Trimurti''), sattva, [[guṇa]], munis and sadhus (renouncers), rebirth, affirmation of a primordial God, among others.{{sfn|Natarajan|2008|pp=1–6}}{{sfn|Cutler|1992|pp=555–558}}{{sfn|Kovaimani|Nagarajan|2013|pp=145–148}} According to Purnalingam Pillai, who is known for his critique of Brahminism, a rational analysis of the Valluvar's work suggests that he was a Hindu, and not a Jain.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|pp=464–465}} Similarly, [[Yurij Yakovlevitch Glazov|J. J. Glazov]], a Tamil literature scholar and the translator of the Kural text into the [[Russian language]], sees "Thiruvalluvar as a Hindu by faith", according to a review by [[Kamil Zvelebil]].{{Cite journal |first=Kamil |last=Zvelebil |year=1984 |title=Tirukural, translated from Tamil into Russian by J. Glazov |journal=Archiv Orientální |volume=32 |pages=681–682}} [110] => [111] => Valluvar's mentioning of God [[Vishnu]] in couplets 610 and 1103 and [[Goddess Lakshmi]] in couplets 167, 408, 519, 565, 568, 616, and 617 hints at the [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavite]] beliefs of Valluvar.{{sfn|Kovaimani|Nagarajan|2013|pp=145–148}} [[Shaivite]]s have characterised Valluvar as a devotee of [[Shiva]] and have installed his images in their temples.{{sfn|Pruthi|Sharma|1995|p=113}} According to Zvelebil, Valluvar sometimes uses epithets for God that are found in Hindu ''Dharmasastras'' and not in Jaina texts.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=157}} Further, in some teachings about politics, economics, and love, Valluvar undoubtedly has translated into Tamil the verses found in Sanskrit texts such as ''Arthasastra''.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=170–171}} [112] => [113] => According to Stuart Blackburn, the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' is not a [[Bhakti movement|bhakti]] text, and it neither satirizes nor eulogizes Brahmins or ritualism. It is a practical, pragmatic text and "certainly not a Shaivite or Vaishnavite" text.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|p=454}} According to Norman Cutler, ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' is an aphoristic text and the influential Parimelalakar's commentary interprets it within his own context, grounded in Hindu concepts and theological agenda. His elegantly written interpretations have made his commentary a Tamil classic and maneuvered Valluvar as consistent within the framework of Parimelalakar's Hinduism. His commentary on Valluvar's teachings reflects both the cultural values and textual values in the 13th-to-14th-century Tamil Nadu. Valluvar's text can be interpreted and maneuvered in other ways.{{sfn|Cutler|1992|pp=558–561, 563}} [114] => [115] => ===Other religious claims=== [116] => Despite scholars suggesting that Valluvar is either a Jain or a Hindu, owing to the Kural text's non-denominational nature, almost every religious group in India, including [[Christianity]], has claimed the work and its author as one of their own.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}} However, these claims are not supported academically and are constantly refuted by scholars.{{sfn|Kolappan, ''The Hindu'', 7 November 2019}} For example, the Christian claims have cropped up only after the colonial missionaries came to India. The Tamil Scholar [[Mu. Varadarajan]] suggests Valluvar must have "practised religious eclecticism, maintained unshakeable faith in dharma but should have rejected religious symbols and superstitious beliefs."{{Cite book |title=A History of Tamil Literature (E. Sa. Visswanathan, Trans.) |last=Varadarajan |first=Mu. |date=1988 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |location=New Delhi}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/thiruvalluvars-religion-a-subject-of-scholarly-debate/article29892739.ece |title=Thiruvalluvar's religion a subject of scholarly debate |last=Ramakrishnan |first=T. |date=6 November 2019 |work=The Hindu|access-date=28 December 2019 |publisher=Kasturi & Sons |location=Chennai |page=4}} [117] => [118] => ;Buddhism [119] => The [[Dalit]] activist [[Iyothee Thass]], who converted to [[Buddhism]], claimed that Valluvar was originally called "Tiruvalla Nayanar", and was a Buddhist.{{sfn|Geetha|2015|p=49}} Thass further contended that the name "Tirukkuṟaḷ" is a reference to the Buddhist ''[[Tripiṭaka]]''.{{sfn|Geetha|2015|p=50}} He claims that Valluvar's book was originally called ''Tirikural'' ("Three Kurals"), because it adhered to the three Buddhist scriptures ''[[Abhidhamma Pitaka|Dhamma Pitaka]]'', ''[[Sutta Pitaka]]'', and ''[[Vinaya Pitaka]]''.{{sfn|Geetha|2015|p=49}} According to Thass, the legend that presents Valluvar as the son of a [[Brahmin]] father and a Paraiyar mother was invented by Brahmins in 1825, who wanted to Hinduise a Buddhist text.{{sfn|Geetha|2015|p=49}} According to Geetha, the deconstruction and reinterpretation of the history of Valluvar into a Buddhist framework by Thass shows the significance and appropriation of Valluvar's text by all sections of Tamil society.{{sfn|Geetha|2015|p=49}} [120] => [121] => ;Christianity [122] => The 19th-century Christian missionary [[George Uglow Pope]] claimed that Valluvar must have come in contact with Christian teachers such as [[Pantaenus]] of Alexandria, imbibed Christian ideas and peculiarities of Alexandrian teachers and then wrote the "wonderful Kurral" with an echo of the "Sermon of the Mount".{{sfn|Zvelebil|1975|p=125}} According to Pope, Valluvar must have lived in the ninth century CE because that would fit the historical chronology to his theory.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=156–157}} Nevertheless, scholars, including Zvelebil, J. M. Nallaswamy Pillai, Sundaram Pillai, Kanakasabai Pillai, and Krishnaswamy Aiyengar, and even missionaries such as [[John Lazarus (missionary)|John Lazarus]] refute such claims.{{sfn|Manavalan, 2009|p=39}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=156-171}}{{sfn|Manavalan, 2009|pp=26–27}} Pillai declares Pope's claim as "an absurd literary anachronism" and says that the first two books of the Kural, in particular, are "a stumbling block which can browbeat the most sublime ideas of Christian morality."{{sfn|Manavalan, 2009|pp=26–27}} According to [[John Lazarus (missionary)|John Lazarus]], the Kural's chapter on "no killing" applies to both humans and animals, in stark contrast to the Bible's concept of killing, which refers only to the taking away of human life.{{sfn|Manavalan, 2009|p=42}} He observes, "None of the ten epithets by which the Deity is described in the opening chapter of the Kural have the remotest connection with Christ or God, that is to say, as they are designated in the Bible".{{sfn|Manavalan, 2009|p=42}} He also says that the chapter on love "is quite different from the Apostle's eulogium in 1 Cor. xiii".{{sfn|Manavalan, 2009|p=42}} [123] => [124] => In the 1960s, some South Indian Christians led by M. Deivanayagam at the [[Madras Christian College]], presented Valluvar as a disciple of [[Thomas the Apostle]].{{sfn|Jongeneel|2009|p=111}} According to this theory, Thomas visited present-day Chennai, where Valluvar listened to his lectures on the [[Sermon of the Mount]].{{sfn|Lal|1992|p=4341}}{{sfn|Jongeneel|2009|p=111}} However, later scholars refute this claim. According to Zvelebil, the ethics and ideas in Valluvar's work are not [[Christian ethics]], but those found in [[Jainism]] doctrine,{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=156–171}} which can be seen from the Kural's unwavering emphasis on the ethics of [[moral vegetarianism]] (Chapter 26) and [[non-killing]] (Chapter 33), as against any of the [[Abrahamic]] religious texts.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|pp=156–171}} [125] => [126] => == Literary works == [127] => {{Main|Tirukkuṟaḷ}} [128] => [[File:Statue of Thiruvalluvar.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Statue of Valluvar at Kanyakumari]] [129] => ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' is the primary work credited to Valluvar. It contains 1330 couplets, which are divided into 133 sections of 10 couplets each. The first 38 sections are on moral and cosmic order (''[[Aram (Kural book)|Tamil: aram]]'', Skt: dharma), the next 70 are about political and economic matters (''[[Porul (Kural book)|Tamil: porul]]'', Skt: artha), and the remaining 25 are about pleasure (''[[Inbam (Kural book)|Tamil: inbam]]'', Skt: kama).{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=155}}{{sfn|Zvelebil|1974|p=119}} [130] => [131] => Of the three sections, Valluvar's second section (''porul'') is about twice the size of first section, and three times that of the third.{{Cite journal |first=A.K. |last=Ananthanathan |year=1994 |title=Theory and Functions of the State The Concept of aṟam (virtue) in Tirukkural |journal=East and West |volume=44 |jstor=29757156 |number=2/4 |page=316}} In the 700 couplets on ''porul'' (53% of the text), Valluvar mostly discusses statecraft and warfare. Valluvar's work is a classic on realism and pragmatism, and it is not a mystic, purely philosophical document. Valluvar teachings are similar to those found in ''Arthasastra'', but differ in some important aspects. In Valluvar's theory of state, unlike Kautilya, the army (''patai'') is most important element. Valluvar recommends that a well kept and well trained army (''patai'') led by an able commander and ready to go to war is necessary for a state. Valluvar presents his theory of state using six elements: army (''patai''), subjects (''kuti''), treasure (''kul''), ministers (''amaiccu''), allies (''natpu''), and forts (''aran''). Valluvar also recommends forts and other infrastructure, supplies and food storage in preparation for siege.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5BkPAAAAMAAJ |title=Military Thoughts of Vaḷḷuvar |first=P. |last=Sensarma |publisher=Darbari Udjog |year=1981 |pages=40–42}} [132] => [133] => The ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' text has been translated into several Indian and international languages.{{sfn| ''Translation of the Tamil literary work thirukkuRaL in world languages'', 2012}} It was translated into Latin by [[Constanzo Beschi]] in 1730, which helped make the work known to European intellectuals.{{Cite book|last=Chatterjee|first=N.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vCOGDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA199|title=The Making of Indian Secularism: Empire, Law and Christianity, 1830–1960|date=2011-01-26|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-230-29808-8|page=199|language=en}}{{Cite book|first=C.S. |last=Natarajan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H91LDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT80|title=National Words: A Solution to the National Language Problem of India|date=2018-02-13|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=978-1-948147-14-9|language=hi}}{{Cite news|last=Parthasarathy|first=Indira|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/literary-review/indira-parthasarathy-reviews-gopalkrishna-gandhis-translation-of-tirukkural/article7975168.ece|title=Couplets for modern times|date=2015-12-12|work=The Hindu|access-date=2020-04-18|issn=0971-751X}} ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' is one of the most revered works in the Tamil language. [134] => [135] => ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' is generally recognized as the only work by Valluvar. However, in the Tamil literary tradition, Valluvar is attributed to be the author of many other later-dated texts including two Tamil texts on medicine, ''Gnana Vettiyan'' (1500 verses) and ''Pancharathnam'' (500 verses). Many scholars state that these are much later era texts (16th and 17th centuries), possibly by an author with the same name as Valluvar.{{sfn| Cuppiramaṇiyan̲, 1980}} These books, 'Pancharathnam' and 'Gnana Vettiyan', contribute to Tamil science, literature and other [[Siddha medicine]]s.{{sfn| Zimmermann, 2007|p=8}} In addition to these, 15 other Tamil texts have been attributed to Valluvar, namely, ''Rathna Sigamani'' (800 verses), ''Karpam'' (300 verses), ''Nadhaantha Thiravukol'' (100 verses), ''Naadhaantha Saaram'' (100 verses), ''Vaithiya Suthram'' (100 verses), ''Karpaguru Nool'' (50 verses), ''Muppu Saathiram'' (30 verses), ''Vaadha Saathiram'' (16 verses), ''Muppu Guru'' (11 verses), ''Kavuna Mani'' (100 verses), ''Aeni Yettram'' (100 verses), ''Guru Nool'' (51 verses), ''Sirppa Chinthamani'' (a text on astrology), ''Tiruvalluvar Gyanam'', and ''Tiruvalluvar Kanda Tirunadanam''.{{sfn| Vedanayagam, 2017|p=108}} Several scholars, such as [[Devaneya Pavanar]], deny that Thiruvalluvar was the author of these texts.{{sfn|Pavanar, 2017|p=35}} [136] => [137] => ==Reception== [138] => [[File:Thiruvalluvar 1960 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|180px|right|A 1960 commemorative stamp of Valluvar]] [139] => [[George Uglow Pope]] called Valluvar "the greatest poet of South India", but according to Zvelebil, he does not seem to have been a poet. According to Zvelebil, while the author handles the [[metre (poetry)|metre]] very skillfully, the ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' does not feature "true and great poetry" throughout the work, except, notably, in the [[Inbam (Kural book)|third book]], which deals with love and pleasure. This suggests that Valluvar's main aim was not to produce a work of art, but rather an instructive text focused on wisdom, justice, and ethics.{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=168}} [140] => [141] => Valluvar is revered and highly esteemed in the Tamil culture, and this is reflected in the fact that his work has been called by nine different names: ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' (the sacred kural), ''Uttaravedam'' (the ultimate [[Veda]]), ''Thiruvalluvar'' (eponymous with the author), ''Poyyamoli'' (the falseless word), ''Vayurai valttu'' (truthful praise), ''Teyvanul'' (the divine book), ''Potumarai'' (the common Veda), ''Muppal'' (the three-fold path), and ''Tamilmarai'' (the Tamil Veda).{{sfn|Zvelebil|1973|p=156}} [142] => [143] => Its influence and historic use is legendary. In 1708, the German missionary, Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg, remarked that the [[Malabar District|Malabar]]is "think very highly of it", they make it "their handbook" often quoting from it to prove the validity of their traditions and arguments, and such books are "not just read but learned by heart" by the learned among them.{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|p=455}} According to Blackburn, it is hard to outdo the "hyperbolic honors" heaped on Valluvar and his work by the early Europeans in colonial India. Gover, for example, praised it as "Tamil Homer, The Ten Commandments, and Dante rolled into one".{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|p=455}} During the colonial era, it was the text the Hindus used to respond to the "Christian allegations of Hindu superstition and barbarity".{{sfn|Blackburn|2000|p=459}} [144] => [145] => ===Temples=== [146] => [[File:Putlur Valluvar idol.jpg|thumb|180px|Valluvar idol at the [[Putlur railway station|Putlur]] Amman Temple in [[Tamil Nadu]]]] [147] => Valluvar is traditionally worshiped as a god and saint by various communities across the Southern region of India. Many communities, including those in [[Mylapore]], and [[Tiruchuli]], worship Valluvar as the 64th [[Nayanars|Nayanmar]] of the [[Saivite]] tradition.{{sfn|Kannan, ''The New Indian Express'', 11 March 2013}} There are various temples exclusively dedicated to Valluvar across South India. The most famous of these is the [[Thiruvalluvar Temple|temple]] at [[Mylapore]], [[Chennai]]. Built in the early 16th century, the temple is located within the Ekambareeswara-Kamakshi (Shiva-Parvati) temple complex in Mylapore.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dHo8DwAAQBAJ |title=Diaspora of the Gods: Modern Hindu Temples in an Urban Middle-Class World |first=Joanne |last=Punzo Waghorne |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-515663-8 |pages=120–125}} The locals believe that this is where Valluvar was born, underneath a tree within the shrines complex. A Valluvar statue in a seated posture holding a palm leaf manuscript of ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'' sits under the tree. In the shrine dedicated to him, Valluvar's wife Vasuki is patterned after the Hindu deity Kamakshi inside the sanctum. The temple shikhara (spire) above the sanctum shows scenes of Hindu life and deities, along with Valluvar reading his couplets to his wife. The ''sthala vriksham'' (holy tree of the temple) is the ''iluppai'' tree under which Valluvar is believed to have been born. The temple was extensively renovated in the 1970s.{{sfn|Chakravarthy|Ramachandran|2009}} [148] => [149] => At the Valluvar temple at [[Tiruchuli]] near [[Aruppukkottai]] in [[Virudhunagar district]] of the Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]], Valluvar is taken in a procession as the 64th Nayanmar on his death anniversary in the Tamil month of ''Maasi'' (February–March) by the [[Valluvar (caste)|Valluvar community]], who are into fortune-telling, chiefly in the Periya Pudupatti village.{{sfn|Kannan, ''The New Indian Express'', 11 March 2013}} The same practice can be found in other communities as well, including [[Mylapore]].{{sfn|Bhatt, 2020}} [150] => [151] => Other temples for Valluvar are located at [[Periya Kalayamputhur (Dindigul district)|Periya Kalayamputhur]], [[Thondi]], [[Kanjoor|Kanjoor Thattanpady]], [[Senapathy village (Idukki district)|Senapathy]], and [[Vilvarani (Tiruvannamalai district)|Vilvarani]].{{sfn|Vedanayagam, 2017|p=113}} [152] => [153] => === Memorials === [154] => {{Main|Thiruvalluvar Statue|Valluvar Kottam}} [155] => [[File:இலண்டன் திருவள்ளுவர்.JPG|thumb|left|Thiruvalluvar statue at [[School of Oriental and African Studies|SOAS]], [[University of London]]]] [156] => A temple-like memorial to Valluvar, [[Valluvar Kottam]], was built in [[Chennai]] in 1976.{{sfn| Abram(Firm), 2003|p=421}} This monument complex consists of structures usually found in [[Dravidian architecture|Dravidian temples]],{{sfn| ''Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu '', 2010|p=20}} including a [[temple car]]{{sfn| Hancock, 2010|p=113–}} carved from three blocks of [[granite]], and a shallow, rectangular pond.{{sfn| Abram(Firm), 2003|p=421}} The auditorium adjoining the memorial is one of the largest in Asia and can seat up to 4,000 people.{{sfn| Kamath, 2010|p=34–}} [157] => [158] => A [[Thiruvalluvar Statue|133-foot tall statue of Valluvar]] was unveiled on 1 January 2000, at [[Kanyakumari (town)|Kanyakumari]] at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, where the [[Arabian Sea]], the [[Bay of Bengal]], and the Indian Ocean converge. The 133 feet denote ''{{transl|ta|ISO|Tirukkuṟaḷ}}'''s 133 chapters or ''athikarams'' and the show of three fingers denote the three themes ''[[Aram (Kural book)|Aram]]'', ''[[Porul (Kural book)|Porul]]'', and ''[[Inbam (Kural book)|Inbam]]'', that is, the sections on morals, wealth and love. The statue was designed by [[V. Ganapati Sthapati]], a temple architect from Tamil Nadu.{{sfn| TiruvaḷḷuvarSubramuniyaswami, 2000 |pp=31–32}} On 9 August 2009, a statue was unveiled in Ulsoor, near [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]], also making it the first of its kind in India for a poet of a local language to be installed in its near states other than his own home land. A 12-foot statue of Valluvar was also installed in [[Haridwar]], Uttarakhand.{{Cite news|last=Upadhyay|first=Kavita|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Thiruvalluvar-finally-gets-pride-of-place-in-Haridwar/article16907620.ece|title=Thiruvalluvar finally gets pride of place in Haridwar|date=2016-12-20|work=The Hindu|access-date=2020-04-18|issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/six-months-on-thiruvalluvars-statue-unveiled-in-haridwar/articleshow/56070348.cms|title=Six months on, Thiruvalluvar's statue unveiled in Haridwar |first=Sheo S. |last=Jaiswal |website=The Times of India|access-date=2020-04-18|date=20 December 2016 }} There is also a statue of Valluvar outside the [[School of Oriental and African Studies]] in [[Russell Square]], [[London]].{{Cite web|url=https://www.soas.ac.uk/news/newsitem121439.html|title=SOAS celebrates the great Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar |website=www.soas.ac.uk|access-date=2020-04-18}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/thiruvalluvar-day-2020-history-significance-and-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-iconic-poet/story-qmbysM7eb6TZdzsDg7xdsJ.html|title=Thiruvalluvar Day 2020: History, significance and all you need to know about the iconic poet|date=2020-01-15|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=2020-04-18}} A life-size statue of Valluvar is one among an array of statues installed by the Tamil Nadu government on the stretch of the [[Marina Beach|Marina]].{{sfn|Muthiah, 2014|p=172}} [159] => [160] => The [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] celebrates the 15th (16th on leap years) of January (the second of the month of 'Thai' as per Tamil Calendar) as ''[[Thiruvalluvar year|Thiruvalluvar Day]]'' in the poet's honour, as part of the [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] celebrations.{{sfn| Various, 2010 |p=13}} Thiruvalluvar Day was first celebrated on 17 and 18 May 1935.{{cite news [161] => | title = Thiruvalluvar Day 2020: History, significance and all you need to know about the iconic poet [162] => | newspaper = Hindustan Times [163] => | publisher = HindustanTimes.com [164] => | date = 16 January 2020 [165] => | url = https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/thiruvalluvar-day-2020-history-significance-and-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-iconic-poet/story-qmbysM7eb6TZdzsDg7xdsJ.html [166] => | access-date = 21 September 2020}} [167] => [168] => ===Music=== [169] => Valluvar's works have also influenced the South Indian classical music and popular culture. Carnatic musicians and composers such as Mayuram Vishwanatha Shastri and M. M. Dandapani Desigar have tuned select couplets in the 19th and 20th centuries. In January 2016, Chitravina N. Ravikiran set music to the entire 1330 verses using over 169 Indian ragas.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/baradwaj-rangan-on-how-chitravina-n-ravikiran-is-setting-the-tirukkural-to-tune/article8374601.ece |title=A musical bridge across eras |last=Rangan |first=Baradwaj |date=2016-03-19 |work=The Hindu|access-date=2020-01-19 |issn=0971-751X}} The Kural couplets have also been recorded by various Tamil film music composers. [170] => [171] => == See also == [172] => {{Portal|India|poetry}} [173] => * [[Sarvajna and Tiruvalluvar statues installation]] [174] => * [[Valluvar Kottam]] [175] => * [[List of Sangam poets]] [176] => *[[Valluvar year]] [177] => * [[Thiruvalla]] [178] => * [[Kingdom of Valluvanad]] [179] => [180] => ==Notes== [181] => {{reflist|group=note}} [182] => [183] => {{Refbegin}} [184] => '''a.''' {{Note label|A|a|none}} The period of Valluvar is dated variously by scholars from c. fourth century BCE to c. fifth century CE, based on various methods of analysis, including traditional accounts and linguistics analyses. The officially accepted date, however, is 31 BCE, as ratified by the government in 1921, and the [[Valluvar Year]] is being followed ever since.{{sfn|Arumugam, 2014|pp=5, 15}} For more in-depth analysis, see [[Dating the Tirukkural]]. [185] => [186] => '''b.''' {{Note label|B|b|none}} "Valluvanadu" was a Taluk in erstwhile Madras Presidency as part of Malabar District. Currently, that area is part of Palakkad and Malappuram districts of Kerala adjoining the Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu. The Valluvanadu kings claim that they descended from Pallava Kings and were ruling earlier from the Nilgiri area. [187] => {{Refend}} [188] => [189] => == References == [190] => {{reflist}} [191] => [192] => ===Bibliography === [193] => {{refbegin|30em}} [194] => * {{Cite book |title=வள்ளுவம் [Valluvam] |first=A. |last=Arumugam |publisher=Periyar E.V.Ramasamy-Nagammai Education and Research Trust |year=2014 |series=Philosophy Textbooks Series |location=Chennai |ref={{sfnRef|Arumugam, 2014}}}} [195] => * {{Cite journal |first=Stuart |last=Blackburn |year=2000 |title=Corruption and Redemption: The Legend of Valluvar and Tamil Literary History |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=449–482 |doi=10.1017/S0026749X00003632 |s2cid=144101632 }} [196] => * {{cite book |editor= Roma Chatterjee | title = India: Society, Religion and Literature in Ancient and Medieval Periods | publisher = Government of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | edition = 1st| date = 2021 | location = New Delhi|isbn = 978-93-5409-122-3 | ref={{sfnRef|Chatterjee, 2021}}}} [197] => * {{citation |last=Moffatt |first=Michael |title=An Untouchable Community in South India: Structure and Consensus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L4t9BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 |year=1979 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-7036-3 |pages=37–}} [198] => * {{Cite journal |first=Norman |last=Cutler |year=1992 |title=Interpreting Tirukkuṟaḷ: The Role of Commentary in the Creation of a Text |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=112 |jstor=604470 |number=4 |pages=549–566 |doi=10.2307/604470 }} [199] => * {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_kRuAAAAMAAJ |title=Studies in South Indian History and Culture |publisher=V.R. 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Muthiah | title = Madras Rediscovered| publisher = EastWest | date = 2014 | location = Chennai | isbn = 978-93-84030-28-5|ref={{sfnRef|Muthiah, 2014}} }} [234] => * {{Cite book |year=1935 |title=Thiruvalluvar Ninaivu Malar |ref={{sfnRef|''Thiruvalluvar Ninaivu Malar'', 1935}}}} [235] => * {{Cite news |url=http://zeenews.india.com/home/research-team-claims-to-have-found-thiruvalluvars-kingdom_213930.html |title=Research team claims to have found Thiruvalluvar's kingdom |date=26 April 2005 |publisher=Zee News |ref={{sfnRef|''Research team claims to have found Thiruvalluvar's kingdom'', 2005}}}} [236] => * {{Cite web |url=http://tamilelibrary.org/teli/thkrl.html |title=Translation of the Tamil literary work thirukkuRaL in world languages |publisher=K. Kalyanasundaram |access-date=10 March 2012 |ref={{sfnRef|''Translation of the Tamil literary work thirukkuRaL in world languages'', 2012}}}} [237] => * {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nGxbJqdEQrwC&pg=PA20 |title=Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu |year=2010 |publisher=Sura Books |isbn=978-81-7478-177-2 |ref={{sfnRef|''Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu '', 2010}} |access-date=12 December 2010}} [238] => * {{cite news | last = Kolappan | first = B. | title = Thiruvalluvar: A universal poet sought to be clothed in religious identity | newspaper = The Hindu | location = Chennai | publisher = Kasturi & Sons | date = 7 November 2019 | url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/analysis-thiruvalluvar-a-universal-poet-sought-to-be-clothed-in-religious-identity/article29911903.ece | access-date = 26 November 2021 | ref = {{sfnRef|Kolappan, ''The Hindu'', 7 November 2019}} }} [239] => * {{cite journal | last1 = Chakravarthy |first1=Pradeep |first2=Ramesh |last2=Ramachandran | title = Thiruvalluvar's shrine | journal = Madras Musings | volume = XIX | issue = 9 | date = 16–31 August 2009 | url = http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2019%20No%209/thiruvalluvars_shrine.html | access-date = 13 May 2017}} [240] => * {{cite book |last1= Kovaimani |first1=M. G. |last2=Nagarajan |first2=P. V. |title= திருக்குறள் ஆய்வுமாலை [Tirukkural Research Papers] |year= 2013 |edition= 1|publisher=Tamil University | location= Tanjavur |language=ta|isbn = 978-81-7090-435-9 }} [241] => {{Refend}} [242] => [243] => == External links == [244] => *{{Commons category-inline}} [245] => *{{Wikisource author-inline}} [246] => *{{Wikiquote-inline}} [247] => * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Thiruvalluvar}} [248] => * {{Librivox author |id=5466}} [249] => {{Tirukkural|state=collapsed}} [250] => {{Vegetarianism}} [251] => {{Ethics}} [252] => {{Indian philosophy}} [253] => {{Social and political philosophy}} [254] => {{Simple living}} [255] => [256] => {{Authority control}} [257] => [258] => [[Category:Ancient Indian poets]] [259] => [[Category:Classical humanists]] [260] => [[Category:Dalit Hindu saints]] [261] => [[Category:Ethicists]] [262] => [[Category:Indian ethicists]] [263] => [[Category:Indian male poets]] [264] => [[Category:Indian pacifists]] [265] => [[Category:Indian political philosophers]] [266] => [[Category:Intellectual history]] [267] => [[Category:Jain saints]] [268] => [[Category:Rishis]] [269] => [[Category:Nonviolence advocates]] [270] => [[Category:People whose existence is disputed]] [271] => [[Category:Philosophers of culture]] [272] => [[Category:Philosophers of economics]] [273] => [[Category:Philosophers of education]] [274] => [[Category:Philosophers of literature]] [275] => [[Category:Philosophers of love]] [276] => [[Category:Philosophers of religion]] [277] => [[Category:Philosophers of social science]] [278] => [[Category:Philosophers of war]] [279] => [[Category:Philosophy writers]] [280] => [[Category:Poets from Tamil Nadu]] [281] => [[Category:Sangam poets]] [282] => [[Category:Scholars from Tamil Nadu]] [283] => [[Category:Simple living advocates]] [284] => [[Category:Social philosophers]] [285] => [[Category:Tamil poets]] [286] => [[Category:Tamil Hindu saints]] [287] => [[Category:Tamil Jains]] [288] => [[Category:Tirukkural]] [289] => [[Category:Veganism]] [290] => [[Category:Vegetarianism]] [291] => [[Category:Year of birth unknown]] [292] => [[Category:Year of death unknown]] [] => )
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Thiruvalluvar

Thiruvalluvar, also known as Valluvar, is a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher who is believed to have lived between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. He is best known for his work called "Thirukkural," a collection of 1,330 couplets that offer guidance on various aspects of life such as ethics, morality, governance, and love.

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He is best known for his work called "Thirukkural," a collection of 1,330 couplets that offer guidance on various aspects of life such as ethics, morality, governance, and love. Thiruvalluvar's teachings are highly regarded and considered a fundamental text in Tamil literature and culture. Although not much is known about Thiruvalluvar's life, his work has made a significant impact on society. Thirukkural covers topics ranging from friendship and family life to spirituality and virtues, making it relevant to people from various walks of life. The couplets are divided into three parts: Aram (virtue), Porul (wealth), and Inbam (love). Each section provides valuable insights and advice, promoting values such as honesty, gratitude, hard work, and compassion. Thiruvalluvar's philosophy emphasizes the importance of ethical behavior, justice, and equality. His words reflect a strong sense of social responsibility and advocate for fair governance. Thirukkural has been translated into many languages and has achieved widespread popularity, influencing not only Tamil literature but also various fields including politics, education, and ethics. Thiruvalluvar's contributions to Tamil literature have earned him immense respect and reverence. His influence can be seen in the numerous statues and memorials erected in his honor, including the iconic Valluvar Kottam in Chennai, India. Thiruvalluvar's teachings continue to inspire people today, serving as a timeless guide for moral living.

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Tirukkuṛaḷ