The Kural

<b>A new translation of the classical Tamil masterpiece on ethics, power, and friendship, bringing Tiruvalluvar’s poetry and philosophy to a new generation seeking practical wisdom and spiritual sustenance</b><br><br>Drawing on the poetic tradition of W. S. Merwin, Wendell Berry, and William Carlos Williams, and nurtured by 2 decades of study under Tamil scholar Dr. K. V. Ramakoti, this new translation of the <i>Kural</i> by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma brings English readers closer than ever to the brilliant inner and outer music of Tiruvalluvar’s work and ideas.<br><br>Tiruvalluvar’s <i>Tirukkural</i> is a masterwork of poetry and practical philosophy. On par with other world classics such as the <i>Tao Te Ching</i>, the <i>Kural</i> is a compendium of 1,330 short philosophical verses, or kurals, that together cover a wide range of personal and cosmic experience, such as—<br><br><b>POLITICS:</b><br><i>Harsh rule that brings idiots together—nothing<br>Burdens the earth more</i><br><br><b>HOSPITALITY:</b><br><i>The life that cherishes strangers each day<br>Never falls upon ruin</i><br><br><b>FRIENDSHIP:</b><br><i>Friendship is not a face smiling—friendship<br>Is a heart that smiles</i><br><br><b>GREED:</b><br><i>Those who won’t give and enjoy—even with billions<br>They have nothing</i><br><br>Accompanying the translation is a foreword by the founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism, Andrew Harvey; an introduction by the translator and scholar Archana Venkatesan; and a “Commentary of Notes,” in which Pruiksma elucidates key words and shares insights from important Tamil commentaries.<br><br>Rich with indelible wordplay, learning, and heart, Pruiksma’s translation transforms the barrier of language into a bridge, bringing the fullness of Tiruvalluvar’s poetic intensity to a new generation.