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TIRUKURAL IS SIMPLIFIED vED IN TAMIL LANGUAGE FOR THE vEDik TIME ERA WE LIVE IN CALLED kli-yug...NOW AFTER DIWALI TIRUKURAL GOES TO MARYLAND STATE IN Posted by Vishva News Reporter on December 11, 2005 |
STATE OF MARYLAND, USA
PROCLAIMS TIRUKURAL RECOGNITION
TIRUKURAL
IS TAMIL LANGUAGE vED TEXTS
SIMPLIFIED FOR kli-yug
From
Tamilnet: MARYLAND, USA, July 7, 2005:
A three-day international conference on Tirukural, a
2000-year-old literary and ethical treatise in Tamil starts on July 8 at
Smith Auditorium, Howard Community College, Columbia Maryland in USA.
Professor George Hart, who holds the position of The Tamil
Chair at the University of California Berkeley, will be one of the keynote
speakers, organizers said.
The State of Maryland has issued a proclamation
declaring 8-10 July as a "Tirukural Conference Week."
The Maryland conference is being sponsored by expatriate
Tamil organizations in the U.S. and the proceedings will be in English and
in Tamil, organizers said. Several Tamil scholars from South India are
expected to address the conference.
The objectives of the conference are, "to understand how
Tirukural can be a guide to humanity, to create and promote awareness of
Tirukural in USA among Americans and the youth of Indian origin and to
compare Thiruvalluvar with other philosophers of the world," the conference
leaflet said.
Tirukural, a secular work that has gained widespread
acceptance as the Gospel of the Tamils, has been translated to several
languages.
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Tiruvalluvar, the
composer of Tirukural
The prefix Tiru, means 'sacred' and the word 'Kural' means
a 'pithy couplet.'
The 1330 couplets of Tirukural are divided into 133
chapters of 10 couplets each and grouped into three sections:
- Ahathuppal or Justice, which contains lessons on dharma
and morals;
- Porutpal or material aspects, which contains teachings
on man's duties and guidance to the right way to lead one's material life;
and
- Inbathuppal or section on love, which teaches about
love.
Though Tirukkural was written nearly two millennia ago, it
is understandable to modern speakers of the Tamil language.
The language, which existed in the South India and Sri Lanka, before
Sanskrit was spread throughout North India, is said to be the oldest and the
least subjected to Sanskrit influence among the languages in the Dravidian
language family.
Tamil, after almost 120 years of lobbying by Tamil scholars and political
leaders in Tamil Nadu, was declared Classical language of India by the
Government of India in September 2004.
Tamil is an official language in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, Sri Lanka
and Singapore.
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For actually reading the Tirukural Proclamation of the
Government of State of Maryland and to familiarize with some of the Tirukural
texts please click on the next line.....
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From
wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
Tirukural (திருக்குறள்
in
Tamil) is an important work of
Tamil literature by
Tiruvalluvar written in the form of couplets expounding various
aspects of life. It contains 1330
couplets divided into 133 chapters of 10 couplets each. Each
couplet consists of seven words, with four words on the first line
and three on the second. It is sometimes claimed that Tiruvalluvar
wrote more than 1330 couplets, and that the rest of the work has
gone missing. However, this is unlikely since several different
writers of later years in different areas of
India
all alluded to the standard 1330 verses, merely choosing to group
them in different ways.
Etymology
Curiously, the word 'Kural'
too has a generic meaning. Roughly translated, it means a pithy
couplet (compare
sutra).
'Tirukural' is thus a honorific reference to the collection of
couplets. Essentially, the 'Kural' is really a vast assortment of
interlinking 'kurals.' By most, it is understood that the 1330
couplets conform well to subdivisions of ten kural adhikarams
or 'chapters,' each on specific themes ranging anywhere from
righteous living to proper governance of a kingdom.
[
Sections
- Arathuppal (or
justice division) contains lessons on dharma and morals.
- Porutpal (or
material division) contains teachings on man's duties and the
right way of leading one's material life.
- Inbathuppal (or
the division of love) teaches love.
[
Classical status
Though the Tirukural was written nearly two
millennia ago, it is easily comprehended by the modern speakers of
this ancient language. This fact underlines the surmise of many
scholars that Tamil has undergone very little corruption, over the
years and also gives an insight into the long standing heritage of
the Tamils. It is mandatory for school children in the Indian state
of
Tamil Nadu to study Thirukkural right from their inception into
the curriculum. This may make Tirukural seem dogmatic but it is
seldom thought of so. Thirukkural has taken the place of a gospel
among the educated Tamil intelligensia, but without any intensive
religious leanings. Thus, it finds a widespread acceptance as the
Gospel of the Tamils, among followers of all religions, creed
and
castes.
Tirukural and religion
Tiruvalluvar's faith is disputed. There are also
accounts that he was a
Jain.
In any case,
Tamil people consider Tiruvalluvar to be a holy saint; and his
work is called poy-ā—mozhi (false-never—speech). Many say
that Tiruvalluvar was not concerned whether he followed
Mahavira, and that he ignored the artificial boundaries between
religions. It is generally believed that his works were neutral
towards religions.
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TIRUKURAL WEB SITE
(Click on the above to go to the web site)
Welcome to Tirukual on the web! Introducing English
transalations from the Holy Kural, the 2,100 year-old Tamil language classic
on virtuous living, written originally by a famous South-Indian Saint
Tiruvalluvar. The text written in the form of verses (each verse is
comprised only of seven words in Tamil language) throws light on values to
build a better individual, society, nation and world!
Tirukural is divided into three sections. The first section contains lessons
on dharma and morals, the second section contains teachings on man's duties,
while the third section teaches divine marital love. Of the 133 chapters in
the original work, 108 are included in this website edition, the final 25
chapters on marital love are to be included. Each chapter consists of ten
verses.
SOME EXAMPLES OF TIRUKURAL KNOWLEDGE:
- ABOUT GOD:
Verse 1:"A" is the first and source of all the letters. Even so is God
Primordial the first and source of all the world.
Verse 2:What has learning profited a man, if it has not led him To worship
the Good Feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
Verse 3: The Supreme dwells within the lotus of the heart. Those who reach
His Splendid Feet dwell endearingly within unearthly realms.
Verse 4: Draw near the Feet of Him who is free of desire and aversion. And
live forever free of suffering.
Verse 5: Good and bad, delusion's dual deeds, do not cannot clingThose who
delight in praising the immutable, worshipful One.
- ABOUT MAN AND FAMILY:
Verse 41: He alone may be called a householder who supports Students,
elders and renunciates pursuing well their good paths.
Verse 42: The virtuous householder supports the needs
Of renunciates, ancestors and the poor.
Verse 43:The foremost duty of family life is to duly serve these five:
God, guests, kindred, ancestors and one's self.
Verse 44: Gathering wealth without misdeeds and sharing meals without
miserliness, The householder's posterity will never perish.
Verse 45: When family life possesses love and virtue,
That is both its essence and fruition.
Verse 46: If a man masters the duties of married life,
What further merits could monkhood offer him?
Verse 47: Among those who strive for liberation, the foremost are they Who
live the blessed state of family life as it should be lived.
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