A verse on wealth, impermanence, and what endures.
From chapter 34, “Impermanence.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural
Beacon Press, Boston
author, poet, teacher, and performer
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A verse on wealth, impermanence, and what endures.
333
Wealth by nature does not endure—when gained
Do what endures
அற்கா இயல்பிற்றுச் செல்வம் அதுபெற்றால்
அற்குப ஆங்கே செயல்
From chapter 34, “Impermanence.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural
Beacon Press, Boston
A verse on never scorning anyone’s size and what it means to be truly essential.
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Scorn none by size—there are some like the pin
In a great cart’s wheel
உருவுகண் டெள்ளாமை வேண்டும் உருள்பெருந்தேர்க்
கச்சாணி அன்னார் உடைத்து
From chapter 67, “Firmness of Action.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural
Beacon Press, Boston
A verse on how humbleness leads to greatness and how largeness of heart grows from humility.
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Smallness adores and adorns itself—greatness
Is always humble
பணியுமாம் என்றும் பெருமை சிறுமை
அணியுமாம் தன்னை வியந்து
From chapter 98, “Greatness.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural
Beacon Press, Boston
For the book launch of the Kural on January 11, 2022, the Elliott Bay Book Company and Tasveer hosted an online conversation between Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma and Archana Venkatesan, who wrote the marvelous introduction to the book.
You can watch a complete recording below!
My thanks to Archana Venkatesan for her wonderful and inspired questions, and to Elliott Bay and Tasveer for hosting this beautiful event.
A verse on the origin of speech, letters, and the world.
1
All speech starts from ah—as the world
Starts from God
அகர முதல எழுத்தெல்லாம் ஆதி
பகவன் முதற்றே உலகு
From chapter 1, “In Praise of God.”
Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural
Beacon Press, Boston