
The Kural
Tiruvalluvar's Tirukkural
Beacon Press
Published on 20. August 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-8070-2055-5 (ISBN)
Description
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
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 Kural by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma brings English readers closer than ever to the brilliant inner and outer music of Tiruvalluvar’s work and ideas.
Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural is a masterwork of poetry and practical philosophy. On par with other world classics such as the Tao Te Ching, the Kural is a compendium of 1,330 short philosophical verses, or kurals, that together cover a wide range of personal and cosmic experience, such as—
POLITICS:
Harsh rule that brings idiots together—nothing
Burdens the earth more
HOSPITALITY:
The life that cherishes strangers each day
Never falls upon ruin
FRIENDSHIP:
Friendship is not a face smiling—friendship
Is a heart that smiles
GREED:
Those who won’t give and enjoy—even with billions
They have nothing
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.
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.
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 Kural by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma brings English readers closer than ever to the brilliant inner and outer music of Tiruvalluvar’s work and ideas.
Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural is a masterwork of poetry and practical philosophy. On par with other world classics such as the Tao Te Ching, the Kural is a compendium of 1,330 short philosophical verses, or kurals, that together cover a wide range of personal and cosmic experience, such as—
POLITICS:
Harsh rule that brings idiots together—nothing
Burdens the earth more
HOSPITALITY:
The life that cherishes strangers each day
Never falls upon ruin
FRIENDSHIP:
Friendship is not a face smiling—friendship
Is a heart that smiles
GREED:
Those who won’t give and enjoy—even with billions
They have nothing
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.
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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Boston, MA
United States
Dimensions
Height: 174 mm
Width: 122 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
160 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8070-2055-5 (9780807020555)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
01/2022
Beacon Press
€17.49
Available for download
Persons
Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma