Glossary of names for the Tirukkural
Tirukkural, or the Kural, an ancient Indian treatise on common moralities, has been given by various names ever since its writing around the first century BCE. Originally referred to as Muppaal, perhaps as presented by its author Valluvar at the ruler's court, the work remains unique among ancient works in the sense that it was not given any title by its author himself. All the names that the work is referred by today are given by later days' scholars over the millennia. The work is known by an estimated 44 names,[1] although some scholars list as many as 48 names.[2] Monsieur Ariel, a French scholar of the 19th century who translated the work into French, famously said of the Kural thus: Ce livre sans nom, par un autre sans nom ("The book without a name by an author without a name.")[3]
Etymology
Tirukkural was originally known as 'Muppaal',[4] meaning three-sectioned book, as presented by its author himself at the king's court, since it contained three sections, viz., 'Aram', 'Porul' and 'Inbam'. Tolkappiyam divides various types of Tamil poetic forms into two, namely, kuruvenpattu and neduvenpattu. Kuruvenpattu came to be called kural pattu and, eventually, kural.[5] The word kural applies in general to something that is short or abridged. More specifically, it is a very short Tamil poetic form consisting of two lines, the first line consisting of four words (known as cirs) and the second line consisting of three, which should also conform to the grammar of Venpa. It is one of the most important forms of classical Tamil language poetry. Thiru is a term denoting divine respect, literally meaning 'holy' or 'sacred'. Since the work was written in this poetic form, it came to be known as 'Tirukkural', meaning 'sacred couplets'.[6]
List of names the work is known by
The following table lists the various names the Kural text has been known by over the millennia.[4][7][8][9]
S. No. | Name | Literal meaning | Named by | First cited | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | முப்பால் (Muppāl) | The threefold path | Valluvar (author) | Tiruvalluva Maalai | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] Believed to be the name indicated by the author during the presentation of the work at the Pandya king's court at Madurai. |
2 | திருக்குறள் (Tirukkuṛaḷ) | Sacred couplets | Kapilar[2] | Tiruvalluva Maalai | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] The chief name of the work used since the Medieval Era. One of the two chief names that the work is known by today. |
3 | அறம் (Aṟam) Variant: தமிழறம் (Tamiḻaṟam) | Virtue Tamil virtue | Alathur Kilar[1] | Purananuru, verse 34 (c. 1st century BCE–5th century CE) | Denotes that the entire work was written keeping virtue as its base. |
4 | குறள் (Kuṛaḷ) | The couplets | One of the two chief names that the work is known by today. | ||
5 | தெய்வநூல் (Deyvanūl) Variant: தெய்வமாமறை (Deyvamāmaṟai) | The divine book | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] | ||
6 | திருவள்ளுவர் (Tiruvalluvar) Variant: வள்ளுவர் (Valluvar) | Saint Valluvar Valluvar | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] Having no name for itself, the book came to be also known by the name of its author. | ||
7 | பொய்யாமொழி (Poyyāmoḻi) | The infallible words | Tiruvalluva Maalai | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] | |
8 | வாயுறை வாழ்த்து (Vāyurai Vāḻttu) | Truthful praise | Madurai Aruvai Vanigan Ilavettanar[2] | Tiruvalluva Maalai | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] |
9 | தமிழ்மறை (Tamiḻ Maṟai) | The Tamil Veda | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] | ||
10 | பொதுமறை (Potumaṟai) | The common Veda | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] | ||
11 | தமிழ்மனு நூல் (Tamilmanu ṉūl) | The book of Tamil Manu | Parimelalhagar | Parimelalhagar's commentary (c. 13th century CE) | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] |
12 | திருவள்ளுவப்பயன் (Tiruvalluvappayan) Variant: வள்ளுவப்பயன் (Valluvappayan) | The fruit of Saint Valluvar | Yapparunkalakaarikai 40 urai | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] | |
13 | பொருளுரை (Porulurai) | Meaningful speech | |||
14 | முதுமொழி (Mudhumoḻi) | Ancient words | |||
15 | இரண்டு (Irandu) | The Two | |||
16 | முப்பானூல் (Muppāṉūl) | The three-part book | |||
17 | ஒன்றே முக்காலடி (Onrae Mukkāladi) Variant: ஈரடி நூல் (Iradi ṉūl) | The one-and-three-quarter feet The two-lined book | |||
18 | வள்ளுவம் (Valluvam) | Valluvarism | The most common name used in literary sense today. | ||
19 | இயற்றமிழ் முதமொழி (Iyattramiḻ Mudhamoḻi) | ||||
20 | உள்ளிருள் நீக்கும் ஒளி (Ullirul Neekkum Oli) Variant: உள்ளிருள் நீக்கும் விளக்கு (Ullirul Neekkum Vilakku) | Light that disperses the internal darkness | Nappaalatthanar | Tiruvalluva Maalai, verse 47 | |
21 | மெய்ஞ்ஞான முப்பால் (Meigyāna Muppāl) | The three divisions of divine knowledge | |||
22 | இருவினைக்கு மாமருந்து (Iruvinaikku Māmarundhu) | Panacea for the karmic dyad | |||
23 | வள்ளுவர் வாய்ச்சொல் (Valluvar Vaaicchol) | The words out of Valluvar's mouth | |||
24 | மெய்வைத்த வேதவிளக்கு (Meivaittha Vedavilakku) | The vedic light that laid down the truth | |||
25 | தகவினார் உரை (Thagavinār Urai) | ||||
26 | பால்முறை (Pālmurai) | The divided dictum | |||
27 | வள்ளுவமாலை (Valluvamālai) | The garland of Valluvar | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] | ||
28 | வள்ளுவர் வாய்மொழி (Valluvar Vāimoḻi) | The words out of Valluvar's mouth | |||
29 | உலகு உவக்கும் நன்னூல் (Ulagu Uvakkum Nanṉūl) | ||||
30 | வள்ளுவனார் வைப்பு (Valluvanār Vaippu) | The laying on by Valluvar | |||
31 | திருவாரம் (Tiruvāram) | ||||
32 | மெய்வைத்த சொல் (Meivaittha Sol) | Word(s) that established the truth | |||
33 | வான்மறை (Vaanmarai) | The cosmic Veda | |||
34 | பிணைக்கிலா வாய்மொழி (Pinaikkilā Vāimoḻi) | ||||
35 | வித்தக நூல் (Vitthaga ṉūl) | The doyen literature | |||
36 | ஒத்து (Otthu) | ||||
37 | புகழ்ச்சி நூல் (Pughaḻcchi ṉūl) | The famed book | |||
38 | குறளமுது (Kuṛaḷamudhu) | The Kural ambrosia | |||
39 | பழமொழி (Paḻamoḻi) | The maxim | |||
40 | உத்தரவேதம் (Uttharavedham) | The ultimate Veda | One of the twelve most traditional names.[8] | ||
41 | வள்ளுவதேவர் வாய்மை (Valluvadevar Vāimai) | The truth of Lord Valluvar | |||
42 | கட்டுரை (Katturai) | The treatise | |||
43 | திருமுறை (Tirumurai) | The divine path | |||
44 | வள்ளுவர் வாக்கு (Valluvar Vākku) Variant: திருவள்ளுவன் வாக்கு (Tiruvalluvan Vākku) | The saying(s) of Valluvar |
See also
References
- 1 2 N. Velusamy and Moses Michael Faraday (Eds.) (February 2017). Why Should Thirukkural Be Declared the National Book of India? (in Tamil and English) (First ed.). Chennai: Unique Media Integrators. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-93-85471-70-4.
- 1 2 3 Vedhanayagam, Rama (2017). திருவள்ளுவ மாலை மூலமும் எளிய உரை விளக்கமும் [Tiruvalluvamaalai: Moolamum Eliya Urai Vilakkamum] (in Tamil) (1 ed.). Chennai: Manimekalai Prasuram. pp. 136 pp.
- ↑ Pope, G. U. (1886). The Sacred Kurral of Tiruvalluva Nayanar. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. pp. i (Introduction).
- 1 2 Mohan Lal 1992, pp. 4333.
- ↑ Kowmareeshwari (Ed.), S. (August 2012). Pathinen Keezhkanakku Noolgal. Sanga Ilakkiyam (in Tamil). 5 (1 ed.). Chennai: Saradha Pathippagam. pp. iv–vi.
- ↑ Sundaram, P. S. (1990). Tiruvalluvar Kural (1 ed.). Gurgaon: Penguin Books. pp. 7–16. ISBN 978-01-44000-09-8.
- ↑ Kamil Zvelebil 1975, p. 124.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Kamil Zvelebil 1973, pp. 155–156.
- ↑ K. Panneerselvam 2016, pp. 21–22.
Bibliography
- Kamil Zvelebil (1973). The Smile of Murugan: On Tamil Literature of South India. BRILL. p. 155. ISBN 90-04-03591-5.
- Kamil Zvelebil (1975). Tamil Literature. Handbook of Oriental Studies. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-04190-7.
- Kamil Zvelebil (1991). Tamil Traditions on Subrahmaṇya-Murugan. Institute of Asian Studies.
- Mohan Lal (1992). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-1221-3.
- K. Panneerselvam (2016). திருக்குறள் அமைப்பு (Tirukkural Amaippu). Manivasagar Padhippagam. p. 224.