The Great Book of Tamil Wisdom

Tirukkuṟaḷ, composed on the two line kuṟaṭpā metre, is the greatest work among all ethical treatises in the history of Tamil literature. It is an absolutely secular masterpiece, compellingly universal in content and perspective. It was written by Tiruvaḷḷuvar. Tirukkuṟaḷ probably belongs to the first century B.C.

It comprises 133 decades, is divided into 3 books. The first book on Virtue (Aṟattuppāl) consists of 4 introductory decades, 20 on a householder, 14 on an ideal ascetic, with a total of 38 decades. The second on Material life (Poruṭpāl) consists of 70 decades on the king, the state and the citizen. The third book on Sexual Love (Kāmattuppāl), comprising 25 decades, has 7 on premarital love and and 18 on wedded love.

This is the only work which has to its credit more than ten commentaries by commentators like Parimēlaḻakar, Maṇakkuṭavar, Paritiyār and Paripperumāḷ. It has been translated into most of the principal languages of the world.

It has been translated into more than 100 languages making it one of the most translated works in human history.