The Kural

The Kural

By Thiruvalluvar.

Translated by V. V. S. Aiyar.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Preface
   1. Thiruvalluvar
   2. The Kural
   3. Part I—Righteousness
   4. Part II—Wealth
   5. Part III—Love
   6. The Verse
   7. Parimêlajahar
4. The Kural
   1. Introduction
      1. I: In Praise of the Lord
      2. II: In Praise of Rain
      3. III: The Greatness of Those Who Have Renounced the World
      4. IV: The Glorification of Righteousness
   2. Part I: Righteousness
      1. Section I: The Life of the Householder
         1. V: Family Life
         2. VI: The Blessings of a Good Helpmate
         3. VII: Offspring
         4. VIII: Love
         5. IX: Hospitality
         6. X: Kindness of Speech
         7. XI: Gratitude
         8. XII: Uprightness of Heart
         9. XIII: Self-Control
         10. XIV: Purity of Conduct
         11. XV: Non-Desiring of Another Man’s Wife
         12. XVI: Forgiveness
         13. XVII: Non-Envying
         14. XVIII: Non-Coveting
         15. XIX: Refraining from Slander
         16. XX: Refraining from Vain Speaking
         17. XXI: Fear of Evildoing
         18. XXII: Complaisance
         19. XXIII: Charity
         20. XXIV: Glory
      2. Section II: The Life of the Ascetic
         1. Subdivision A: Discipline
            1. XXV: Mercy
            2. XXVI: Abjuring of Flesh-Meat
            3. XXVII: Tapas
            4. XXVIII: Imposture
            5. XXIX: Abstaining from Fraud
            6. XXX: Truthfulness
            7. XXXI: Abstaining from Anger
            8. XXXII: Non-Injuring
            9. XXXIII: Non-Killing
         2. Subdivision B: Wisdom
            1. XXXIV: The Vanity of All Things
            2. XXXV: Renunciation
            3. XXXVI: Realisation of the Truth
            4. XXXVII: The Killing of Desire
            5. XXXVIII: Destiny
   3. Part II: Wealth
      1. Section I: The Prince
         1. XXXIX: The Qualifications of the Prince
         2. XL: Learning
         3. XLI: The Neglecting of Instruction
         4. XLII: Listening to the Instruction of the Wise
         5. XLIII: The Understanding
         6. XLIV: Eschewing of Faults
         7. XLV: Courting the Friendship of the Worthy
         8. XLVI: Keeping Aloof from Vulgar Company
         9. XLVII: Deliberation Before Action
         10. XLVIII: Judging of Strength
         11. XLIX: Judging the Opportune Moment
         12. L: Judging of Place
         13. LI: Testing of Men for Confidence
         14. LII: Testing and Employment of Men
         15. LIII: Cherishing of Kindred
         16. LIV: Guarding Against Insouciance
         17. LV: Just Government
         18. LVI: Tyranny
         19. LVII: Abstaining from Deeds That Cause Trepidation
         20. LVIII: Considerateness
         21. LIX: The Service of Intelligence
         22. LX: Energy
         23. LXI: Abstention from Sloth
         24. LXII: Manly Exertion
         25. LXIII: Intrepidity in the Face of Misfortune
      2. Section II: The Members of the Body Politic
         1. LXIV: The Councillor of State
         2. LXV: Eloquence
         3. LXVI: Purity of Action
         4. LXVII: Decision of Character
         5. LXVIII: The Conduct of Affairs
         6. LXIX: The Ambassador
         7. LXX: Comporting Oneself Before Princes
         8. LXXI: Judging by Looks
         9. LXXII: Judging of the Audience
         10. LXXIII: Self-Confidence Before an Audience
         11. LXXIV: The Country
         12. LXXV: Fortresses
         13. LXXVI: The Acquisition of Wealth
         14. LXXVII: The Characteristics of the Army
         15. LXXVIII: The Self-Abandon of the Warrior
         16. LXXIX: Friendship
         17. LXXX: Testing of Fitness for Friendship
         18. LXXXI: Intimacy
         19. LXXXII: The Friendship That Injureth
         20. LXXXIII: False Friendship
         21. LXXXIV: Folly
         22. LXXXV: Conceited Folly
         23. LXXXVI: The Defiant Spirit
         24. LXXXVII: The Characteristics of Enemies
         25. LXXXVIII: The Appraising of Enemies
         26. LXXXIX: The Traitor in the Camp
         27. XC: Refraining from Offending the Great Ones
         28. XCI: Submission to Wife Government
         29. XCII: Prostitutes
         30. XCIII: Abstaining from Drink
         31. XCIV: Gambling
         32. XCV: Medicine
      3. Section III: Miscellaneous
         1. XCVI: Respectability of Birth
         2. XCVII: Honour
         3. XCVIII: Greatness
         4. XCIX: Worth
         5. C: Courteousness
         6. CI: The Wealth That Is Not Put to Good Use
         7. CII: Sensitiveness to Shame
         8. CIII: Advancing the Family
         9. CIV: Husbandry
         10. CV: Indigence
         11. CVI: Begging
         12. CVII: The Dread of Beggary
         13. CVIII: The Degraded Life
   4. Part III: Love
      1. Section I: The Secret Marriage
         1. CIX: The Wound That Beauty Inflicteth
         2. CX: Reading of the Heart by Signs
         3. CXI: In Praise of the Union
         4. CXII: In Praise of Her Beauty
         5. CXIII: The Glorification of Love
         6. CXIV: Overpassing the Bounds of Decorum
         7. CXV: The Public Humour
      2. Section II: Chastity
         1. CXVI: The Pangs of Separation
         2. CXVII: Bewailing the Pangs of Separation and Pining Away
         3. CXVIII: The Wasting of the Eyes Through Wistful Longing
         4. CXIX: Bewailing the Pallor of Pining Love
         5. CXX: Anguish of Heart That the Husband Feeleth Not as Oneself
         6. CXXI: Sighing for the Absent One
         7. CXXII: In Praise of the Dream-State
         8. CXXIII: Sighing at the Approach of Evening
         9. CXXIV: The Wasting Away of Her Lovely Form
         10. CXXV: Addressing One’s Own Heart
         11. CXXVI: The Losing of the Sense of a Dignified Reserve
         12. CXXVII: The Longing of the Lovers to Meet
         13. CXXVIII: Reading the Secret Thought
         14. CXXIX: The Impatience of the Pair to Fly to Each Other’s Arms
         15. CXXX: Chiding the Heart
         16. CXXXI: Bouderie
         17. CXXXII: The Finesses of Bouderie
         18. CXXXIII: The Charm of Bouderie
5. Endnotes
6. Colophon
7. Uncopyright

Imprint

This ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.

This particular ebook is based on a transcription from Wikisource and on digital scans from the Internet Archive.

The source text and artwork in this ebook are believed to be in the United States public domain; that is, they are believed to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. They may still be copyrighted in other countries, so users located outside of the United States must check their local laws before using this ebook. The creators of, and contributors to, this ebook dedicate their contributions to the worldwide public domain via the terms in the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. For full license information, see the Uncopyright at the end of this ebook.

Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-driven