Contents
Introduction
Book I : Aram (Righteousness)
Chapter 3 : Glory of those who have relinquished
Chapter 4 : The power of righteousness
Chapter 6 : A good life partner
Chapter 7 : The boon of children
Chapter 10 : Speaking pleasantly
Chapter 14 : Possessing Propriety
Chapter 15 : Not desiring another’s wife
Chapter 16 : Possessing Forbearance
Chapter 18 : Not coveting assets of others
Chapter 19 : Avoiding backbiting
Chapter 20: Avoiding vain speech
Chapter 21: Dread of (doing) evil deeds
Chapter 22: Awareness of, and alignment, to the ways of the world
Chapter 25: Being compassionate
Chapter 29: Avoid thoughts of swindling
Chapter 32 : Refraining from harmful deeds
Chapter 33: Not killing (any living being)
Chapter 36 : Comprehending/grasping the truth
Chapter 37 : Relinquishing desire
Book II : Porul ( The material world)
Chapter 39 : Qualities of a ruler
Chapter 44 : Fending off faults
Chapter 45 : Seeking the company of great men
Chapter 46 : Shunning the company of petty folks
Chapter 47 : Assessing before executing / Looking before you leap
Chapter 48 : Knowing the strengths
Chapter 50 : Knowing the right Place
Chapter 51 : Assess before accepting
Chapter 52 : Assessing and assigning tasks
Chapter 53 : Embracing the kin
Chapter 54 : Avoiding complacence, forgetfulness and contempt
Chapter 56 : Tyranny and injustice
Chapter 57 : Refraining from terrifying deeds
Chapter 59 : Managing intelligence operations
Chapter 63 : Unfazed in the face of trouble
Chapter 65 : The might of the word
Chapter 66 : Adopting the right means
Chapter 68 : Mode of Execution
Chapter 70 : Being with the king
Chapter 71 : Discerning unspoken thoughts
Chapter 72 : Knowing the audience
Chapter 73 : Fearlessness in a forum
Chapter 76 : Means of wealth generation
Chapter 77 : Prowess of the armed forces
Chapter 80: Assessment before entering a friendship
Chapter 82: Adverse friendship
Chapter 83: Undesirable friendship
Chapter 88: Knowing the nature of enmity
Chapter 90: Not denigrating the Venerable
Chapter 99: Chaandraanmai (Nobleness, Command of Self)
Chapter 101: Non-beneficial Wealth
Chapter 103. Serving (the/one’s) people
Chapter 106. Seeking Alms – A Satire*
Chapter 107: The fear of seeking alms
Another Introduction
Book III: Kaamam (Love)
Chapter 109: Beauty that torments
Chapter 111: The joy of making love
Chapter 112: In praise of her charms
Chapter 113: In praise of love
Thirukkural in English 
Bharathi Bhaskaran
March 8, 2013 at 8:54 am
really a wonderful work done by u Mr. Kannan. Everybody is going towards the western culture, but u r using our Thirukkural as your medium to instruct management and leadership quality.
My husband always says that this world is in Thirukkural, once we learn this nothing is required for us to learn.
Kannan
March 10, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Bharathi Bhaskaran – Thank you.
matthewanthraperyahoocomMatthew
April 8, 2021 at 4:07 pm
Dear Sir….this superb and painstaking compilation is INVALUABLE and I THANK YOU for working so hard on this. You MUST find a WAY to DISSEMINATE these pearls of wisdom to the MASSES because – the way we are headed: We are headed toward IMPLOSION of a 5000-year-old civilization
Anne Sanders
October 1, 2020 at 8:35 am
I am a westerner but my philosophy is not. The western culture is empty, yours is not. 🙂
dinesh kumar
March 16, 2013 at 2:13 pm
dear kannan it is really great job not a job its wonderful service .my friend mr.baskar has told about this website i am very eager to follow you.seeu soon.thank you.
Kannan
March 19, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Dear Dinesh – thank you.
Srinivasan Rajagopal Thoppe
August 24, 2020 at 1:40 pm
Dear Kannan, great work. Is it possible to get a pdf copy? that would be great.
Kannan
September 1, 2020 at 7:02 am
I’ll finish the translation, revise it and then make it available as a book or ebook.
Lakshminarayanan.V
April 22, 2013 at 11:41 am
Congrats Mr.Kannan.Your work is Marvelous and incomparable. Please keep it up.
Shiv
August 29, 2013 at 8:22 am
Hi Kannan,
I am from Tamilnad but from quite an Anglicised town (no points for guessing which town:) )and a non-Tamil background. Although, I can fairly converse and sluggishly read Tamil that my grandmother taught me, I have had no real exposure to the Thirukkural except for when I used to hear some of my classmates talk about their Tamil lessons in school. Living outside Tamilnad for over a decade has really made me want to understand the things that I missed out on previously. I googled the Thirukkural and finally found your blog and I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your work. Thanks for the great job!
Kannan
August 29, 2013 at 10:15 am
Thank you, Shiv. Actually it is not easy to guess your town – almost entire Tamilnadu seems to getting Anglicised quite rapidly now 🙂 But I am glad to see this resurgence of interest in our Tamil treasures, amongst those who didn’t get the opportunity to learn Tamil.
C. Rajendiran
September 15, 2013 at 7:45 am
Dear Kannan,
you are doing a great work. I have been regularly visiting your page ,ever since an article appeared in the Hindu about a year back on Seer7. I am on to Thirukkural for the past 7 year. Your translation is very simple and very close to the meaning of Thirukkural in Tamil. I could see that you try to catch the real meaning of Thirukkural without missing any portion of it.
With Best Wishes
C.Rajendiran
Please read the contents in the link below
http://voiceofvalluvar.org/eindex.php?do=peopleview
(the site is yet to be launched)
Kannan
September 15, 2013 at 8:02 am
Thank you. Yes, my attempt is to try to stay as close to the original as possible. Good to hear from you that I am on the right track.
Joanna David
November 26, 2013 at 2:03 pm
Really amazed by the translation and thiruvalluvar who has really given these valuable truths that we should hold on to it.
selva
June 7, 2014 at 10:58 am
Realy very simple traslation.congrats.இதை படங்களுடன் புத்தக வடிவில் வெளியிட்டால் பலரும் பயன் அடைவார்கள்.உங்களின் எளிய மொழிப்பெயர்ப்பை அனைவரும் கற்க வேண்டுகிறேன்.
Kannan
June 7, 2014 at 11:58 am
நன்றி செல்வா. மொழிபெயர்ப்பு கொஞ்ச நாட்களாகத் தடைபட்டிருக்கிறது. விரைவில் மீண்டும் எழுதத்தொடங்குகிறேன். முடித்தவுடன் புத்தகமாக்க முயல்கிறேன்.
Dafiny
August 19, 2015 at 1:08 pm
where is Division III?????????
Gopinath Nagarajan
September 21, 2015 at 12:36 am
Great work…Just happened to see today….
Edwin Anthony
September 22, 2015 at 10:19 am
Thank you Kannan. I’m Tamil, but do not know how to speak the language. So this translation would be of great help. However, i know that Tamil words can mean more than English words, so i will study the language sometime in the near future.
Thanks again.
Kannan
September 23, 2015 at 11:49 am
Yes, my translation is not a patch on the original. My best wishes for you to start reading it in Tamil soon. Thank you.
Babou Parassouraman
September 24, 2015 at 9:22 am
Dear Kannan, What you are doing is simply superb and awesome. Thanks for this magnanimous task. Please update with 3 part too.
Satish Chandra
October 22, 2015 at 7:17 pm
Great Work Kannan,I do not have enough right words to appreciate your great work.I heard from my Grand Mother (Sri Late C.R.Pattamal) telling and singing kurals from this book.Keep it up.Satish Chandra
Kannan
October 31, 2015 at 6:27 pm
Thank you, Satish Chandra.
Chander Mohan
November 20, 2015 at 1:39 pm
nice work just came to know about Thirukkural today itself and found it very interesting and basic to understand,
R.Bakthavathsalam
November 29, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Dear Kannan
Vanakkam, True spirit and depth of the core are in your glorious work , Best wishes to reveal more
treasures in Tamil to the eve of the world.
kind regards
Babu
sreedharan kc
December 5, 2015 at 4:02 am
MEN CAN ONLY BE LEADED BY
GREAT WORDS LIKE THIS
FOR THAT WHAT THE READER NEEDED IS SORROWNESS AND PATIENCE TO ACCOMODATE ALL THE “SOOKTHAMS’
IN IT
Nad Govender
January 30, 2016 at 7:49 pm
Dear Kannan
I am a South African of Indian origin. My forefathers came from south India and I am of Tamil descent. I am a third generation Indian living in South Africa. We have beautiful temples and places of worship but lack the basic knowledge of our rich Tamil culture.
Although we endeavour to practice the rituals such as Kavady , Purattasi, etc etc we lack understanding of the Kurul. Many tamilians in South Africa are even ignorant of the existance of such a masterpiece. They know the Gita, not the Kurul.
I have started reading your translations and found the Kurul to be a fascinating book. Regret I didn’t start reading it earlier.
Congratulations on an amazing job. Well done!
Best regards
Nadarajan Govender. ( Nad)
Kannan
January 31, 2016 at 9:34 am
Thank you, Nad. One of my key initial objectives was to make Kural well-known among non-Tamils. But I had started noticing that the Tamil diaspora across the world are searching for, and are following Thirukkural translation keenly. Your comment offers a fuller perspective on this.
It will be even more delightful, if, someday, you can read the original and enjoy its beauty in a more pristine form.
Rowana Naidoo (SA)
July 7, 2017 at 6:41 am
Well said Mr Govender. My sentiments exactly. I feel the fault lies with us in not teaching our children accordingly but then again blame also lies on our forefathers as they did not teach us…
Rowana Naidoo (SA)
July 7, 2017 at 6:46 am
and Mr Kannan, i came across this site quite by accident but i am glad i did. I endeavor to teach the kids in my area about our rich Tamil culture but how can i do this if even i don’t know much about it 🙂
Gowdham
January 8, 2016 at 11:56 am
Dear Shri Kannan,
Really good work. Pl keep it up.
Gowdham
Siva. MUTHUKKUMARASAMY.
April 4, 2016 at 12:20 pm
Iniya Vanakkam Miga!, Great! I have studied many translations in ENGLISH! I find that you have deeply known the heart of Thiruvalluvar, the bard of universal thought. For example, the kural 266, has been differentlly understood by many translators but, yours is as same as the original in THAMIZH! Your flow is crystal clear. I want to know about you more. — Siva. Muthukkumarasamy, JR, Collectorate, Perambalur- 6212120.
Kannan
April 10, 2016 at 3:00 am
Thank you, Siva. I’ve written a bit about myself in the Introduction section. You can also connect with me through email – tkan75@gmail.com
Siva. MUTHUKKUMARASAMY.
April 4, 2016 at 12:27 pm
Iniya Vanakkam!, Great!
PS
May 3, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Excellent Job. Please let me know if you need any help?
சிவா
May 27, 2016 at 2:43 am
அருமை..
Tavamithram Sarvada
September 13, 2016 at 8:03 pm
Vanakkam dear brother Kannan.
I would like to express my deep appreciation for you and for your phenominal and exemplary work. This is an outstanding site which is well indexed with categories and it makes it so easy and convenient to study all the Kurals. Not only Tamilians but all of us Indians and also people of Indian origin are proud of our heritage and intellectual as well as spiritual enlightenment.
The priceless wisdom of the Tirukkural needs to be made available to each and everyone in the world in order to make the planet a better and a saner place to live in.
Best wishes to you.
Jai Shri Krishna.
Tavamithram
Poobalan Les Govender
September 28, 2016 at 9:37 am
Vanakam, Kannan. I am a Tamil South African of Indian descent, my grandfather having come from Salem & settled here as a labourer. Although we do observe many festivals & prayers, we are still to read the many of the great Tamil scriptures that are available. Thank you for your wonderful effort in translating the Tirukkural as it has made it possible for people like me to understand & appreciate its profound meaning.
Poobalan Les Govender
Raja
October 6, 2016 at 5:11 pm
It is amazing. Is ther a mob app for thirukkural with same transalation. Great job my dear friend.
Kannan
October 8, 2016 at 3:10 pm
Thank you. There are mobile apps with other translations but none (that I know of) with this version, yet.
Rani
October 11, 2016 at 6:26 am
Thank you Kannan sir
siddharth
January 7, 2017 at 1:24 am
It’s nice because of you I have completed my work
shibu nigar
January 26, 2017 at 6:53 am
hello….. thank you….. im a student of english literature and came across thiruvallar, the great of poet of tamilnadu. i just wanted to know the title of the 3rd division….. hope you’ll help me out with this…
Kannan
March 3, 2017 at 12:17 pm
The third division is on Love (Kama).
Arumugam Sriskandarajah
January 27, 2017 at 8:36 pm
Excellent work Mr. Kannan.
A wonderful guide for the young generation.
It would be an asset if a search machine is included by the subject.
Is it feasible to create field for search by subject?
subashini
February 28, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Wonderful work and service to Tamil community and people ! Hatts off ! You made all tamilians proud by doing this. Will make it reachable to as many as I can . Thanks
Ramesh singh
March 21, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Dear Mr Kannan, Thanks you for your translation.It is great . i would suggest a copy be sent to all our present BJP leadership.This can be a mandatory reading in our school curriculum state /CBSE etc.Thanks
Bhargavi
March 28, 2017 at 11:25 am
Great work Mr. Kannan, its helping for our Bharatanatyam dance…. Bcz without knowing the meaning we cannot give expressions. Can u provide chapter 128 please
Anand prabhu
April 28, 2017 at 9:22 pm
Mr.kannan thank you so much
I never thought I would able read Tirukkural because I don’t know to read Tamil but u made my dream come true .I just started to read from u r site .did u published book?
Kannan
May 1, 2017 at 3:38 am
Not yet published in print form. Hope to do it after completing the translation.
senthil kumar
April 30, 2017 at 4:20 am
Mr kannan kudos to you -Great work
DR M.S.Senthil kumar
MBBS.,MS.,MCh FAIS.,FIMSA(Geneva)FCLS.,FAES.,FMMC.,FICS(USA)
Hon.Secretary,International College of Surgeons(IS)
Dhanesh.s
June 9, 2017 at 6:53 am
Thanks Brooo
Thirukkural therijikanu Kojam help Pannungoo
hari
June 19, 2017 at 1:02 am
Super
raji shankar
June 25, 2017 at 1:25 pm
Great work, Sir. Only upto 103 ? Where are the remaining 30 chapters, sir.
Kannan
June 30, 2017 at 8:34 pm
Thanks. Yet to be completed. Will take it up soon.
arlenecorwin
June 30, 2017 at 3:29 pm
Hi! Just want you to know that you’ve got another reader, having been introduced to the Tamil culture and literature just a week or so ago. You’ll be hearing fro me by the by. Do feel free to correspond. As a poet, musician and lover of things spiritual I’m sure we will have much to talk about.
Warmly, Arlene Corwin
Thriibuvan
August 26, 2017 at 4:12 pm
Mr.Kannan : Is there any thirukural related to the word “DOUBT”
Hanuman Wange
August 27, 2017 at 4:54 pm
marvelous great job fan of you sir i required a help from u i was a paper speaking the greatness of tamil society and their contribution to world i wanted to know if i could get some verses related to town planning and grand anicut dam
Vetri
September 6, 2017 at 4:57 am
Great work! Kudos! Any reason for not including kaamathuppaal?
Lokesh
September 29, 2017 at 3:03 pm
Thanks for the translation of valuable wisdom
m.ponnurangam
November 15, 2017 at 1:15 am
Great Work. What happened to the rest of Tirukural Athigarams? Coukd not be translated?
Pranitha
December 18, 2017 at 4:09 pm
Vanakam anna!
Miga arumaiana muyarchi. Thank you so much for translating this Gem !
Chinthanaiyalar
January 3, 2018 at 8:26 pm
What a great translation. Waiting for the remaining chapters.
Happy New Year
Ashraf N.V.
January 26, 2018 at 2:10 am
Chapters 104 to 108…..??
Kannan
February 3, 2018 at 7:19 pm
I’ve added them now. Thank you.
S.KOLANDAVEL
March 5, 2018 at 2:49 pm
S,Kolandavel
Coimbatore
Dear Mr.Kannan,your modern rendition of our Thirukural in English is superb.Like any part of honey is sweet your modern rendition is great throughout.Indeed it is your noble contribution to the world,
chandruscm
March 9, 2018 at 7:47 pm
Hey there, just stumbled upon this blog. I’m currently developing a Thirukkural app for mobile, unlike the plethora of poorly designed thirukkural apps currently available. I am rethinking the UI/UX, making use of flash cards. I’ve been looking for a proper english translation and this is the only one with brevity. I would love to use your translation in my app with full credits to you. Since you have so much to offer about thirukkurals, it would be extremely valuable if you could help shape the app in terms of the features and search functionalities that would be relevant.
Karthik
May 28, 2018 at 4:21 pm
Mr. Kannan, thanks for your very nice translation of the wonderful work of Thiruvalluvar. I have read some of the Thirukkurals while I was at school; but by reading each chapter (‘Adhigaram’) of Thirukkural through English translation first, and then by reading the Tamil original, I get better depth of the Tamil words used (the school system was to study, remember verbatim, and write; I wish it had been study, understand more, and write; also at high-school age, it would be hard to understand such mature thoughts of the saint).
One request I would make is to give another option to the user wherein we will have each kural in Tamil and then immediately followed by the same in English, if your schedule permits, so that we can get the meaning of the Tamil words better. The current format is good too as we can read in English completely or in Tamil completely if we choose so. I would request you to provide both formats as options to the user.
Yamuna
June 7, 2018 at 3:38 am
God bless you in abundance for this work Kannan.
Arun
June 27, 2018 at 3:57 am
kannan… I m restless waiting for your third part of love’s translation in english.
Cos… the others that are there… does not make any sence to me.
Kannan
June 30, 2018 at 1:48 am
Very soon, I should start posting here by end of July. Thank you, Arun.
Zarah May Rizada
July 3, 2018 at 11:40 am
Vanakkam sir
I am starting reading about these book it’s really nice and understandable am no Indian just happened that my tamil friend told me and send me these link thank to him I able to read and understand bit about your treasure and wisdom thank you.
Kannan
July 16, 2018 at 3:16 am
Vanakkam Zarah. I should thank your friend for taking Thirukkural to those who haven’t heard about it.
Raakesh
July 16, 2018 at 11:43 pm
Good Work Brother…God Bless
Balamurali V
August 23, 2018 at 3:11 pm
Excellent information gathered in your website l came to know that many Tamil and English words
Vidhya
September 14, 2018 at 2:51 pm
Dear Kannan, A big “Dhanyavadam” for such brilliant work. I will share it with non-Tamil speakers. A great Epic must reach to all the divine souls on this planet. Lots of Love and Blessing!
Vidhya
November 14, 2018 at 2:18 am
Sir – very good job of providing clear translation. I have been reading it regularly. There are some typos in 273, 274.. You may want to validate the entire series.. Thanks again!
Kannan
November 21, 2018 at 5:56 am
Thank you, I’ve corrected. Yes, the whole work has been done over a period of time, and needs to be edited and revised.
Jagadeesha R
February 4, 2019 at 9:52 pm
Hell Sir, Thanks a lot for this…………but 75 kural page is link with some other page please look into that thanks once again…
Kannan
February 15, 2019 at 7:35 am
Thank you, I’ve corrected.
PV ARVIND
May 22, 2019 at 4:37 pm
Good Evening Dear Sir,
Vanakkam. Please finish the pending 19 adhikarams. We are all eager waiting for your valuable wisdom to share with us
Arun
January 9, 2020 at 4:41 pm
Hello Mr.Kannan
Thanks for this great work.
If you could complete the remaining 19 chapters that would be great.
I used your website almost everyday to read thirukkural. I have been reading for past 2 years.
Appreciate your help.
Kannan
August 16, 2020 at 5:19 pm
Thank you. I’ll try to complete soon.
Benedict Jeyaraj J
April 7, 2019 at 10:03 am
Dear team,
This is a very creative way to spread the Universal VEDA please keep it up and I would expect all the pathinenkeezzkanakku and pathinenmelkanakku noolgal to be soon on this website . great job
Rohit
September 9, 2019 at 11:48 am
Mr. Kannan, I thank you for providing such a simple, clear and easily understandable translation of the Kural. If I may suggest, the quality here is so good it could be published as a book.
I was wondering if it is possible to download the completed book parts anywhere? I would like to print it out so that I can read it and make some notes on it myself. I am willing to pay for it, if required. Please do let me know.
Joel
October 20, 2019 at 1:23 pm
Please support the following page by sharing. I’ve made posts in Instagram inorder to spread the rich value of Thirukkural. I’ve named it Tamizh_marai. Please support & help the page in teaching more wonderful people around the world thereby, let them understand the value of Tamizh in this world.
https://instagram.com/tamizh_marai?igshid=xomf911valcu
JOSEPH
December 29, 2019 at 6:33 pm
Very good job kannan. I wish you for your future ideas
Pavithran k
June 23, 2020 at 2:09 am
Very much useful n wonderful work
.....
August 31, 2020 at 6:20 am
In Chapter 3, last kural, I don’t think it is Brahmins. It is like a Sadu or thuravi, more like a Hermit?
Kannan
September 1, 2020 at 7:00 am
I can’t say it with certainty. It’s possible to interpret like this too. Will revisit it. Thank you.
Kannan
September 4, 2020 at 5:55 am
I have edited this translation. I have chosen to use the Tamil word as it is and qualify it with a footnote.
Ashraf N.V.
September 5, 2020 at 4:52 pm
Though the word ‘anthanar’ has multiple means, it is invariably used in Tamil literature to mean Brahmanas only. There are chapters and sections on “Brahmins” in Buddha’s Dhammapada and Mahavira’s Uttaradhyayana. Thirukkural has just 2-3 places where Brahmana’s are referred to. The Kural 30 is just Valluvar’s definition on who should actually be called a Brahmana. Just exactly how Dhammapa defines in a series of verses in the chapter on Brahmana and how Mahavira does the same in lecture XXV of Uttaradhyayana.
Elanchezhian Narayanasamy
September 1, 2020 at 2:20 am
This is the great job that you did for Tamil language. And translated thirukkural in easy english. keep it up. https://tamil.elaanet.com
Dr.Lekshmi.R.Nath
October 10, 2020 at 6:06 am
Thank you so much. I was in search of English version of Thirukkural. Last time, I bought the tamil book which I could not understand as I am a malayali. Your explanations are wonderful. You are doing a great service for the society, evoking the spiritual aspirants.
THEENA
March 14, 2021 at 8:01 pm
Vanakam 🙏,
DhivneSh From Malaysia 🇲🇾,I Was Very Happy To See Your Entire HardWork And Making It Easy For Other Race To Learn And Get The Meaning Of our THIRUKKURAL .
Kannan
March 15, 2021 at 4:14 am
Thank you.
Prabhakaran S
April 5, 2021 at 8:59 am
Hi Kannan. Can you please give us the pdf of Arathuppal and Potrupal alone. It will be very useful for English medium students who are appearing for TNPSC exams.
Kannan
April 8, 2021 at 6:22 am
Please send your mail id.
grangaswami
November 22, 2021 at 11:43 pm
Hello Mr. Kannan –
I think this is one of the best English translations of Thirukkral. Please consider publishing it as an ebook or print via Amazon publishing.
Thank you for the meticulous work, and hats off to your skill.
-Ganesan
Narayan Kolkata
December 6, 2021 at 3:16 am
I am nearing 70 and read so many translation s in English two translation s so far as per my personal opinion are best.
One by you and another publication by Saiva Sidhantha Kazyakam by a EnglishChristian father who taught Tamil to Tamil people you know who I am talking about.
Thanks
Kannan
December 7, 2021 at 2:36 am
Thank you. I am glad to get such feedback from someone who has read multiple translations.
hans_saviour
February 20, 2022 at 1:58 pm
Great Work dear friend! Keep it up.
C. Doss Jeyakumar
April 23, 2022 at 6:17 pm
திரு. கண்ணன், உங்கள் பதிவு மிகவும் அருமை. வாழ்த்துக்கள். பாராட்டுக்கள்.
Kana
November 30, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Do you sell physical book…, How much..
Thank you