The cover page is adapted from Maharaja Serfoji II Accompanied by His Minister, a painting completed ca. 1800 by An Unknown Artist. The cover and title pages feature the League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy typefaces created in 2014 and 2009 by The League of Moveable Type. www.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/
The Kural
Chapters (143)
- Preface 0:00
- Introduction: I: In Praise of the Lord 52:18
- II: In Praise of Rain 53:56
- III: The Greatness of Those Who Have Renounced the World 55:16
- IV: The Glorification of Righteousness 56:51
- Part I: Righteousness: Section I: The Life of the Householder 58:25
- V: Family Life 58:35
- VI: The Blessings of a Good Helpmate 1:00:01
- VII: Offspring 1:01:23
- VIII: Love 1:02:43
- IX: Hospitality 1:04:09
- X: Kindness of Speech 1:05:43
- XI: Gratitude 1:07:07
- XII: Uprightness of Heart 1:08:24
- XIII: Self-Control 1:09:43
- XIV: Purity of Conduct 1:11:18
- XV: Non-Desiring of Another Man’s Wife 1:12:41
- XVI: Forgiveness 1:14:09
- XVII: Non-Envying 1:15:26
- XVIII: Non-Coveting 1:16:42
- XIX: Refraining from Slander 1:18:13
- XX: Refraining from Vain Speaking 1:19:41
- XXI: Fear of Evildoing 1:20:56
- XXII: Complaisance 1:22:19
- XXIII: Charity 1:23:44
- XXIV: Glory 1:25:03
- Section II: The Life of the Ascetic 1:26:26
- Subdivision A: Discipline 1:26:34
- XXV: Mercy 1:26:41
- XXVI: Abjuring of Flesh-Meat 1:28:11
- XXVII: Tapas 1:29:33
- XXVIII: Imposture 1:31:03
- XXIX: Abstaining from Fraud 1:32:36
- XXX: Truthfulness 1:33:58
- XXXI: Abstaining from Anger 1:35:22
- XXXII: Non-Injuring 1:37:01
- XXXIII: Non-Killing 1:38:32
- Subdivision B: Wisdom 1:40:01
- XXXIV: The Vanity of All Things 1:40:09
- XXXV: Renunciation 1:41:36
- XXXVI: Realisation of the Truth 1:43:10
- XXXVII: The Killing of Desire 1:44:45
- XXXVIII: Destiny 1:46:14
- Part II: Wealth: Section I: The Prince 1:47:44
- XXXIX: The Qualifications of the Prince 1:47:51
- XL: Learning 1:49:31
- XLI: The Neglecting of Instruction 1:51:05
- XLII: Listening to the Instruction of the Wise 1:52:38
- XLIII: The Understanding 1:54:07
- XLIV: Eschewing of Faults 1:55:32
- XLV: Courting the Friendship of the Worthy 1:57:00
- XLVI: Keeping Aloof from Vulgar Company 1:58:24
- XLVII: Deliberation Before Action 1:59:46
- XLVIII: Judging of Strength 2:01:27
- XLIX: Judging the Opportune Moment 2:03:07
- L: Judging of Place 2:04:34
- LI: Testing of Men for Confidence 2:06:06
- LII: Testing and Employment of Men 2:07:42
- LIII: Cherishing of Kindred 2:09:16
- LIV: Guarding Against Insouciance 2:10:46
- LV: Just Government 2:12:09
- LVI: Tyranny 2:13:46
- LVII: Abstaining from Deeds That Cause Trepidation 2:15:10
- LVIII: Considerateness 2:16:50
- LIX: The Service of Intelligence 2:18:19
- LX: Energy 2:19:57
- LXI: Abstention from Sloth 2:21:35
- LXII: Manly Exertion 2:23:03
- LXIII: Intrepidity in the Face of Misfortune 2:24:29
- Section II: The Members of the Body Politic 2:26:07
- LXIV: The Councillor of State 2:26:15
- LXV: Eloquence 2:27:57
- LXVI: Purity of Action 2:29:33
- LXVII: Decision of Character 2:31:06
- LXVIII: The Conduct of Affairs 2:32:46
- LXIX: The Ambassador 2:34:26
- LXX: Comporting Oneself Before Princes 2:36:09
- LXXI: Judging by Looks 2:37:48
- LXXII: Judging of the Audience 2:39:21
- LXXIII: Self-Confidence Before an Audience 2:40:45
- LXXIV: The Country 2:42:22
- LXXV: Fortresses 2:44:15
- LXXVI: The Acquisition of Wealth 2:45:55
- LXXVII: The Characteristics of the Army 2:47:19
- LXXVIII: The Self-Abandon of the Warrior 2:48:51
- LXXIX: Friendship 2:50:34
- LXXX: Testing of Fitness for Friendship 2:52:11
- LXXXI: Intimacy 2:53:51
- LXXXII: The Friendship That Injureth 2:55:24
- LXXXIII: False Friendship 2:57:11
- LXXXIV: Folly 2:58:41
- LXXXV: Conceited Folly 3:00:13
- LXXXVI: The Defiant Spirit 3:01:43
- LXXXVII: The Characteristics of Enemies 3:03:19
- LXXXVIII: The Appraising of Enemies 3:05:03
- LXXXIX: The Traitor in the Camp 3:06:35
- XC: Refraining from Offending the Great Ones 3:08:11
- XCI: Submission to Wife Government 3:09:50
- XCII: Prostitutes 3:11:31
- XCIII: Abstaining from Drink 3:13:10
- XCIV: Gambling 3:14:48
- XCV: Medicine 3:16:22
- Section III: Miscellaneous 3:17:53
- XCVI: Respectability of Birth 3:18:01
- XCVII: Honour 3:19:35
- XCVIII: Greatness 3:21:06
- XCIX: Worth 3:22:32
- C: Courteousness 3:24:09
- CI: The Wealth That Is Not Put to Good Use 3:25:39
- CII: Sensitiveness to Shame 3:27:21
- CIII: Advancing the Family 3:28:57
- CIV: Husbandry 3:30:37
- CV: Indigence 3:32:20
- CVI: Begging 3:33:51
- CVII: The Dread of Beggary 3:35:25
- CVIII: The Degraded Life 3:37:02
- Part III: Love: Section I: The Secret Marriage 3:38:31
- CIX: The Wound That Beauty Inflicteth 3:38:41
- CX: Reading of the Heart by Signs 3:40:29
- CXI: In Praise of the Union 3:42:01
- CXII: In Praise of Her Beauty 3:43:42
- CXIII: The Glorification of Love 3:45:25
- CXIV: Overpassing the Bounds of Decorum 3:46:56
- CXV: The Public Humour 3:48:34
- Section II: Chastity 3:50:20
- CXVI: The Pangs of Separation 3:50:25
- CXVII: Bewailing the Pangs of Separation and Pining Away 3:52:06
- CXVIII: The Wasting of the Eyes Through Wistful Longing 3:53:51
- CXIX: Bewailing the Pallor of Pining Love 3:55:43
- CXX: Anguish of Heart That the Husband Feeleth Not as Oneself 3:57:21
- CXXI: Sighing for the Absent One 3:58:48
- CXXII: In Praise of the Dream-State 4:00:27
- CXXIII: Sighing at the Approach of Evening 4:01:58
- CXXIV: The Wasting Away of Her Lovely Form 4:03:38
- CXXV: Addressing One’s Own Heart 4:05:19
- CXXVI: The Losing of the Sense of a Dignified Reserve 4:07:03
- CXXVII: The Longing of the Lovers to Meet 4:08:30
- CXXVIII: Reading the Secret Thought 4:10:11
- CXXIX: The Impatience of the Pair to Fly to Each Other’s Arms 4:12:00
- CXXX: Chiding the Heart 4:13:41
- CXXXI: Bouderie 4:15:22
- CXXXII: The Finesses of Bouderie 4:17:01
- CXXXIII: The Charm of Bouderie 4:18:41
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Traditionally attributed to the weaver-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, the Kural is a philosophical text composed of 1,330 Tamil couplets called kurals. Written sometime before the 5th century CE, the Kural is a comprehensive ethical work divided into three parts, which address righteousness, wealth, and love respectively. (These largely correspond with the life objectives of dharma, artha, and kama found in Hindu thought and Sanskrit literature, omitting the fourth, moksha, or liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.)
It’s celebrated as one of the foremost works of classic Tamil literature, having won high acclaim not only in its home country but also internationally among thinkers like Leo Tolstoy, who quoted from the Kural in his “Letter to a Hindu.”