4 min readNew DelhiSep 11, 2026 05:59 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents Russian President Vladimir Putin with a Russian translation of the Tirukkural on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit 2026, in New Delhi on September 11, 2026. Photo: ANIAhead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi (September 12-13), Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Russian President Vladimir Putin a translated version of the traditional Tamil text Tirukkural during their bilateral meeting on Friday (September 11).
The text, authored by the (also known as “Valluvar”), is considered a seminal work of ancient Tamil literature and philosophy. Here’s what to know about the Tirukkural, and its diverse themes and subjects.
‘Sacred verses’
Tirukkural, which translates to “sacred verses” or “sacred couplets” in English, consists of 1,330 stanzas or couplets, each of seven words called “kurals”. These are arranged into 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets.
