Welcome to Chapter 1 of Ask Kural, a guided exploration of the 10 Kurals under the theme கடவுள் வாழ்த்து (Invocation to God). In this chapter, we reflect on profound questions about the origin of existence, the nature of wisdom, and the essence of a meaningful life.
Each Kural is paired with:
- Thought-provoking philosophical questions
- A key insight
- A link to the full commentary, which includes:
- Possible word meanings
- Meaning in Tamil and by other authors
- English translation and poetic rendering
- Q&A dialogues inspired by Thiruvalluvar
- Related stories and morals
- Practical tools for daily reflection
- Parallels from other philosophical and religious traditions
Begin your journey with the questions that open the Thirukkural — not just as answers, but as invitations to deeper thought and living.
Kural 0001 - 🔊 ஒலி முதல் ஒளி வரை – From Sound to Light
Key Questions
- What is the origin of all things — of thought, language, and existence itself?
- Is there a Creator / First Cause?
- Who or what is the uncaused cause of the universe?
- What lies at the root of all existence and expression — the word, the world, and the self?
- Heidegger Why is there something rather than nothing? // Why is there Being at all?
Insight
Thiruvalluvar: Because from the beginning, there is That from which all Being flows.
குறள் 0001
அகர முதல எழுத்தெல்லாம் ஆதி
பகவன் முதற்றே உலகு.
Kural 0002 - 🔥 அறிவின் சுடர் வாலறிவு, நல்லறிவின் முதல் அடி – Inner Light, First Step to Wisdom
Key Questions
- Has modern learning forgotten the question of Being itself?
- If all knowledge is merely technical or representational, have we lost the capacity for reverence toward the mystery of existence?
- What is the telos (end or purpose) of knowledge? If knowledge does not lead to the good life or eudaimonia, is it incomplete?
- What is the value of learning if it does not lead to humility or inner transformation?
- Can a person be truly wise if they are disconnected from the source or essence of all knowledge?
- Is intellectual achievement meaningful without spiritual grounding?
- Heidegger: Has modern learning forgotten the question of Being itself?
Insight
Thiruvalluvar: Modern learning, when it forgets to seek or revere the source of Being, becomes rootless, purposeless, and spiritually empty.
Explore Kural 0002 in depth here (link below) for meanings, stories, practice tools, and detailed commentary.
குறள் 0002
கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன்
நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின்
Kural 0003 - 🌸 மணம்கொண்ட மலர்போல் வாழும் வாழ்க்கை — A Life that Blooms in Divine Fragrance
Key Questions
- What is the true way to live a meaningful life on earth?
- What makes a human life spiritually fulfilled and enduring beyond material time?
- How can one live in the world yet rise above its impermanence?
- Socrates: What is the good life?
- Aristotle: What is eudaimonia (human flourishing)?
- Heidegger: How can Dasein (being-there) live authentically?
- Sri Aurobindo / Integral Yoga: How does the psychic being transform human life
Insight
Thiruvalluvar: Connection with the Divine Presence awakens the psychic life — leading to true growth and permanence.
Explore Kural 0003 in depth here (link below) for meanings, stories, practice tools, and detailed commentary.
குறள் 0003
மலர்மிசை ஏகினான் மாணடி சேர்ந்தார்
நிலமிசை நீடுவாழ் வார்
Kural 0004 - Kural 0010 - Will be updated shortly
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