The Kural or The Maxims of Tiruvalluvar

Very few in the world outside of the Tamil country have heard the name of the poet whose work is presented here in a new English garb. And yet he is one of those seers whose message is intended not merely for their own age or country but for all time and for all mankind. Born a member of one of the depressed castes and bred up to the profession of weaving, which was his only means of livelihood till the day came for him to renounce all worldly ties, Thiruvalluvar has given to the world a work to which, in perfection of form, profundity of thought, nobleness of sentiment, and earnest-ness of moral purpose, very few books outside the grand scriptures of humanity can at all be compared. Indeed his work is eulogized by the Tamil people as the Tamil Veda, the Universal Veda, the later Veda, the Divine Book etc., etc. It is a great pity that such a treasure should have been confined for so many ages only to one single people even in Hindusthan.