Chennai: Thirukural should not be limited to a book of ethics and morality due to political compulsions since the book is rooted in spirituality, said Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi during the inauguration of International Tirukural Conference 2022 in Coimbatore on Friday.
The event was organised by Sri Krishna Institutions and Kural Malai Sangam in Sri Krishna Arts and Science College.
According to a report on The Hindu, the Governor said, Thirukural is more than a book of ethics and morality and limiting Thirukural makes it a book of ‘dos and dont's' or advice. However, Thirukural is pregnant with deep meanings and it cannot be understood without spirituality.
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He said, Thiruvalluvar authored Thirukural and in the thousand years several ideologies have come and gone by so it's not right to limit the book for political correctness or the present ideology should not limit the book.
The Governor said, Thirukural starts with "Agara mudhala.." and the couplet explains about bhakti (devotion) but the translation of the work that he received has the spiritual quotient missing.
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Thirukural was not just talking about devotion but the couplets talk about renunciation and cycle of birth and death, he said.
Meanwhile, Justice (retd.) Kirubakaran urged Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi to insist the Centre to declare Thirukural as a world classic. He also recalled the works of former Madras Collector Francis Whyte Eliss to recognise the value of Thirukural and for translating the work into English.