Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,659

Date uploaded in London –26 April 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

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Tamil Veda Tirukkural in English Translations Compiled by London Swaminathan – Chapter 1

Tamil Scholar Ki Va Jagannathan has given us he commentary of five old commentators on Tamil Veda Tirukkural in his massive volume running to 950 pages, published by Ramakrishna Mission Vidhyalayam, Coimbatore. But English translations by several translators are scattered. I am trying to put them together. In the past fifty years a lot of corrupted Tamil translations are published by politically oriented Tamils. But English translations are not that corrupted. They are more reliable.

I am compiling translations from at least six translators cum commentators.

To avoid repetitions and to save space I use the following abbreviations for authors.

Tiruvalluvar, author of Tirukkural, was a pukka, ardent Hindu and a great master of Bhagavad Gita. In the first chapter he praised GOD and so he was neither a Buddhist nor a Jain. Buddha never spoke about God and Jains were atheists. Tiru Valluvar used Bhagavad Gita in the first couplet Aksharaanam Akaarosmi (among the alphabets I am A)  from the Gita. He also used Gita’s Samsaara Saagaram in the last couplet of the first chapter.

Through out his book Valluvar used Dwanthwa/opposites found in Bhagavad Gita: like and dislike, this birth and future birth, earth and heaven, Day and Night etc

No person from Abrahamic religions (Jew, Christian, Muslim) will support Tiru Valluvar because he quotes FEET OF GOD in Seven out of ten couplets in the first Chapter. He belonged to fifth century CE according to linguists. His style and syntax placed him in Post Sangam era.

Neither Mahavir nor Buddha used SEA much because they were born and preaching in land locked regions of India. But Valluvar like Vedas, use sea even in the very first chapter.

God is incomparable, Peerless One are in Vishnu Sahasranama and Upanishads.

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Following Translations are used:

1.V R Ramachandra Dikshitar- VRR, year 1949

(followed Aranganatha Mudaliyar’s translation that was published in 1933. See (ANM+2) )

2.GU Pope – GUP. Year 1886

3.Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB

4.A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 and B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan. Year 1933

5.EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS. Year 1986

6.S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD Year 2000

H A Popley – HAP (not full book) Year 1931

Mrs Tirunavukkarasu, Jaffna (not full book)

Wherever possible, I will add more translations.

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In Praise of the Lord

1.A is the first stir in the world of sound; even so the Eternal Adorable One is the prime impulse of all creation A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – (ANM+2)

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1.All alphabets have the letter (A) for their first, so has the world eternal God for its beginning– EVS Publishers, Singapore- (EVS)

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1.All the letters have the letter A as their origin; this world has God as its origin- V R Ramachandra Dikshitar- (VRR)

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1
A, as its first of letters, every speech maintains;
The “Primal Deity” is first through all the world’s domains.
As the letter A is the first of all letters, so the eternal God is first in the world. .(GU Pope)

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Verse 1 “A” is the first and source of all the letters. Even so is God Primordial the first and source of all the world. (.Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB)

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1.The alphabet begins with A ;

So does the universe, with God -S M Diaz (SMD)

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1.As letters all are based on A

The world is based on God – the First – H A Popley – HAP

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திருக்குறள் கடவுள்வாழ்த்து

குறள் 1:

அகர முதல எழுத்தெல்லாம் ஆதி

பகவன் முதற்றே உலகு.

**

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2. Of what avail is one’s vast learning, if one adores not the holy feet of Him who is the pure light of wisdom– (ANM+2)

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2.Of what avail is a man’s learning if he does not pray to God. (EVS)

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2.Of what avail is learning, if the learned do not adore the good feet of Him who is of immaculate wisdom? (VRR)

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2.
No fruit have men of all their studied lore,
Save they the ‘Purely Wise One’s’ feet adore.
What Profit have those derived from learning, who worship not the good feet of Him who is possessed of pure knowledge ? .(GU Pope)

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Verse 2 What has learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the Good Feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself? (SB)

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2.Learning and scholarship are of no avail if they do not lead

One to worship at the wise one’s divine feet (SMD)

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2.What use is lore, if the leaned will not bow

Before the feet of -Him – The All wise One? – HAP

**

குறள் 2:

கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன்

நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின்.

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3.Those who mediate day and night on the sacred feet of the Lord that abides in the lotus shaped region of a devout heart shall endlessly inhabit the heavenly abode – (ANM+2)

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3.Those who meditate day and night on the sacred feet of the Lord that abides in the lotus shaped region of a devout heart shall endlessly inhabit the heavenly home. (EVS)

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3.Those who find refuge in the great feet (of Him) who lives in lotus of the heart (of the devotee) live eternally in heaven. (VRR)

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3.
His feet, ‘Who o’er the full-blown flower hath past,’ who gain
In bliss long time shall dwell above this earthly plain.
They who are united to the glorious feet of Him who passes swiftly over the flower of the mind, shall flourish long above all worlds. .(GU Pope)

**

Verse 3 The Supreme dwells within the lotus of the heart. Those who reach His Splendid Feet dwell endearingly within unearthly realms. (SB)

**

3.Only those finding last life that that contemplate on Him,

Who has made the blossomed mind His abode (SMD)

**

3.They’ll live for ever in the land above

Who cling to Him that bides in lotus-hearts– HAP

**

குறள் 3:

மலர்மிசை ஏகினான் மாணடி சேர்ந்தார்

நிலமிசை நீடுவாழ் வார்.

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4.
His foot, ‘Whom want affects not, irks not grief,’ who gain
Shall not, through every time, of any woes complain.
To those who meditate the feet of Him who is void of desire or aversion, evil shall never come. .(GU Pope)

**

4.No ills of life ever touch those that alone cling to the feet of Him who is beyond the world of lies and dislikes (EVS)

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4.No ills of life ever touch those that cling to the feet of Him who is beyond the world of likes and dislikes – (ANM+2)

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4.Those who have attained the feet of Him who has likes or dislikes will be rid of all troubles. (VRR)

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Verse 4 Draw near the Feet of Him who is free of desire and aversion. And live forever free of suffering. (SB)

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4.No evil shall ever come to those who have contemplated,

Of Him who is above human frailties of desire and hatred (SMD)

**

4.Trouble shall never come to those

Who cling to the desireless One– HAP

**

குறள் 4:

வேண்டுதல் வேண்டாமை இலானடி சேர்ந்தார்க்கு

யாண்டும் இடும்பை இல.

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5. Deeds, good or evil, that spring from darkness shall not affect those who gloriously sing the praises of the Lord – (ANM+2)

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5.Deeds, good or evil, that spring from darkness shall not affect those who gloriously sing the praises of the Lord (EVS)

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5.Actions, both good and bad that spring from darkness of the mind will never touch those who ever chant the glories of the Lord-(VRR)

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5.
The men, who on the ‘King’s’ true praised delight to dwell,
Affects not them the fruit of deeds done ill or well.
The two-fold deeds that spring from darkness shall not adhere to those who delight in the true praise of God. .(GU Pope)

**

Verse 5 Good and bad, delusion’s dual deeds, do not disturb Those who delight in praising the immutable, worshipful One. (SB)

**

5.Th twin deeds of dark illusion, will not affect

Those who delight meaningfully in God’s praise (SMD)

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5.The twain dark deeds shall never be theirs,

Who give the Lord His rightful praise– HAP

**

குறள் 5:

இருள்சேர் இருவினையும் சேரா இறைவன்

பொருள்சேர் புகழ்புரிந்தார் மாட்டு.

To be continued …………………………………..

–subham—

Tags-Tirukkural Encyclopaedia, Chapter 1,Tamil Veda, English Translations, Compiled by, London Swaminathan – Chapter 1, God, In praise of God, Kural 1 to 5, Valluvar image