Rationalist observations in Kalaignar's commentary on the Thirukkural

Abstract

Thirukkural is revered as the most outstanding ethical text in Tamil. Its concise language and principles of life have been praised by scholars throughout the ages. While scholars like the eminent Dr. V. Suba. Manickanar believed that Thirukkural verses require no commentary as they are inherently understandable, numerous commentaries have emerged from then until today. Among these, a tendency has grown for many commentators to attempt to transform their biased opinions and ideologies into the words of Valluvar. In such a context, new commentaries become necessary to convey the true ethics of the Thirukkural, provide progressive interpretations suitable for the times, and refute commentaries that foster regressive thinking. With this objective in mind, Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, a Dravidian movement thinker and Tamil scholar, wrote a new commentary on the Thirukkural. Kalaignar approached the Thirukkural with a rationalist perspective, one of the core principles of the Dravidian movement, including the rejection of superstition, social justice, and humanism. This article aims to deeply analyze the rationalist thoughts recorded in Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi's commentary on the Thirukkural. Through explanatory analysis of specific couplets and the commentaries provided by Kalaignar, this article explores how his commentary differs from traditional commentaries and promotes progressive thinking with a rationalist leaning.