Why in the News?
On Thiruvalluvar Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Thiruvalluvar, highlighting the timeless relevance of his ideals and urging people to read the Tirukkural.
About Thiruvalluvar
- Celebrated Tamil poet philosopher of the Sangam age
- Believed to have lived around 2000 years ago
- Associated with Mylapore in present day Chennai
- Also known as Valluvar
- Revered as a saint across South India
- In some traditions regarded as an incarnation of Brahma
Social and Religious Context
- Lived during a period when Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism coexisted
- Scholars associate him with Jainism or Hinduism
- Demonstrated that householder life can lead to spiritual excellence
- Rejected the necessity of renunciation for moral and spiritual attainment
Prelims Pointers
- Tirukkural has 1330 couplets
- Official birth year recognised as 31 BCE
- Associated with Sangam literature
- Emphasised ethics, governance, and social harmony
- Revered across religious traditions
| [2020] Which one of the following statements about Sangam literature in ancient South India is correct?
(a) Sangam poems are devoid of any reference to material culture (b) The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets (c) Sangam poems have no reference to warrior ethic (d) Sangam literature refers to magical forces as irrational |
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