Justice Markandey Katju on Thiruvalluvar, the Tirukkural, and Tamil Nadu’s Enduring Legacy
Thiruvalluvar Day is observed on 16 January to honour the ancient Tamil saint and author of the Tirukkural. Justice Markandey Katju reflects on Thiruvalluvar’s universal teachings on virtue, governance, and ethical life, and extends greetings to the people of Tamil Nadu.
Thiruvalluvar Day
By Justice Markandey Katju
Today, 16th January 2026 is celebrated as Thiruvalluvar Day
Thiruvalluvar was an ancient Tamilian saint, philosopher and poet who wrote the widely acclaimed book called Thirukkural, about which the great Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi wrote '' Tamilnadu is known throughout the world because of Thirukkural ''.
The book consists of 1300 short couplets of seven words each. This treatise is divided into 3 books, with teachings on virtue, knowledge and wealth, and is considered one of the greatest works on a variety of topics, e.g. ethics, governance, economy, etc. It has influenced scholars, political leaders, jurists, etc in social, political, and philosophical spheres.
The entire text of the book is given in the links below :
On this occasion I send my greetings and best wishes to all my brothers and sisters in Tamilnadu. May they prosper, and make great contributions to the country, as they have done in the past.
