Thirukkural · அறத்துப்பால்

அறத்துப்பால்: the Book of Virtue

38 chapters · kurals 1 to 380

அறத்துப்பால் is the first part of the Thirukkural. Its 38 chapters (kurals 1 to 380) set out the ethics of a good life. It opens with four chapters of prologue (பாயிரவியல்), including the famous first chapter in praise of God and a chapter on the blessing of rain.

The part then moves through இல்லறவியல், the virtues of household life such as love, hospitality, gratitude and patience, and துறவறவியல், the virtues of the renunciant such as compassion, truthfulness and non-killing. It closes with a single chapter on fate (ஊழ்). Many of the kurals most often quoted in schools and exams, on gratitude (செய்ந்நன்றி அறிதல்) and on not coveting (வெஃகாமை), come from this part.

For TNPSC aspirants this is the part to read first. The syllabus describes Thirukkural as secular literature with relevance to everyday life, and அறத்துப்பால் is where that relevance is plainest: its chapters on speech, anger, envy and kindness turn up again and again as quotations in Tamil textbooks and question papers.

Find your weak TNPSC units before the exam does

Take a free TNPSC assessment on PrepMatic. It shows where you stand across General Tamil, General Studies and Aptitude, then builds a day-by-day study plan and mock tests focused on your weak subjects.

Start free assessment →Free forever plan · No credit card · 2-minute setup