Famous Quotes from Thirukkural

• Smile, with patience, hopeful heart, in troublous hour and vanquish grief; nothing hath equal power. (Kural No.: 621)

• The stalks of water-flowers are proportionate to the depth of water; so is men's greatness proportionate to their minds (Knowledge). (Kural No.: 595)

• Defer not virtue(The quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong) to another day; receive her now; and at the dying hour she will be your undying friend. (Kural No.: 36)

• Avoid an act which you may repent later; If done by mistake, better not to repeat it. (Kural No.: 655)

• He that is reduced to absolute poverty will be regarded as a stranger even by his own mother.(Kural No.: 1047)

• Friendship is not just a smile on the face; It is what is felt deep within a smiling heart. (Kural No.: 786)

• True friends guard you from evil, make you walk in right path and share your sorrow in difficult times. (Kural No.: 787)

• Excessive or deficient food or activity causes disorders in mobility, breathing and digestion. (Kural No.: 941)

• Though the world goes round with many activities, it is dependent on agriculture. Hence, though laborious, farming is the foremost activity. (Kural No.: 1031)

• Agriculturists are the linchpin of the mankind since they support all others who cannot till the soil. (Kural No.: 1032)

• The learned teacher makes you enjoy learning; On leaving, makes you to keep thinking of his teaching. (Kural No.: 394)

• Think and then undertake the work; to think after commencement will bring disgrace. (Kural No.: 467)

• Determined efforts result in prosperity; Idleness will bring nothing. (Kural No.: 616)

• Water will flow from a well in the sand in proportion to the depth to which it is dug, and knowledge will flow from a man in proportion to his learning. (Kural No.: 396)

• As water changes (its nature), from the nature of the soil (in which it flows), so will the character of men resemble that of their associates. (Kural No.: 452)

• If wealth be in the possession of a man who has the great excellence (of benevolence), it is like a tree which as a medicine is an infallible cure for disease. (Kural No.: 217)

• Let (one) weigh well the strength of the deed (he purposes to do), his own strength, the strength of his enemy, and the strength of the allies (of both), and then let him act. (Kural No.: 471)

• The axle tree of a bandy, loaded only with peacocks' feathers will break, if it be greatly overloaded. (Kural No.: 475)

• Let the thoughts be always great and progressive. It will not be a loss, even if the success eludes(fails). (Kural No.: 596)

• There is no need of a shaven head, nor of tangled long hair, if a man abstain from those deeds which the wise have condemned. (Kural No.: 280)

• A fool can procure in a single birth a hell into which he may enter and suffer through all the seven births. (Kural No.: 835)

• All human beings agree as regards their birth but differ as regards their characteristics, because of the different qualities of their actions. (Kural No.: 972)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirukkural#Famous_Quotes_from_Thirukkural

My Friend Subramanian R garu wants to add few more points

TirukuraL is one of the oldest works in Tamizh, dated as 3rd Century AD. It is a book of ethics.TiruvaLLuvar speaks only about Dharma, Artha and Kama. He does
not say anything about Moksha, Veedu in Tamil. He perhaps felt that if one could perform the functions of dharma, artha and kama, he will get Moksha. I do not agree with this. The one who does dharma, artha and kama may get Heavens but not liberation.

I like the Kural 655 very much. He says one has to think the pros and cons before entering the performance of a karma., After starting the performance of a karma, if one thinks, whether it is good or bad, will only be lowly and miserable.

TiruvaLLuvar's religion is considered to be Buddhist or Jainism or Hindu. But I feel he is a Hindu Brahmin. He speaks about god in different ways in his invocatory verses. He calls him as Vaalarivan, of great Knowledge, Chit. He also says he is engunattan, of 8 characteristics, i.e. as described in Sri Dakshinamurty Stotram of Sri Sankara. He also speaks about non-injury to other living beings. And about Yagas (sacrifices) without killing animals. Hence I consider him as Hindu Brahmin.

TirukuraL has been published by many Tamil publishers. There are editions with concessional price also. There are 10 commentaries for TirukuraL. The one by Parimelazhagar, is said to be the best.

In the Theme Song of Tamil Meet, Mr. Karunanidhi quotes one TirukuraL and got into trouble. It says Pirappokkum ella oyirkum... which means, there is birth which is common to all human beings. Mr. K says it is saying universal brotherhood and no castes. This is wrong as per Parimelazhagar. The commentator says that only
birth alone is common. But vasanas, are different. Hence one could grow up as good or bad. One may do good merits or do sins.One may be born as Brahmin or a non Brahmin. Only the birth is common to all. What happens afterwards, is dependent on one's vasanas and prarabdha.

TiruvaLLuvar also speaks about oozh vinai i.e prarabdha, the carry bag of our good deeds and bad deeds of earlier births. Hence he is definitely a Hindu Brahmin. The other religions do not speak much about prarabdha.