Thirukkural translations in Sanskrit (சமஸ்கிருதத்தில் திருக்குறள் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு)

Latin and Sanskrit, though dead for all practical rea- sons, still breathe through other living languages of their re- spective lineages. Being a classical language of great antiquity and a language that can boast an ocean of literature that no language can boast of. Sanskrit is one of the 22 official lan- guages of the Indian Republic, despite the fact that only less than 25,000 people are known to have Sanskrit as their moth- er tongue. Translators have taken great pride in translating ancient classics into Latin and Sanskrit, and the Thirukkural is not an exception.

Sanskrit and Tamil have a long history of close associa- tion as evident from the frequent references to both languages in Tamil literatures beginning with the Sangam period. Thiru- valluvar, being an astute scholar, did not hesitate to enrich his work with didactic ideas originating from all sources, including Sanskrit. The speciality of Thiruvalluvar is that he effectively cleanses the Aryan ideas with the spirit of Tamil ethos like no other poet has in the history of ethical literatures of the coun- try.

Close to 10 translations of the Kural have appeared in Sanskrit since the appearance of the first one by Appa Vajape- yin Dikshitar in 1922. In the last three years, two translations have come, one by V. Indrajithu in 2021 and the latest one by S. Rajagopalan in 2022. Some of the older Sanskrit trans- lations are available on the net. NVK Ashraf uploaded S.N. Srirama Desika’s translation in 2009 (available at http://kural- translations.blogspot.com/) and Govindarai Jain Shastri’s ren- dering is also available but in a PDF format (at https://archive. org/details/thirukkural_sanskrit_govindaraya_jain).

Thirukkural translation in Sanskrit by Rajagopalan

Thirukkural translation in Sanskrit by Indrajithu,V.

Other translations in Sanskrit:

• Appa Vajapeyin Suniti Kusuma Mala, Kumbakonam, Gururajachariar 1922. 2nd Edition by K.V. Subramaniya Sastri, Kumbakonam, Gopala Vilasa Press.
• Sankara Subramanya Sugati Ratnaakaraa. In the Journal: Sahridaya 1937-1940
•  Govindarai Jain Shastri. Tirukkural Part I and II Jhansi: Mohanrani Publication. 1942.
• Kalyan Ramanuja Chennai. 1956
• Srirama Desikan, S.N. Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural in Sanskrit Sarasa Kala Nilayam, Madras. First two books only in 1961 and in 1978 the complete translation.
• Author Tirukkural in Sanskrit with Tamil and English translations Part II, Lalita Publication, 1979
• Chakrapani Iyer, A. Tirukkural: Samskrutanuvadaha: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural in Sanskrit slokas. U.Ve. Caminataiyar Nulnilaiyam. 1983

Source: Thirukkural Translations in World Languages by ValaiTamil Publication