# Thirukkural and the ethical works: the twenty syllabus chapters and the eighteen minor works

> These study notes explain Thirukkural and ethical works for the Group 4 / VAO (Combined Civil Services Examination-IV) exam in plain language: the same reviewed notes the TNPSC Guide app shows, published by our editors with their source. Read the key points first, then practise the unit's questions. For exam facts such as dates and vacancies, always check tnpsc.gov.in.

Last updated: 2026-11-02 · By TNPSC Guide editorial team
URL: https://www.tnpscguide.com/exams/group-4/notes/tamil-literature-thirukkural

## Why the exam asks this

The previous-year questions came in these kinds: the simile a kural gives (2024 Q20; 2025 Q100); the figure of speech in a kural (2024 Q22, the Nandriyil Selvam chapter, class 10 appendix, page 235; answer: uvamaiyani); an assertion-reason, a sentence completion or a word meaning built on a kural's thought (2025 Q49, Q50, Q51); an ethical work's medicine, the work a line comes from, or an author's personal name (2025 Q47, Q48, Q99). Their final answer keys are below. The answers to 2024 Q21, Q23, Q75, Q77 and 2025 Q49 are not in this lesson.

**Answers to the previous-year questions**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| those like useless barren land (2024, Q20) | the unlearned; chapter Kallaamai, kural 406 |
| 'mannodiyaintha maraththanaiyar' (2025, Q100) | those without compassion; chapter Kannottam, kural 576 |
| one able to say clearly before the learned what he has learnt (2025, Q50) | is honoured as most learned among the learned; chapter Avaiyanjaamai, kural 722 |
| meaning of the word 'thaguthiyaan' (2025, Q51) | patience; chapter Poraiyudaimai, class 9 appendix, page 254 |
| the medicine not in the Elathi (2025, Q47) | kandangaththiri; it is a root of the Sirupanchamoolam |
| the work with "thootrin kan thooviya viththu" (2025, Q48) | Thirikadugam; verse 80 |
| the personal name of the Nanmanikkadigai's author (2025, Q99) | Naganar (the author is Vilambi Naganar) |

## The name and its glory

Thiru + kural = Thirukkural. It got this name as a work made of excellent kural venbas; a kural is a two-line venba, and thiru is an honorific prefix. The Thirukkural is praised as the common scripture of the world, an ethical classic and the Tamils' sacred book; it has been translated into English, Latin, Greek and other languages. In the proverb 'Aalum velum pallukkuruthi, naalum irandum sollukkuruthi', 'naalu' means the Naladiyar and 'irandu' the Thirukkural. The Tamil Nadu government has set up a 133-foot statue of Thiruvalluvar at Kanniyakumari; Thiruvalluvar University has been set up at Vellore. Example: Valluvar's statue at Kanniyakumari is 133 feet high; the Thirukkural also has 133 chapters; remember the two together.

**Poets who praised Valluvar**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Bharathiyar | "Valluvan thannai ulaginukke thanthu vaanpugazh konda Tamizhnaadu" |
| Bharathidasan | "Valluvanaip petrathaal petrathe pugazh vaiyagame" |

## Paals and iyals

The three paals of the Thirukkural are divided into iyals. Araththuppaal has 38 chapters, Porutpaal 70 and Inbaththuppaal 25; in all 133 chapters and 9 iyals. The Thirukkural commentary in the appendix of the school textbooks is Dr Va.Suba. Manickanar's 'Eliya Urai'. Example: just as a house has rooms, each paal is made of some iyals, and each iyal of some chapters.

**Chapters per iyal**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Araththuppaal (38) | Paayiraviyal 4, Illaraviyal 20, Thuravaraviyal 13, Oozhiyal 1 |
| Porutpaal (70) | Arasiyal 25, Amaichchiyal 32, Ozhibiyal 13 |
| Inbaththuppaal (25) | Kalaviyal 7, Karpiyal 18 |
| Total | 133 chapters, 9 iyals |

**The twenty syllabus chapters**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Aran Valiyuruththal | 4 (class 6 appendix) |
| Anbudaimai (TVA heading 'Anbu Udaimai') | 8 (kurals 71-80) |
| Virunthombal (TVA heading 'Virunthu Ombal') | 9 (kurals 81-90) |
| Naduvunilaimai (syllabus 'Nadunilaimai') | 12 (class 8 appendix) |
| Ozhukkamudaimai | 14 (class 10 appendix) |
| Poraiyudaimai | 16 (class 9 appendix) |
| Purangooraamai | 19 (class 7 appendix) |
| Eegai | 23 (kurals 221-230) |
| Aruludaimai | 25 (class 7 appendix) |
| Koodaa Ozhukkam | 28 (class 8 appendix) |
| Kalvi | 40 (kurals 391-400) |
| Kallaamai | 41 (class 8 appendix) |
| Periyaaraith Thunaikkodal | 45 (class 10 appendix) |
| Sengonmai | 55 (class 8 appendix) |
| Kannottam | 58 (class 10 appendix) |
| Ookkamudaimai (TVA heading 'Ookkam Udaimai') | 60 (kurals 591-600) |
| Vinai Seyalvagai (TVA heading 'Vinai Seyal Vagai') | 68 (kurals 671-680) |
| Avaiyanjaamai (TVA heading 'Avai Anjaamai') | 73 (kurals 721-730) |
| Natpu Aaraaithal (syllabus 'Natpaaraaithal') | 80 (class 8 appendix) |
| Panpudaimai | 100 (class 8 appendix) |

## Neighbouring chapters

Some chapters come at neighbouring numbers; remember them in pairs. Anbudaimai 8, Virunthombal 9; Kalvi 40, Kallaamai 41; Sengonmai 55, Kodungonmai 56, Veruvantha Seyyaamai 57, Kannottam 58; Natpu 79, Natpu Aaraaithal 80. Koodaa Ozhukkam is chapter 28 (Araththuppaal); Koodaa Natpu is chapter 83 (Porutpaal); both begin with 'koodaa', so they get swapped. Example: just as you think of two classmates with neighbouring roll numbers together, say 40 Kalvi, 41 Kallaamai together.

## Similes of Araththuppaal

Naduvunilaimai (kural 118): like the balance that weighs evenly, not leaning to one side is the beauty of the noble. Its last kural (kural 120): to guard others' goods as one's own is good trade for traders. Koodaa Ozhukkam (kural 273): the ascetic garb of one without self-control is like a cow grazing under a tiger's skin. Doing evil hidden in a disguise is like a hunter hiding in a bush to catch birds (kural 274). If one gives up conduct the world blames, there is no need to shave the head or grow matted hair (kural 280). Example: when you see a balance standing level at the market, recall the Naduvunilaimai chapter. These explanations give the thought of the simple commentary. 2024 Q20 and 2025 Q100 both asked for the simile, not the commentary's words.

## Similes of Porutpaal

As living beings live looking to the rain, the people live looking to the king's just sceptre (kural 542). What gives a king victory is not the spear but the unbent sceptre (kural 546). Punishing the wicked is like weeding a crop (kural 550). The unlearned are like barren land, of no use beyond being alive (Kallaamai, kural 406). Those without compassion though they have eyes are like a tree rooted in the soil that does not grow (Kannottam, kural 576). Example: when you see weeding in a field, recall kural 550, which likens punishing the wicked to weeding.

**Seven kurals from the TVA text**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Anbudaimai, kural 71 (first kural) | "Anbirkum undo, adaikkum thaazh? Aarvalar punkanneer poosal tharum" |
| Virunthombal, kural 90 (last kural, the anicham simile) | "Moppak kuzhaiyum anichcham; mugam thirinthu nokkak kuzhaiyum virunthu" |
| Eegai, kural 221 (the definition of giving) | "Variyaarkku ondru eevathe eegai; matru ellaam kuriyethirppai neerathu udaiththu" |
| Kalvi, kural 391 (first kural) | "Karka, kasadu ara, karpavai! Katrapin, nirka, atharkuth thaga!" |
| Ookkamudaimai, kural 595 (the lotus-stalk simile) | "Vellaththu anaiya, malar neettam; maanthartham ullaththu anaiyathu, uyarvu" |
| Vinai Seyalvagai, kural 675 (the five to weigh before acting) | "Porul, karuvi, kaalam, vinai, idanodu ainthum irul theera ennich seyal!" |
| Avaiyanjaamai, kural 722 (second kural) | "Katraarul katraar enappaduvar katraarmun katra selach solluvaar" |

## The eighteen minor works and the medicine-named works

The ethical works that came after the Sangam literature are the eighteen minor works (Pathinen Keezhkkanakku); among them are works that give three, five or six thoughts in one verse. Thirikadugam, Sirupanchamoolam and Elathi are named after medicines; each verse gives three, five and six thoughts respectively. Thirikadugam is sukku, milagu and thippili. Sirupanchamoolam is the five small roots kandangaththiri, siruvazhuthunai, sirumalli, perumalli and nerunji. Elathi is a powder of the six things elam, ilavangappattai, naagakesaram, milagu, thippili and sukku, mixed in one to six parts in that order. Example: sukku, milagu and thippili are kitchen items; they are in both the Thirikadugam and the Elathi; kandangaththiri is only in the Sirupanchamoolam.

**Authors of the ethical works**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Sirupanchamoolam | Kariyasan; a student of Makkaayanar, a Tamil teacher of Madurai; Kaari is the name, aasaan the profession; the preface calls him 'Maakkaariyaasaan' (class 9, page 134) |
| Sirupanchamoolam, verse 22 | 'Poovaathu kaaikkum maram ula' (class 9, page 133) |
| Thirikadugam | Nallaathanar ('Aathanar' the name, 'nal' the prefix); a hundred verses without the invocation; verse 80 has 'Thootrinkan thooviya viththu' (TVA preface) |
| Thirikadugam, verse 11 | the one beginning 'Kanakkaayar illaatha oorum' (class 11, page 95) |
| Elathi | Kanimethaviyar (Kanimethai); taken as a Jain because he praises Arugan; he also wrote the Thinaimaalai Nootraimbathu; he too was a student of Makkaayanar; each verse gives six thoughts (TVA preface) |
| Nanmanikkadigai | Vilambi Naganar; 'Naganar' may be taken as the personal name and 'Vilambi' as the place name; taken as a Vaishnava because both invocations sing of Maayavan (TVA preface) |
| Inna Narpathu | Kabila Thevar, later than the Sangam Kabilar, friend of Paari; forty verses without the invocation (TVA preface) |

## What the names mean

Nanmanikkadigai means four pieces of gem (kadigai = piece); each verse gives four matching thoughts; there are 101 verses besides the two invocations. Each verse of the Inna Narpathu names four things that cause suffering as 'innaa'. Four works of the minor works are named 'narpathu': Kaar Narpathu (agam), Kalavazhi Narpathu (puram), Inna Narpathu and Iniyavai Narpathu (aram). In Muthumozhikkanchi, 'muthumozhi' means proverb; it is said to be a work stringing many proverbs, like a kaanji ornament stringing many gems; the venba that lists the eighteen minor works calls it just 'Kaanji'. Example: as gems are strung into a garland, the Muthumozhikkanchi strings proverbs together.

**Other ethical works in the textbooks**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Neethineri Vilakkam | Kumaragurubarar; 102 venbas with the invocation; 'Kalvi azhage azhagu' is its verse 13 (class 8, page 70) |
| Naladiyar | the verse beginning 'Kalvi karaiyila karpavar naalsila' (class 8, page 71) |
| Vetrivetkai (Narunthogai) | Athiveerarama Pandiyar, king of Korkai (class 10, page 55) |
| Neethi Venba | Ka.Pa. Seigu Thambi Pavalar (class 10, page 106) |
| Pazhamozhi Nanooru | says of the giving of Paari and Pegan, 'arimadamum saandrorkku ani' (class 12, page 203) |
| Aathichoodi, Kondraivendhan | read by children; arranged in alphabetical order (class 12, page 82) |

> **Exam tip:** Memory hooks
'Naalum irandum': naalu is the Naladiyar, irandu the Thirukkural. 38, 70, 25 = 133. The medicine-named works give three, five and six: Thirikadugam (Nallaathanar), Sirupanchamoolam (Kariyasan), Elathi (Kanimethaviyar). Four thoughts a verse: Nanmanikkadigai (Vilambi Naganar), Inna Narpathu (Kabila Thevar). Of the twenty syllabus chapters, those that end in 'udaimai': Anbudaimai 8, Ozhukkamudaimai 14, Poraiyudaimai 16, Aruludaimai 25, Ookkamudaimai 60, Panpudaimai 100.

**Easy to confuse**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Naduvunilaimai / Nadunilaimai | textbook spelling / syllabus spelling; both chapter 12 |
| Natpu Aaraaithal / Natpaaraaithal | textbook spelling / syllabus spelling; both chapter 80 |
| Vinai Seyalvagai / Vinai Seyal Vagai | syllabus spelling / TVA heading; both chapter 68 |
| Ozhukkam Udaimai, Arul Udaimai | printed with a space in the appendix (class 10, page 230; class 7, page 76); both are right; do not change an answer because of the space |
| Koodaa Ozhukkam / Koodaa Natpu | chapter 28, Araththuppaal / chapter 83, Porutpaal |
| Natpu / Natpu Aaraaithal | chapter 79 / chapter 80 |
| Amaichchiyal / Arasiyal | 32 chapters, the largest iyal / 25 chapters |
| Thuravaraviyal / Ozhibiyal | 13 chapters each |
| kandangaththiri | a Sirupanchamoolam root, not an Elathi ingredient |
| sirunaavarpoo (the fourth option of 2025 Q47) | the TVA preface's Elathi list does not have this name (it has naagakesaram); this lesson's sources do not say whether the two are the same; the final key is kandangaththiri alone |
| sukku, milagu, thippili | in both the Thirikadugam and the Elathi |
| Kabila Thevar of the Inna Narpathu / the Sangam Kabilar | later / friend of Paari; not the same person |
| Neethineri Vilakkam / Neethi Venba | Kumaragurubarar / Seigu Thambi Pavalar |

> **Exam tip:** Quick check
1. Which chapter of the Thirukkural is 'Vinai Seyalvagai'? Answer: 68.
2. Who wrote the Elathi? Answer: Kanimethaviyar.
3. What is the personal name of the Nanmanikkadigai's author? Answer: Naganar.
4. Whom does Valluvar call like useless barren land? Answer: the unlearned.
5. In the proverb 'naalum irandum', what does 'irandu' mean? Answer: the Thirukkural.

Source: தமிழ், ஆறாம் வகுப்பு, முதல் பருவம், தொகுதி 1 (Tamil, Standard VI, Term I, Volume 1; Samacheer Kalvi) (12ஆம் வகுப்புப் பொதுத் தமிழ், இயல் 3 திருக்குறள் (நூல்வெளி), பக்கம் 76, இயல் 4, பக்கம் 82, இயல் 8, பக்கம் 203; 11ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், இயல் 4, பக்கம் 95; திருக்குறள் எளிய உரை (பின்னிணைப்பு): 6ஆம் வகுப்பு, முதல் பருவம், பக்கம் 78; 7ஆம் வகுப்பு, முதல் பருவம், பக்கம் 75-76; 8ஆம் வகுப்பு, பக்கம் 214-221; 9ஆம் வகுப்பு, பக்கம் 254; 10ஆம் வகுப்பு, பக்கம் 230-235; 9ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், இயல் 5 சிறுபஞ்சமூலம், பக்கம் 133-134; 8ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், இயல் 4, பக்கம் 70-71; 10ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், இயல் 3, பக்கம் 55, இயல் 5, பக்கம் 106; தமிழ் இணையக் கல்விக்கழகம் (2026-10-20 அன்று சேமித்த பக்கங்கள்): அதிகாரங்கள் 8, 9, 23, 40, 60, 68, 73; திரிகடுகம், ஏலாதி, நான்மணிக்கடிகை, இன்னா நாற்பது, முதுமொழிக்காஞ்சி முகவுரைகள்)

## Sources

- [Official syllabus page](https://www.tnpsc.gov.in/english/syllabus.html)
- [Notifications](https://www.tnpsc.gov.in/English/Notification.aspx)