Thirukkural - A Veritable Treatise on Leadership Nostrums

N.R.  Aravamudhan; Avinash Chandra  Supkar

doi:10.21844/16202115202

N.R. Aravamudhan Professor, Indus Business Academy, Bangalore, India
Avinash Chandra Supkar Professor, School of Management Sciences, Varanasi, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21844/16202115202

Keywords: Thirukkural, leadership, Governance, Administration, Management Style

Abstract

Thirukkural is one of the most consequential works in the realm of Tamil literature. Awashed in blistering insight and an unremitting fount of wisdom, Thirukkural is the most celebrated literature in Tamil. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to consider Thirukkural as a scripture that governs and guides people to lead a worthy life. Strung together as 1330 Couplets, Thirukkural contains 133 chapters each comprising 10 couplets. Each couplet of this classic is steeped in profound meaning and holds rich lessons for all aspects of life. Every chapter deals with a specific topic that expounds on the various facets of life. Undoubtedly, Thirukkural has stood the test of time for over 2000 years and serves as a moral compass for mankind to this day. There is hardly any area of human life that remains untouched by Thirukkural. Admittedly, Leadership themes are no exception. Many couplets in Thirukkural bristle with deep meaning that resonate with the modern-day concept of leadership. Thus, this paper shines more light on how the pithy aphorisms of Thirukkural can be applied to the context of leadership that will leave one rich with granular clarity and a profound understanding.