Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi as India stages the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13. Putin arrived in the capital on Friday for the summit and is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Modi, with the two leaders expected to discuss a range of issues concerning the India-Russia strategic partnership.
Modi presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, a classic of Tamil literature whose teachings have traveled far beyond the language and region where it was written. The book in the picture is the Russian translation of Thirukkural published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) in 2026. In CICT’s catalog Naira Mkrtchyan is listed as the translator of the Russian edition.
Which book PM Modi gifts to Putin?
Thirukkural or Kural is a work written by the ancient Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. The edition shown in the photo is entitled Thirukkural - Text, Transliteration and Translation and has the Russian text as well as the Tamil title. The author is given as Thiruvalluvar, the translator as Naira Mkrtchyan.
The CICT’s official publication catalog indicates the Russian edition’s release in 2026. Translator: Naira Mkrtchyan About the book: Russian translation of Thirukkural.
What is Thirukkural?
The Thirukkural is one of the most widely read works of classical Tamil literature. It consists of 1,330 short couplets, arranged in 133 chapters. The work is divided in three broad sections that deal with virtue, wealth and love.
The first part is called Aram, it deals with virtue, morality and ethical conduct. The second, Porul, is concerned with wealth, social life, governance, leadership and political responsibility. The third one, Inbam, is about love, courtship and relationships. The three sections discuss personal behavior as well as broader issues of social and public life.
The work is particularly distinctive because of its brevity. Each Kural expresses an idea in a couplet, but the themes range from family life and friendship to justice, leadership, compassion and human relations. CICT describes the work as a classic whose teachings are of a universal character and not limited to one particular community or culture.
Who was Thiruvalluvar?
Thiruvalluvar is the author of the Thirukkural . He is also called as Valluvar . He is one of the most celebrated figures in Tamil literary tradition . His work has lasted centuries because the central concerns of his work are not limited to one period or society. Central to the text are questions of ethical behavior, good governance, relationships and responsible living.
The Thirukkural, the CICT notes, contains 1,330 verses on a wide variety of human traits, virtues, emotions, actions and relationships. The compact couplets have thus been translated, interpreted in different languages and cultures.
Literary gesture on a major diplomatic tour
Besides the political and strategic talks that are taking place during Russian President’s visit to India, the Russian rendition of the Thirukkural brings in a cultural element to the latest meeting of Modi and Putin. The two leaders called the India-Russia relationship a special and privileged strategic partnership, with cooperation in defense, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people ties.
The gift is also part of a wider trend of India gifting Indian literary works to global leaders. During an official visit to Moscow in December 2025, Modi had given Putin a Russian-language copy of the Bhagavad Gita, stating that its teachings had inspired millions around the world.
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