---
title: "Thirukkural on Ethics: Thiruvalluvar's GS4 Guide"
description: "The Thirukkural is Thiruvalluvar's Tamil treatise of 1,330 couplets on virtue and governance, widely cited in UPSC GS4 ethics for its secular moral code."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/thiruvalluvar-thirukkural-ethics"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Thirukkural is a classical Tamil ethical treatise of 1,330 couplets by Thiruvalluvar that codifies virtue, statecraft, and human conduct across secular, non-sectarian principles.
- Why is the Thirukkural relevant to UPSC General Studies Paper IV?
- How does the Thirukkural differ from Kautilya's Arthashastra?
- What are the three sections of the Thirukkural?
- Is the Thirukkural a religious text?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The Thirukkural is a classical Tamil ethical treatise of 1,330 couplets by Thiruvalluvar that codifies virtue, statecraft, and human conduct across secular, non-sectarian principles.

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In his 2019 Independence Day address, then-Tamil Nadu officials and national leaders cited the Thirukkural's couplets on justice and compassion to frame civil-service probity, and UPSC GS4 aspirants routinely quote them in ethics answer scripts.

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