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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.
Amid the high-level diplomatic engagements, Modi presented Putin with a copy of the Thirukkural in Russian, a Tamil literary classic whose teachings have travelled far beyond the language and region in which it was written. The book seen in the photograph is the Russian translation of Thirukkural, published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) in 2026. CICT’s catalogue lists Naira Mkrtchyan as the translator of the Russian edition.
Which book did PM Modi gift Putin?
The book is Thirukkural, also known as the Kural, written by the ancient Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. The edition shown in the photograph is titled Thirukkural – Text, Transliteration and Translation and carries Russian text alongside the Tamil title. The cover identifies Thiruvalluvar as the author and Naira Mkrtchyan as the translator.
CICT’s official publication catalogue lists the Russian edition as a 2026 publication. It identifies Naira Mkrtchyan as the translator and describes the book as the Russian translation of the Thirukkural.
What is Thirukkural about?
The Thirukkural is one of the best-known works of classical Tamil literature. It consists of 1,330 short couplets arranged across 133 chapters, with the work divided into three broad sections dealing with virtue, wealth and love.
The first section, Aram, deals with virtue, morality and ethical conduct. The second, Porul, explores wealth, social life, governance, leadership and political responsibility. The third, Inbam, deals with love, courtship and relationships. Together, the three sections touch on personal conduct as well as wider questions of social and public life.
What makes the work particularly distinctive is its brevity. Each Kural expresses an idea in just a couplet, yet the themes range from family life and friendship to justice, leadership, compassion and human relationships. CICT describes the work as a classic whose teachings have a universal character, rather than being confined to one particular community or culture.
Who was Thiruvalluvar?
Thiruvalluvar, also known simply as Valluvar, is regarded as the author of the Thirukkural and is one of the most celebrated figures in Tamil literary tradition. His work has endured for centuries because its central concerns are not limited to one period or society. Questions of ethical behaviour, good governance, relationships and responsible living remain at the heart of the text.
The CICT notes that the Thirukkural contains 1,330 verses dealing with a wide range of human traits, virtues, emotions, actions and relationships. Its compact couplets have consequently been translated and interpreted across languages and cultures.
A literary gesture during a major diplomatic visit
The Russian-language Thirukkural adds a cultural dimension to Modi and Putin’s latest meeting, alongside the political and strategic discussions taking place during the Russian president’s India visit. The two leaders have described the India-Russia relationship as a special and privileged strategic partnership, with cooperation spanning areas including defence, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people ties.
The gift also follows a broader pattern of India presenting Indian literary works to international leaders. In December 2025, Modi had presented Putin with a Russian-language copy of the Bhagavad Gita, saying its teachings have inspired millions around the world.
(With inputs from Vijai Laxmi)
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