Professor Maraimalai’s book about the Thirukkural is the result of a lifetime of studying Tamil and pondering the great Tamil classic about which he writes. He is specifically concerned with three areas: the importance and relevance of the work, the influence of Sanskritic and Brahmanical ideas on the Thirukkural, and the history of its reception in India and in the west. In considering these topics, he shows not only the excellence and importance of the work, but also its history through time.