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Tirukkural at her fingertips

By Swahilya

Selvabharathi

CHENNAI, MARCH 20. For A. Selvabharathi, daughter of an MTC bus conductor, Arunachala Pandian, learning to recite Tirukkural and study its meaning has been a passion even before she went to school.

In class VI, she learnt by heart all 1,330 couplets and participated in several competitions. Winning prizes seems to be her second nature.

Ask Selvabharathi to recite the 486th verse and she will begin, "Vilanguva Ukkam Udaiyan ..."

Questions posed at her — verses with animal names, bird names, the 1002nd verse —

are answered with ease. She has also learnt Tiruppavai, Thiruvembavai, Tirupallandu, Tirumandiram, Siva Puranam in Tiruvasagam. She is learning poems of Bharathiar and Bharathidasan, Desika Prabandham and Kanninum Siruthambu.

Now in class XI, Selvabharathi cherishes the Bharathiar and Tirukkural books gifted to her by the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, two years ago.

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