Justice Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court recently recited a Thirukkural verse on the importance of impartiality for the musical series '1330 Melodies' released on musician Lydian Nadhaswaram’s official YouTube channel.
Justice Venkatesh sang the couplet “சமன்செய்து சீர்தூக்குங் கோல்போல் அமைந்தொருபால் கோடாமை சான்றோர்க் கணி” (Kural 113), translated as “Like the balance that weighs both sides evenly, impartiality is the true ornament of the wise.”
The verse compares fairness to a weighing scale that remains steady only when balanced, underscoring the ideal of equanimity as a mark of wisdom.
The Thirukkural, composed over two millennia ago, is among the foundational texts of Tamil literature. It comprises 1,330 couplets that address moral, social and political conduct across three sections—virtue, wealth and love. The work continues to be cited for its ethical and philosophical significance.
The text continues to inform ethical and philosophical discourse, including in judicial reasoning in Tamil Nadu.
Notably, the Supreme Court, in Kaushal Kishor v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2023), cited the Thirukkural in a Constitution Bench judgment authored by Justice V Ramasubramanian while discussing the contours of freedom of speech and expression of law makers.
The video featuring Justice Venkatesh’s rendition was released as part of a musical initiative interpreting the Thirukkural through contemporary performance. Other prominent personalities who have lent their voice for this project include singers Shankar Mahadevan, KS Chithra and musician Deva.