A dusty trophy case isn’t needed when centuries-old wisdom keeps finding new audiences. Back in 1968, UNESCO’s General Conference passed a resolution praising the Tirukkural as a universal guide to virtue and ethics, and encouraged member states to translate it. That nod helped spark dozens of versions—from Finnish to Swahili—turning Thiruvalluvar’s short couplets into a truly global handbook on honesty, friendship and good governance.

Although the Kural hasn’t been inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register (which tends to focus on fragile manuscripts and archival treasures), its spirit has popped up in recent UNESCO events. Last World Poetry Day, a virtual session celebrated fresh English and Arabic renderings alongside verse by Rumi and Neruda. Earlier this year, UNESCO’s International Day of Multilingualism highlighted how Valluvar’s crisp lines echo in over forty tongues, bridging cultures in a way that feels especially relevant as today’s scholars debate AI ethics and digital well-being—topics Valluvar touched on, long before silicon chips.

Every nod from UNESCO reminds everyone that a handful of well-chosen words can steer human hearts toward kindness and civic sense. In a world hungry for guidance, the Tirukkural still holds court—not as a relic, but as a living conversation partner, one couplet at a time.