Tiruvalluvar

(5th–6th c.) According to tradition, the
author of the Tirukkural, one of the
most important pieces of early Tamil literature. The Tirukkural is a collection of
brief verses on religious, social, and
moral life, organized according to various themes. Many of these epigrams
have become proverbial expressions in
Tamil and have become the cultural
property of Tamils from all religious
communities. See also Tamil language
and Tamil epics.