# CXII: In Praise of Her Beauty explained — The Kural

> Chapter companion for The Kural by Thiruvalluvar.

## What happens

The chapter is a poetic praise of the beloved's beauty, comparing her features to flowers, the moon, and other natural elements, emphasizing her unmatched grace and the lover's deep admiration.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Marriage

The chapter celebrates romantic love and the beauty of the beloved, a key aspect of marital devotion.

### The Vanity of Worldly Life

The intense focus on physical beauty hints at the transient nature of worldly attractions, contrasting with spiritual values.

## Character check-ins

### Thiruvalluvar

Author of the Kural, likely the speaker praising the beloved's beauty.

### the Kural

The text containing this poetic chapter on beauty.

## Key lines

> Soft art thou, O blest anitcha flower! but tenderer than thyself is she on whom my heart is set.

The anitcha flower is soft, but the beloved is even softer and more delicate.

_Comparison of the beloved's tenderness to a flower._

> Her arm is as the bamboo; her body is as the tender leaf; her smile is a very pearl; the sweetest of odours is in her breath; and her eye is piercing as the lance.

Her limbs are like bamboo and leaves, her smile like a pearl, her breath fragrant, and her gaze sharp.

_Detailed metaphorical description of the beloved's physical attributes._

> The stars of the heavens wander from their spheres for that they cannot tell which is the moon and which her face.

The stars are confused, unable to distinguish between the moon and her face.

_Hyperbole emphasizing the beloved's radiant beauty._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_kural_se/chapters/cxii-in-praise-of-her-beauty
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_kural_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_kural_se/chapters