This research paper presents a detailed analysis of the chapter 'Kelvi' (Listening/Auditory Knowledge - Chapter 42) from the Thirukkural, authored by Thiruvalluvar over two thousand years ago, through the lens of modern Neurobiology, Cognitive Science, and Embryology.
The study compares modern medical data regarding how human learning begins in the womb between the 15th and 18th weeks of gestation, and how the fetal brain perceives the mother's heartbeat and external sounds. Specifically, this research explains—based on neural development and Neuroplasticity—why auditory knowledge is considered superior to knowledge gained through other senses.
Furthermore, the neurological connection between 'food for the ear' and 'food for the stomach' is validated through the modern concept of the 'Auditory-Gut-Brain Axis'. Data from the 'Framingham Heart Study (2025)' confirms the role of auditory learning in managing age-related memory disorders such as Dementia. Finally, this report utilizes Electroencephalography (EEG) studies to establish how the sense of hearing remains functional in a dying person even after other senses have ceased to operate.