The Majesty of a King
"இயற்றலு தரசு"
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"iyaṟṟalu mīṭṭaluṅ kāttaluṅ kātta / vakuttalum valla taracu"
A capable ruler creates sources of revenue, gathers resources, safeguards what has been gathered, and distributes what was protected for proper purposes.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“A king is he who treasure gains, stores up, defends, / And duly for his kingdom's weal expends.”
“The prince shall know how to develop the resources of his kingdom and how to enrich his treasury: how to preserve his wealth and how to spend it worthily.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
இயற்றலும் = தனக்குப் பொருள்கள் வரும் வழிகளை மேன்மேல் உளவாக்கலும்:; ஈட்டலும் = அங்ஙனம் வந்தவற்றை ஒருவழித் தொகுத்தலும்; காத்தலும் = தொகுத்தவற்றைப் பிறர் கொள்ளாமல் காத்தலும்; காத்த வகுத்தலும் = காத்தவற்றை அறம் பொருள் இன்பங்களின் பொருட்டு விடுத்தலும்; வல்லது அரசு = வல்லவனே அரசன் என்றவாறு.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar sets out four public-finance tasks: develop lawful sources, collect, protect the treasury, and release it for virtue, material welfare, and legitimate enjoyment. Modern application requires taxation by law, transparency, independent audit, equitable budgeting, and public benefit—not extraction, hoarding, corruption, patronage, or treating state wealth as a ruler's property.