Choosing People for Responsibilities
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Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
naṉmaiyun tīmaiyu nāṭi nalampurinta / taṉmaiyā ṉāḷap paṭum.
One who weighs both benefit and harm, and whose disposition chooses what is good, should be entrusted with responsibility.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who good and evil scanning, ever makes the good his joy; / Such man of virtuous mood should king employ.”
“Behold the man that seeth the good and seeth the evil also and chooseth only that which is good: employ thou him in thy service.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நன்மையும் தீமையும் நாடி= அரசன் முதற்கண் ஒருவினையைத் தன்கண் வைத்தால், அதன்கண் ஆவனவும் ஆகாதனவும் ஆய செயல்களை ஆராய்ந்தறிந்து; நலம்புரிந்த தன்மையான்= அவற்றுள் ஆவனவற்றையே விரும்பிய இயல்பினை உடையான்; ஆளப்படும்= பின் அவனாற் சிறந்த வினைகளிலே ஆளப்படும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that, before a king assigns a task to someone, he should see whether that person can examine which actions within it are fitting and which are not. A person whose settled disposition favours the beneficial course may then be employed in important responsibilities.