Employing Spies
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ellārkku mella nikaḻpavai yeññāṉṟum / vallaṟital vēntaṉ ṟoḻil.
Swiftly learning, day by day, everything that happens among everyone is the king's proper duty.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Each day, of every subject every deed, / 'Tis duty of the king to learn with speed.”
“It is the duty of the prince to learn betimes everything that befalleth every man and every day.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
எல்லார்க்கும் எல்லாம் நிகழ்பவை எஞ்ஞான்றும் வல் அறிதல்= எல்லார்கண்ணும் நிகழ்வன எல்லாவற்றையும், நாள்தோறும் ஒற்றான் விரைந்தறிதல்; வேந்தன் தொழில்= அரசனுக்கு உரிய தொழில்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says that it is the king's proper function to learn swiftly, through spies and every day, all that occurs among all his subjects.