Employing Spies
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maṟaintavai kēṭkavaṟ ṟāki yaṟintavai / yaiyappā ṭillatē yoṟṟu.
The true spy can learn concealed matters through those inside and can state what was learned without leaving the report in doubt.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“A spy must search each hidden matter out, / And full report must render, free from doubt.”
“Behold the man who can draw out secrets from others and whose information is ever unconfused and clear: he is the man for the work of intelligence.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
மறைந்தவை கேட்க வற்று ஆகி= ஒற்றப்பட்டார் மறையச்செய்த செயல்களை அவர்களுக்கு உள்ளாயினாரால் கேட்க வல்லனாய்; அறிந்தவை ஐயப்பாடு இல்லதே ஒற்று= கேட்டறிந்த செயல்களில் பின் ஐயப்படாது துணியவல்லவனே ஒற்றனாவான்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says a spy must be able to learn concealed acts from people inside the group under observation and then reach a clear conclusion about what was learned, without later wavering in doubt.