The Councillor of State
.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
karuviyuṅ kālamuñ ceykaiyuñ ceyyu / maruviṉaiyu māṇṭa tamaiccu.
A true minister can judge together the means, the fitting time, the method, and the difficult undertaking to be carried out.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“A minister is he who grasps, with wisdom large, / Means, time, work's mode, and functions rare he must discharge.”
“Behold the man who judgeth aright the ways and means of achieving great enterprises and the proper season to commence them: he is the proper man for the Council.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கருவியும்= வினைசெய்யுங்கால் அதற்கு வேண்டுங் கருவிகளும்; காலமும்= அதற்கேற்ற காலமும்; செய்கையும்= அது செய்யுமாறும்; செய்யும் அருவினையும்= அவ்வாற்றிற் செய்யப்படும் அவ்வரிய வினைதானும்; மாண்டது அமைச்சு= வாய்ப்ப எண்ணவல்லவனே அமைச்சனாவான்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that a minister must be able to judge the resources needed for an action, the fitting time, the method from beginning through obstacle-removal to completion, and the difficult undertaking itself. Ministerial excellence lies in fitting all of these together.