Written by London Swaminathan
Post No. 16,342
Date uploaded in London – 25 October 2026
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Points to Ponder
In Kural 501, note Dharma Artha Kama Moksha in the same order as we find in all Hindu scriptures!
The first Kural 501 is from Kautilya’s Arthaashastra book (1-10);one commentator who lived before Parimel Azakar himself said it 800 years ago. HA Popley also mentioned it. He quoted it from Dr K Krishnaswami Aiyangar’s book Some Contributions of South India to Indian Culture 1923 (page 127).
Kural 505 is the teaching in Bhagavad Gita, i.e. Karma Theory
Kural 510 is also an echo of Bhagavad Gita where Krishna said Samsayaatmaa Vinsyati= Doubting Thomasses perish
Valluvar did not hesitate to use Sanskrit words Kuti, Gunam, Karma.
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H A Popley –Year 1931 in his book saya “this stanza (Kural 501) is certainly reminiscent of Arthasastra chapter 6 where four tests are given in a similar form. All other stanzas (Kurals) in this chapter are closely connected with chapter 4 of the H A Popley .
In short many scholars have noted the indebtedness of Valluvar to Chanakya.
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Chapter 51- Selecting Trustworthy Ministers
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Go to Project Madurai website for all Tamil books; it is free and trouble free. No advertisements; no cookies!
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Following Translations are used:
1.A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933
2.S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000
3.Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886
4.Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB
5.EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986
6.H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931
7.Tamil Original
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Part 69; Chapter 51 in Tirukkural Book. ON CHOSING THE RIGHT MEN; தெரிந்து தெளிதல் – Testing of men for confidence
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501.Let a king watch whether a minister has love of right conduct, love of money, love of women and love of life and then choose him- A Aranganatha Mudaliyar – ANM+2 ( B.L. Aranganatha iyer and R. Srinivasa Desikan), Year 1933
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501.The choice of the right executives should be decided on by the way they react to the
Fourfold tests concerning Virtue Wealth, Love and Fear of Death -S M Diaz, I G of Police- SMD, Year 2000
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501
How treats he virtue, wealth and pleasure? How, when life’s at stake,
Comports himself? This four-fold test of man will full assurance make.
Let (a minister) be chosen, after he has been tried by means of these four things, viz,-his virtue, (love of) money, (love of) sexual pleasure, and tear of (losing) life.- Rev.Dr.GU Pope – GUP, Year 1886
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501.Pleasure, gold, fear of life Virtue-
Test by these four and trust the true. Suddhananda Bharathiyar- SB
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501.Apply four tests in choosing genuine officers: virtue, wealth, pleasure and fear of death- EVS Publishers, Singapore- EVS, Year 1986
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501.Choose your man well, after the fourfold test:
By dharma, riches, love and fear of death- H A Popley – HAP (not full book; only selected couplets) Year 1931
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501. அறம்பொருள் இன்பம் உயிரெச்சம் நான்கின்
திறந்தெரிந்து தேறப் படும்
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502.The king’s choice should fall on him who has come of able lineage is blameless, and is afraid of sullying his fair name– ANM+2
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502.A man of good family background, free of faults and sensitive to public censure,
Will be the right man to chose– SMD
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502
Of noble race, of faultless worth, of generous pride
That shrinks from shame or stain; in him may king confide.
(The king’s) choice should (fall) on him, who is of good family, who is free from faults, and who has the modesty which fears the wounds (of sin). – GUP
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502.Spotless name of noble birth
Shamed of stain-that choice is worth. – SB
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502.The choice should only be of him who, born of good
Family, is free from faults and dreads dishonour -EVS Publishers
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502. குடிப்பிறந்து குற்றத்தின் நீங்கி வடுப்பரியும்
நாணுடையான் கட்டே தெளிவு
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503.Put a man of vast learning and of unblemished character to a sever test. He too will display ignorance– ANM+2
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503.Even among men of rare learning and virtue, on close scrutiny,
Some patches of ignorance could be spotted– SMD
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503
Though deeply learned, unflecked by fault, ’tis rare to see,
When closely scanned, a man from all unwisdom free.
When even men, who have studied the most difficult works, and who are free from faults, are (carefully) examined, it is a rare thing to find them without ignorance. – GUP
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503.Though deep scholars of stainless sense
Rare is freedom from ignorance. – SB
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503.Even among deep scholars of spotless hearts, it is difficult to find one perfectly free from ignorance-EVS Publishers
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503. அரியகற்று ஆசற்றார் கண்ணும் தெரியுங்கால்
இன்மை அரிதே வெளிறு
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504.In the tangled obscurities of life, weigh the good and the evil of men and judge them according to their leanings– ANM+2
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504.In the selection process, a person’s worth and his failings should be fairly weighed,
And choice should be made, if the good prevails– SMD
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504
Weigh well the good of each, his failings closely scan,
As these or those prevail, so estimate the man.
Let (a king) consider (a man’s) good qualities, as well as his faults, and then judge (of his character) by that which prevails. – GUP
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504.Good and evil in man weigh well
Judge him by virtues which prevail. – SB
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504.Consider the merits and also the faults; see which weigh more and choose the one with greater merit-EVS Publishers
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504.Weigh well a man’s good traits and then his faults;
And value him on seeing which prevails –HAP
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504. குணம்நாடிக் குற்றமும் நாடி அவற்றுள்
மிகைநாடி மிக்க கொளல்
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505.Men’s deeds ae the touchstone of their greatness or their littleness– ANM+2
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505.One’s own deeds and behaviour will be the touchstone,
Which determines greatness or littleness– SMD
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505
Of greatness and of meanness too,
The deeds of each are touchstone true.
A man’s deeds are the touchstone of his greatness and littleness. – GUP
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505.By the touchstone of deeds is seen
If any one is great or mean. – SB
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505.A man’s deeds are the touchstone of his greatness and littleness-EVS Publishers
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505.For each man’s conduct is the touchtone sure
Both to his greatness and his smallness too- HAP
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505. பெருமைக்கும் ஏனைச் சிறுமைக்கும் தத்தம்
கருமமே கட்டளைக் கல்
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506.Choose not ministers who knows no ties of kinship. Such men are hard of heart and devoid of shame– ANM+2
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506.Persons of no background or kindred are unsuitable for ministerial positions,
For, being unattached, they will be impervious to shame– SMD
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506
Beware of trusting men who have no kith of kin;
No bonds restrain such men, no shame deters from sin.
Let (a king) avoid choosing men who have no relations; such men have no attachment, and therefore have no fear of crime. – GUP
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506.Choose not those men without kinsmen
Without affine or shame of sin. – SB
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506.Select not men without kinsmen and good tradition.
They have no affinity, no shame of sin-EVS Publishers
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506. அற்றாரைத் தேறுதல் ஓம்புக மற்றவர்
பற்றிலர் நாணார் பழி
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507.It is the height of folly to choose, through nepotism fools as your ministers– ANM+2
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507.Making a foolish choice because of fond affection ,
Opens the way to all kinds of disaster– SMD
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507
By fond affection led who trusts in men of unwise soul,
Yields all his being up to folly’s blind control.
To choose ignorant men, through partiality, is the height of folly. – GUP
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507.On favour leaning fools you choose;
Folly in all its forms ensues. – SB
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507.If the leader chooses a favourite fool as an adviser, he will have to pay heavily for his folly-EVS Publishers
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507. காதன்மை கந்தா அறிவறியார்த் தேறுதல்
பேதைமை யெல்லாம் தரும்
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508.Reposing confidence in a minister without studying him, breeds millions of mischiefs even to generations of kings yet unborn– ANM+2
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508.A king, who choses an untried stranger for executive positions
In in for endless trouble, for all posterity– SMD
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508
Who trusts an untried stranger, brings disgrace,
Remediless, on all his race.
Sorrow that will not leave even his posterity will come upon him chooses a stranger whose character he has not known. – GUP
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508.To trust an untried stranger brings
Endless troubles on all our kins. – SB
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508.The leader and his dynasty will suffer endless troubles if he trusts in a stranger without test-EVS Publishers
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508. தேரான் பிறனைத் தெளிந்தான் வழிமுறை
தீரா இடும்பை தரும்
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509.Weigh the merits of a minister and choose him and then assign him his proper sphere of work– ANM+2
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509.Without appropriate test, no person should be chosen,
Once choice is made, entrustment of work should follow– SMD
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509
Trust no man whom you have not fully tried,
When tested, in his prudence proved confide.
Let (a king) choose no one without previous consideration; after he has made his choice, let him unhesitatingly select for each such duties as are appropriate. – GUP
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509.Trust not without testing and then
Find proper work for trusted men– SB
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509.Never trust a man without testing him; when the test is over decide what you can entrust him with-EVS Publishers
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509. Trust no man whom you have not tried;
When tried, then trust with fitting task-HAP
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509. தேறற்க யாரையும் தேராது தேர்ந்தபின்
தேறுக தேறும் பொருள்
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510.He becomes a prey to a multitude of evils who has not exercised his choice of his ministers and ever suspicious of his chosen men– ANM+2
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510.Trusting untried persons and doubting tested aides,
Will both lead to endless ills– SMD
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510
Trust where you have not tried, doubt of a friend to feel,
Once trusted, wounds inflict that nought can heal.
To make choice of one who has not been examined, and to entertain doubts respecting one who has been chosen, will produce irremediable sorrow. – GUP
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510.Trust without test; The trusted doubt;
Both entail troubles in and out. – SB
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510.To trust a man without a test and to suspect a man after he has satisfied the test will cause endless misery-EVS Publishers
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510.To trust an untried man, or doubt one tried-
These both will endless trouble bring- HAP
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510. தேரான் தெளிவும் தெளிந்தான்கண் ஐயுறவும்
தீரா இடும்பை தரும்.
–Subham—
Tags- Dharma Artha Kama Moksha! Tirukkural Encyclopaedia Chapter 51- தெரிந்து தெளிதல் – Choosing the Right Men, Arthasastra, copied
