Employing Spies
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oṟṟoṟ ṟuṇarāmai yāḷka vuṭaṉmūvar / coṟṟokka tēṟap paṭum.
“One spy must not another see: contrive it so; / And things by three confirmed as truth you know.”
“See that no spy knoweth the others engaged in the same work: when three reports agree, thou mayest give credence to them.”
Employ spies so that none knows another; when the reports of three independently assigned agents agree in result, the matter may be accepted as true.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஒற்று ஒற்று உணராமை ஆள்க= ஒற்றரை ஆளுமிடத்து ஒருவனை ஒருவன் அறியாமல் ஆள்க; உடன்மூவர் சொல்தொக்க தேறப்படும்= அங்ஙனம் ஆண்ட ஒற்றர் மூவரை ஒருபொருள்மேல் விட்டால், அம்மூவர் சொல்லும், பயனால் ஒத்தனவாயின் அதுமெய்யென்று தெளியப்படும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Deploy spies so that no operative knows the identity of another; when the independent accounts of three agents agree, accept the matter as verified truth.