The Ambassador
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
kaṟṟukkaṇ ṇañcāṉ celaccollik kālattāṟ / ṟakka taṟivatān tūtu.
“An envoy meet is he, well-learned, of fearless eye / Who speaks right home, prepared for each emergency.”
“Learning, sangfroid, persuasive speech, and a just instinct for what is meet for each occasion, all these are necessary qualifications in the envoy.”
An envoy is learned, unafraid before an angry gaze, able to make the message land, and able to discern the means fitting to the time.
Ask about this Kural
Answers are drawn only from this Kural's sourced text and named commentary, and always cite what they used.
Choose a section
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கற்று= நீதிநூல்களைக் கற்று; செலச்சொல்லி= தான்சென்ற கருமத்தைப் பகைவேந்தர் மனங்கொளச் சொல்லி; கண்அஞ்சான்= அவர் செயிர்த்து நோக்கின் அந்நோக்கிற்கு அஞ்சாடு; காலத்தால் தக்கது அறிவது தூதாம்= காலத்தோடு பொருந்த அது முடியத்தக்க உபாயம் அறிவானே தூதனாவான்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Learned in ethical counsel, fearless before intimidating glares, speaking so persuasively that ideas penetrate the heart, and knowing the opportune move—such is the envoy.