Sanskrit Verses Similar to Thirukkural - Verse 0517

Verse 517

Kural	Shloka
இதனை இதனால் இவன்முடிக்கும் என்றாய்ந்து அதனை அவன்கண் விடல்.	यो यत्र कुशलः कार्ये तं तत्र विनियोजयेत् | कर्मस्व् अदृष्ट-कर्मा यः शास्त्रज्ञो ऽपि विमुह्यति || Hitopadesha 3.56

Comments and Research Notes

The first line of the Hitopadesha verse is a good semantic match for the kural. இவன்முடிக்கும் packs a punch that कुशलः does not. The Sanskrit word indicates capability/skill, whereas the Tamil word emphasizes competent task completion. The second line of the Hitopadesha verse clarifies that someone with mere textbook knowledge and not experience should not be appointed, which the kural does not elaborate, but subtly hints with இவன்முடிக்கும். While both stress the need for evaluating competence for the task, the kural additionally highlights the need to also evaluate the means to be employed.

Another candidate I had considered was परीक्षितगुणान् नित्यं प्रौढभावान् धुरंधरान् । पञ्चोपधाव्यतीतांश्च कुर्याद् राजार्थकारिणः ॥ from the Mahabharata Shanti Parva verse 12.84.20. It does incorporate notions of task assignment after evaluation of competence, and the word धुरंधर packs more of a punch than कुशलः. The focus of the verse is really on how to evaluate a person’s competence, rather than the task and means of accomplishment.The evaluation here includes tests of character, maturity, competence, and resistance to five temptations (धर्म, अर्थ, काम, भय, and लोभ).

There are numerous Sanskrit texts that discuss the evaluation of appropriate means (upāya), but I could not find one that combines the task, means, and competent task completion aspects in a single verse.