The Right Sceptre
Enpadhaththaan Oraa Muraiseyyaa Mannavan / Thanpadhaththaan Thaane Ketum
Classical English couplet — “Hard of access, nought searching out, with partial handThe king who rules, shall sink and perish from the land”
What it says in plain words
“A ruler must be easy to approach, examine complaints, and act fairly. Without this, the ruler can fall even without an enemy.”
The classical Tamil reading
எளிய செவ்வி உடையவனாய் ஆராய்ந்து நீதி முறை செய்யாத அரசன், தாழ்ந்த நிலையில் நின்று (பகைவரில்லாமலும் ) தானே கெடுவான்.
An expanded Tamil interpretation
ஆடம்பரமாகவும், ஆராய்ந்து நீதி வழங்காமலும் நடைபெறுகிற அரசு தாழ்ந்த நிலையடைந்து தானாகவே கெட்டொழிந்து விடும்
The ethical and philosophical heart
People need to bring their problems to someone who will listen. A ruler must listen, check facts, and act fairly. Without these steps, real problems remain while unfair treatment continues. Such failures can bring down a government without any outside attack.
In personal life, work and society
- Personal
- When a friend raises a concern, hear them out before deciding who was wrong.
- Workplace
- A manager hears a worker’s complaint and checks what happened before taking action.
- Family
- A parent listens to both children before settling an argument.
- Society
- A local council hears residents’ complaints and checks the facts before making a fair decision.
How to apply this today
- Decision-making
- Check what happened before deciding how to settle a complaint.
- Integrity
- Apply the same rules, even when a complaint involves someone you like.
- Communication
- Make it easy for people to tell you what is wrong.
- Leadership
- Set aside time to hear concerns and give them fair attention.
- Governance
- Keep complaint services easy to reach, examine cases carefully, and provide fair decisions.
For leaders and teams
Good leaders stay open to people's concerns. They check complaints carefully and act fairly before problems grow.
Something to sit with
“How could you make it easier for someone to raise a concern with you today?”