be firm and daring, and should never be weak or irresolute in his purposes.
As to the Minister, he should be a man of affairs, clever and shifty, pure-minded, devoted to the Prince, and skilful in reading the hearts of men. He should be a courtier in the best sense of the term, knowing when to speak and what to speak, and when to hold his tongue. When representing his master in foreign courts he should be respectful to the prince to whose court he is appointed, and polite and social with the high functionaries of that court; but at the same time and above all, he should have an ever watchful eye to the interests and honour of his prince. And lastly he should be well versed in all the arts of the forum (Chh. 64-73).
The members of the body politic are six according to all Indian writers and they are adopted by Tiruvalluvar. The minister is one of them. The other members are, as enumerated in verse 381, the people, resources, allies, the army, and fortresses. In 22 chapters the author gives the most salient features of these five Members of the body of the State in their positive as well as negative aspects. The
