Thirukkural-On Wealth-On Kingship-Kural 382

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Anjaamai eekai arivuookam innaangum Enjaamai vaendhark kiyalpu

Courage, generosity, knowledge and perseverance, in boundless measure
Are four-fold traits natural to kings.

Over the ages these king-becoming graces, as Shakespeare described them, were delineated as the four essential and in-born traits of a person, born and chosen to be a ruler, whether it was the Noble prince of Confucius or the philosopher king of Plato, or even one of the traditional and sometimes charismatic hereditary princes of India.
Fearlessness was so much a part of him and so consistently inculcated in him that a stage was reached when the prince was considered a person, who knew not what fear was. Moral and physical courage was a part of his natural equipment. They were also natural givers; they gave till it hurt. Some like King Sibi or Prince Karna were extreme examples of regal generosity, even to the extent of risking their own lives.

The requisite knowledge too came naturally to them in their environment and more of it was imparted during the systematic training they received for kingship. They were expected also to possess sufficient knowledge in extent and variety, to be able to have recourse, as and when necessary on their own, to the other sources of knowledge that were at their command. Further, they were expected too to possess an out-standing measure of enthusiasm and perseverance to be able to pursue successfully every project and programme they took on their fruition.