Re: Ablative/-to

Hi, Jim and other Pali friends:
Here I have a question on Pali.
The question is from the Dhammapada.
In the verse No 12, there is a use of
ablative/-to, which I cannot quite understand:
     Saara~n ca saarato ~natvaa
     asaara~n ca asaarato,
     "Those who know the real to be real
      and the unreal to be unreal"
      (from Ven. Buddharakkhita's translation)

The "-to" of "saarato" and "asaarato" must be
the ablative case. But does the ablative case have
the function of expressing the notion of "as" or
"to be ---" (in Ven, Buddharakkhita's rendition).
If it does, it is part of the regular use of the
ablative case? Or is this kind of use associated
only with the "-to ablative"?
(The same kind of the ablative use seems to
appears in the verse No 22. Eta.m visesa-to ~natvaa.
But at least here, it may not be impossible to treat
"visesa-to" as an adverbial).
At any rate, does Jim or other Pali friends
like to answer my question? (My Pali is so rusty.)
tadao