155. Birthday Celebration

"What do you suggest we do about Sukumar?" asked Bharath, Proprietor of the firm.

"He has embezzled ten thousand rupees. He has to be dismissed from service. That is what your father would have done" said Dakshinamurthy. He has been the Manager of the firm, from Bharath's father' time.

"My father was very strict. He used to be strict even with us, his children, at our home."

"Oh! What a towering personality he was. I was the only person, who could serve under him for such a long time. Before me, three people who served as managers quit after short tenures, unable to withstand your father's strict ways. Other employees would also have quit, if they had got jobs elsewhere."

"Would my father punish people even for small mistakes?" asked Bharath.

"Yes, he would. He sacked a couple of people for coming late to work frequently."

Bharath rang the bell to summon the peon.

When the peon came, Bharath told him, "Ask Sukumar to come to my cabin."

"Why should you deal with that embezzler, sir? I would tell him that you had dismissed him from service. Just tell me whether we should stop with recovering the money from him or we should file a police complaint also."

Before Dakshinamurthy could complete his sentence, Sukumar entered the room.

"Did you steal the money?" Bharath asked Sukumar.

Bharath stood silent, keeping his chin down.

"Why did you steal it?"

"I had to pay money to a creditor, who was threatening me with dire consequences. I thought that I would be able to replace the money in a day or two by making some arrangement and took the money for paying the creditor, since I felt intimidated by his threat."

"But, you are going to lose your job now. What are you going to do?"

Sukumar didn't answer.

"Okay. Can you return the money stolen by you within two days?"

"Sir!" exclaimed Sukumar, not knowing what to say.

"Return the money and then come back to work" said Bharath.

"Sir! Do you really...?" said Sukumar, unable to believe what he had heard.

"As of now, you don't have a job here. I will give you three days' time. Before that, you should hand over the money to the Manager. After that you can join back duty. But, you can't have the job of a cashier, hereafter. The Manager will allot you some other work."

"Sir! I didn't expect this. Hereafter, I will not commit even a small mistake" said Sukumar, thanking Bharath, with folded hands.

After Sukumar had left, Dakshinamurthy asked Bharath, "What have you done, sir?"

Bharath smiled, but didn't answer him.

After a few months, one day, when Bharath entered the office, he noticed that the entire office was decorated with festoons and flowers.

After settling down in his cabin, he thought of summoning Dakshinamurthy and asking him what was going on.

But, before he could do so, Dakshinamurthy entered the cabin and greeted him with a smile, "Happy birthday, sir!"

"How did you know when my birthday was. I am not in the habit of celebrating birthdays."

"I didn't know it, sir! But, somehow, our employees have found out that today is your birthday and decided to celebrate it by decorating the office. In fact, they planned it two days before, collected some money among themselves for festoons, flowers, garland, sweets etc."

"Were you in the habit of celebrating my father's birthday also?" asked Bharat.

"No, sir. Truly speaking, the employees feared your father. But, they have respect, esteem, loyalty and goodwill towards you" said Dakshinamurthy. 

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 16
Forbearance 

Verse 155 (In Tamil)

oRuththArai onRAga vaiyArE vaippar
poRuththAraip pon pOl podhindhu.

Meaning:

One who punishes the person who wronged him is not held in high esteem by the world. One who shows forbearance is considered precious, like Gold.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'piRandha nAL' by the same author)

Verse 156 (Soon)
Verse 154

648. A Lesson Learnt Through Evesdropping

"Of the two team leaders under me, you are the senior. Everyone knows that if I get promoted, I will recommend you for taking my place. Unfortunately, the performance of your team is not satisfactory. In contrast, Manohar's team is doing well. If this situation continues, I will be left with no alternative but to recommend Manohar as my replacement" Project Manager Arivazhagan told Team Leader Sivaraj. 

"I don't know why, but my team members have not been following my instructions. If I question them, they assert that they only followed my instructions. Sometimes, it appears to me that they have a hostile attitude towards me. There is something fundamentally wrong with my team members. But I have not been able to identify the problem" said Sivaraj. 

After two days, Arivazhagan called Sivaraj to his cabin and told him, "Yesterday, when you were talking to your team members, I listened from the adjacent room."

"Why did you have to do this?" asked Sivaraj, feeling embarrassed at having been watched without his knowledge. 

"There was no impropriety in what I did. After all, it was a business meeting. I could have as well sit next to you and listened. But I chose to sit in the next room and listen, lest you should feel nervous or uncomfortable by my sitting in the same room and listening to you. And, I did it only to help you!"

"Sir! You should change my team members. I find that their attitude is not at all helpful."

"It is possible that there are some flaws with your team members. But, notwithstanding those flaws, we have to work with them and get the results."

"How can this be done?"

"I will tell you how. Before that, you and I have to see how Manohar talks to his team members."

"You mean we should eavesdrop from the adjacent room, as you did with me yesterday!" said Sivaraj, smiling.

"You are becoming smart!" said Arivazhagan, patting Sivaraj on his back. 

"What did you observe?" Arivazhagan asked Sivaraj. 

"I should give credit to Manohar for one thing. He speaks clearly and cogently. I am nowhere near him on this count. In fact, I often miss mentioning a few points at the right places and bring it out in the later part of my speech. I have been trying to overcome this shortcoming on my part" said Sivaraj. 

"It is good that you frankly admitted your shortcoming. This is a common problem faced by many people. If you note down, in advance, the points you are going to cover in your speech in a piece of paper in the right order, you will be able to overcome this problem. In the beginning, you may have to refer to the notes, when you are speaking. But, after some time, you will attain the proficiency level of speaking without referring to the notes. You need patience and sustained efforts to achieve this" said Arivazhagan.

"I understand. But, this was the only thing I noted in Manohar's speech. Otherwise, I didn't find any difference in the way we both make the presentations. In fact, I believe that I am better than Manohar in language proficiency."

"Yes. I noticed that. Command over the language is a great advantage, no doubt. But, you failed to note one important feature of Manohar's speech."

"What was that?"

"His speech sounds pleasant. The words he uses and his tone sound as if he is talking to a group of friends. Your speech  is in a commanding tone. You are giving a command, alright, but it should not sound like a command to the listener. You should practice speaking in a softer, gentler way. If you pay attention to these two issues, namely noting down all the points you want to cover in the right order and delivering it in a gentle and friendly tone, your team members would follow your instructions meticulously. They would even jump down from the 7th floor of this building, if you ask them to!" said Arivazhagan.

Observing the smile that spontaneously appeared on Sivaraj's face, Arivazhagan felt satisfied that Sivaraj had taken his suggestions in a positive spirit. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 648 (in Tamil):
viraindhu thozhil kEtkum gnAlam nirandhu inidhu
solludhal vallArp peRin.

Meaning:

The world will instantly pay heed to those who speak coherently and pleasingly.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'ottuk kEttu aRaindhadhu' by the same author.) 

Verse 649 (Soon)
Verse 647

154. A Day With A Scholar

I got an opportunity to observe 

Dr. Paranthaman for an entire day, by being with him.

Paranthaman is a well-known Economist. He started his career as a Professor of Economics in a college. He became a well-known person in the field of education, by writing books on Economics, for college students.

Following that, he wrote research articles and books on Indian economy and on world economy and attracted attention, first at the national level and then at the international level.

Paranthaman's participation in seminars on topics relating to Economics became a regular occurrence.

Very soon, Paranthaman was recognized as one of the leading experts of the country on Economics. He found a place in various top level bodies of the government, like the Planning Commission. He also received invitations from foreign countries, for participating in international conferences.

Paranthaman's contribution to the field of Economics and his recognition reached such a level that any discussion on Economics would invariably have a reference to Paranthaman's views on the subject. 

After reaching the age of fifty, Paranthaman got his involvement in the field of Economics gradually reduced and began to involve himself in spiritual activities. 

He identified himself with a reputed organization involved in rendering services to people and participated in their activities, in the area of administration.

The editor of the magazine I was working for gave me the assignment of writing an article about Paranthaman, on the topic 'A Holistic Personality,' by spending one full day with him and observing his activities.  

When I went to Paranthaman's house at 7 am on the day of appointment and rang the doorbell, he himself opened the door for me. 

After I had introduced myself, he welcomed me into his house and offered me coffee.

He then told me, "Mr. Mani! I will be doing my activities as I normally do. Just observe me, by sitting near me. At any time, if you have any question, you can ask me. Whenever possible, I will answer your question immediately. If I am very busy, I will answer it later" he told me.  

"Sir! I find that you have taken your bath and got ready for your work so early in the morning. At what time, do you get up in the morning?" I asked him.

"4.30 am."

"And, when do you go to bed in the night."

"As per my time table, I should go to bed at 10.30 pm. But, on many days, it will be past 11.00 or 11.30, by the time I sleep."

I began to observe him, making note of his important activities.

I was astonished by the sharpness of his intellect, his briskness, his interest in and knowledge about a wide variety of topics and his productive use of time by getting involved in some work continuously, without getting fatigued or bored. 

Not minding my sitting near him and observing him, Paranthaman did things as per his schedule. When he was engaged in activities like reading newspapers, magazines or books and noting down something in his diary or notebook, I watched him silently. 

Whenever he began to speak on the phone, I would go out of the room, respecting his privacy. But, sometimes, he would ask me to stay. If his telephonic talk was on Economics or other professional topics, he would signal me that I could take notes.

After the breakfast, I accompanied him in his car to a few places he visited, places like the service organization he was associated with and some other offices.

Except for the times during which he was talking to someone in private, I was with him.  

In the evening, he delivered a lecture in an event. I sat among the audience and listened to his speech. 

After returning home from the meeting, Paranthaman engaged himself in reading, writing, speaking over the phone etc. 

I took leave of him at 9.00 pm, after having dinner with him. 

"Did you feel terribly bored?" he asked me, when I started to leave.

"No, sir. By being near you for an entire day, I learnt a lot of things about you" I said.

"That could be dangerous" quipped Paranthaman, smiling affably.

I received a phone call from Paranthaman the evening my article about him was published in our magazine.

"What have you written, man!" he complained, angrily (I noted that the respect he had showed while addressing me during the day I was with him, was missing this time.)

"Which part of my essay are you referring to, sir?" I asked him, politely.

"Don't act innocent. You have written that I am short-tempered, discourteous etc."

"Sir! I have not used such words. In fact, I have written appreciatingly of your intellect, your knowledge about a wide range of topics, the incredible efficiency with which you manage time without wasting even a single minute, your selfless services etc."

"Yes, you have. But you have also portrayed me as an irritable person, having no patience, empathy or tolerance towards other people!"

"Sir! I have narrated the incidents I witnessed. I have not tried to judge you. You expect perfection in all matters. When you find it is missing, you become irritated and vent your anger on people around you. When the cook served you breakfast, you shouted at him because he had omitted to keep the glasses filled with water. During dinner, you slammed the cook again, because the dosa was not crisp enough. 

"While traveling by the car, you faulted the driver for not setting the temperature of the air-conditioner correctly, which resulted in your feeling too cold inside the car. When you were speaking in the meeting in the evening, there was a problem with the mike. You turned to the organizer sitting on the dais and yelled, 'If you can't even ensure that the mike works properly, why do you invite me to the meeting?' Everyone heard your remarks, even without the aid of the mike!

"I have narrated incidents witnessed by me, without commenting on them. Please correct me, if there are factual inaccuracies in my reporting."

There was no reply from the other end. I heard only the sound of deep sighs.

*dosa - a South Indian dish made of rice and gram flour

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 16
Forbearance 

Verse 154 (In Tamil)

niRai udaimai nIngAmai vENdin poRai udaimai
pORRi ozhugap padum.

Meaning:

If you want to lead an unabated fulfilling life, you have to

preserve and practice forbearance.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kAlai mudhal mAlai varai' by the same author)

Verse 155
Verse 153

647. Unfazed By Attacks

"Times have changed. Now, the social media is the war front. Just as an army with a superior weapon strength wins a war, people who have a stronger social media presence will be able to win in the war of political campaign" said Kannan, the social media consultant

"What should we do to develop a strong social media presence?" asked Shanmugam, the President of PPP, a political party. 

"This is where professionals like me can help. We will create a plethora of posts defaming Ilango in whatsapp groups, youtube videos, twitter, facebook, instagram etc. and through powerful strategies, make them spread virally, to reach millions of people. But, you will have to spend a considerable sum of money on this campaign."

"I don't mind spending money. I want to tarnish the image of Ilango and ensure that he does not pose a challenge to us in the coming election."

"Just wait for two months. You can see for yourself how Ilango is going to cry at the damage caused to his image" said Kannan, with excitement.

"Mr. Kannan! You told me that we can tarnish Ilango's image through social media campaign. We created many stories defaming him, by spending a lot of money. But, he now appears to be politically stronger than he was before" said Shanmugam.

"Sir! He has been able to thwart all the propaganda against him, using his power of speech. Whenever, a story damaging his reputation appears in the media, he trivializes it by saying something witty and interesting about it. Though he doesn't have a strong social media presence, since his reactions are interesting, they are shared widely by people active in the social media. In fact, if we plant a story causing damage to Ilango's reputation in the media, people are more interested in knowing how he responds to the story than the story that is causing damage to his image. So, the field has been turning more and more favourable to him. This is the unfortunate reality" said Kannan, in an apologetic tone. 

"Ok. Let us reduce the propaganda gradually. If we stop it abruptly, it will appear that we have accepted defeat. I will deal with Ilango through another way" said Shanmugam 

During the next few months, many cases were filed by various people against Ilango, making a variety of allegations against him, in different courts, located in different places. Complaints were also filed in various police stations for various offenses like offensive speeches, hurting religious sentiments, inciting violence etc. The cases and complaints were filed at the direction of Shanmugam, who also provided financial and legal assistance to the litigants, but Shanmugam took extreme care to ensure that his involvement in this operation was carefully concealed.

But, Ilango was unfazed by these charges. He filed a petition in all the courts where cases had been filed against him praying that the cases be heard immediately and disposed of. He also visited the police stations in which complaints were filed against him and demanded that the complaints be investigated and the truth brought out.

People who had filed court cases and police complaints at the instigation of Shanmugam began to withdraw them fearing that they could be charged with filing false complaints, if on investigation, the complaints were found to be baseless or false.

Realizing that Ilango had the power to thwart the attacks on him, using his ability to counter arguments against him and that he would never feel fatigued in defending himself against attacks made on him, Shanmugam decided that Ilango could be faced only politically.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 647 (in Tamil):
solal vallan sOrvilan anjAn avanai
igal vellal yArkkum aridhu.

Meaning:  

It is impossible to confront and defeat a person, who is adept at the use of words, tireless, and fearless.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'pudhiya pOr muRaigaL' by the same author.) 

Verse 648
Verse 646

646. Nobody Listens To Me!

"During the times I am speaking in the office meetings or when I am having a personal conversation with someone, no one listens to what I am saying" lamented Aravindan.

"Every one is likely to feel that way during certain times" said his friend Sarathy.

Aravindan did not appear to be satisfied by Sarathy's explanation. He continued.

"Yesterday, there was a meeting in my office. When we were discussing an issue, I made a suggestion, No one, including the General Manage, who presided over the meeting, took notice of what I had said. But, after a while, when Paranthaman made a suggestion, every one praised it. Paranthaman could not even speak fluently in English. He speaks with a lot of mistakes. People often laugh at the mistakes he makes. In fact, Paranthaman's speech errors will always be a topic in casual converations between people working in our office. But, ironically, when he speaks, people listen to him keenly!"

"What if his English is flawed? If his suggestions are good, it is only natural that people will listen to him."

"Don't be a fool. There was not much difference between what he suggested and what I had suggested earlier. When I made the suggestion, people were sitting impassively, like a buffalo drenching in the rain. But the same people paid attention, when Paranthaman spoke! How?" asked Aravindan, angrily.

'If you don't understand the reason for that, it means you are a big fool' thought Sarathy. He then sought to take leave of Aravindan. 

'"Why are you leaving? Are you angry with me for calling you a fool?" asked Aravindan. 

"Why should I feel hurt by you calling me a fool? You are my friend, after all. But, I have a doubt. During a discussion in your office, if  someone expresses a different opinion, will you call that person a fool?" asked Sarathy. 

"How can I call a person superior to me in my office a fool?"

"Does it mean that you will call your colleagues and subordinates fools?" asked Sarathy, laughing.

"No" said Aravindan. But, after a pause, he said, "Yes. I have sometimes called them fools!"

"Aravindan! I am not a communication expert. I am just sharing my thoughts with you. I have noticed that whenever you are making a point, you are doing it with an emphasis and assertion. It appears to me that you act under the stress and anxiety that the other person should accept what you say. But people who listen will not like this approach. Driven by an unconscious feeling of resentment that you are trying to push your point hard, they will become defensive and avoid listening to you, by diverting their attention to something else. So, they wouldn't know what you said at all.

"Secondly, I have observed that when the other person is speaking, you don't listen to him patiently. You cut him short, by interjecting some remark or by summarily dismissing his  viewpoint as 'foolish,' 'impractical' etc. People will naturally have a feeling of resentment at their point having not been given due consideration. Their resentment will be reflected by their not showing interest in listening to you."

"You say you are not a communication expert. But how do you manage to make this analysis? Did you read about these points in some book?" asked Aravindan. 

Sarathy was both surprised and relieved that Aravindan did not get provoked by his feedback. It appeared to Sarathy that the way Aravindan responded in a calm manner was a sign that Aravindan was pondering over the points mentioned by Sarathy.

"No. I didn't pick up these points from any book. My observations were based on my having observed you when you were speaking and interacting with me. You mentioned that people were attentive while Paranthaman was speaking, despite his communication skills being poor. It is possible that he is a person who speaks in a gentle and friendly manner and listens to others with with patience and empathy. I don't know about him. But, if you observe him closely, you may gain an insight into his attributes" said Sarathy.

Aravindan did not reply. He was thinking about what Sarathy had said.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 646 (in Tamil):
vEtpaththan sollip piRar sol payan kOdal
mAtchiyin mAsaRRAr kOL.

Meaning:

Speaking in a way that will make others love to listen and seeking to listen and understand when others speak are the attributes of those with impeccable qualities.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'en pEchchai yArum kEtpadhillai' by the same author.) 

Verse 647
Verse 645

153. The Leader's Reaction.

"You have been in politics for the past thirty years. No one has made any allegation against you. Leaders of all political parties visit you now and then and pay their respects to you. But a novice has written an article defaming you" Arulmozhi told Periyaswamy.

Arulmozhi was the personal assistant of Periyaswamy, a senior political leader, who had recently retired from active politics.

"What did he write?" asked Periyasamy

"Making fun of your announcement of retirement from politics, he has written that it is like the cat declaring its intention to renounce the world and become a saint."

"What does the analogy mean?"

"Sir! You are asking me, as if you have not understood the meaning of his analogy!"
 

"The present generation of people may not be able to understand 

the meaning of this analogy. So, I think he would have explained it. How has he explained it?"

"Oh! I wondered for a moment how there could be anything that you don't understand. Yes, sir. You are right. He has explained the analogy in detail. Even after renouncing the world, if the cat sights a rat, it will instantly pounce on the rat. He says that in the same way, if you come across a chance to indulge in corruption, you will grab it instantly."

"How atrocious! Till now, no one has levelled any allegation of corruption against me!"

"That is what makes me feel outraged."

"Who wrote this? In which journal was this published?"

"This has been published in the journal 'The Tongue.' One half-baked columnist calling himself 'Bright Mind' wrote this."

"Oh! That is not a journal. It is a scandal sheet. Anyway, let me read the piece. Do you have the paper with you?" asked Periyaswamy.

"I do, sir. But I would suggest you don't read this. He has written a lot of defamatory and false things about you. He says you have indulged in a lot of corruption, but been posing as an honest politician. He says that your name is in the list of people having money in foreign bank accounts that was recently shared with our government by the government of a foreign country and that you announced your decision to retire from politics, only after coming to know of this. How preposterous!"

Arulmozhi reluctantly handed over the issue of the journal to Periyasamy.

After going through the article, Periyaswamy said, "It is highly libelous."

"He would have dared to tease you thinking that since you had retired from politics, you don't have any political influence. If we put in a word to the minister, he will put this journalist behind the bars. We can also ask the minister to take steps to stop the publication of 'The Tongue' at least for a couple of months, by slapping a case against it."

"We don't have to seek anyone's help. If I just file a case against the journalist in the court claiming damages for defaming me, he won't be able to handle it. He doesn't have the resources to engage the services of a lawyer and fight the case."

"Yes, sir. Shall I ring up to our lawyer and ask him to come here?"

"No need."

"Why, sir?"

"Did you not say that the writer was a novice. Should we demonstrate our power and strength to a novice, a weak individual?"

"He has launched an attack on you. Should we not hit him back?"

"When we are walking on a street, if a boy throws a stone at us, will we hit him back with another stone? Or, will we file a police complaint against him? Even if the stone has hurt us, won't we just wipe the skin on the spot, where we feel the hurt, with our hand and move on? Why do we do so? Because, we know that the boy doesn't know the seriousness of his act. This 'Bright Mind' has also acted with a similar kind of awareness. He has written the piece without realizing the possible consequences from his action."

"But, he has libelled you!"

"Let us ignore it" said Periyaswamy.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 16
Forbearance 

Verse 153 (In Tamil)

inmaiyuL inmai virundhorAl vanmaiyuL
vanmai madavArp poRai.

Meaning:

Turning away a guest is the most abject poverty; enduring the excesses of a moron is the mightiest might.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'avadhURuch cheydhi' by the same author)

Verse 154
Verse 152

645. The World of Words

"You have been preparing your speech for such a long time. Normally, you won't spend so much time for preparing a speech!" Lakshmi asked her husband Rangarajan. 

Rangarajan who had torn off five or six sheets of paper after having written and rewritten his speech several times, lamented, "I am not getting it!" 

"You have delivered umpteen number of speeches in various forums, sometimes, even without preparing the speech in advance. Why are you struggling today?"

"If I were to speak on topics I have already studied about, it would be enough if I just refreshed my knowledge. But when I have to speak on a new topic, I need to make a lot of preparation. 

"Okay. What do I know about preparing a speech! But, I see that you have been struggling a lot. Are you not getting ideas?"

"I am not getting the words!"

"You are not getting the words! You have a reputation for using the right words. In fact, someone even gave you the title 'Expressions Expert.'

"I have the title, alright. But I need to use the right expression. If I don't use the right words, my speech may not be understood correctly."

"You are talking as if you are going to make a statement in the court, where one has to be careful in using the right words, lest one's statement should be misconstrued or misinterpreted. What is the topic of your speech that requires such meticulous choice of words on your part?"

"I am offering felicitation to a person" said Rangarajan.

"Felicitation speech! Then, you are expected to be liberal in your appreciation. You should use more of superlative words, I suppose!" said Lakshmi, smiling.

"Well. It looks as if you can train budding speakers! That is the general impression about a speech of appreciation. But, such a speech will sound hollow. A sincere speech of admiration should be filled with the right words and devoid of exaggeration and false praise. Both the person whom we felicitate and the people who hear the speech should feel that the praise is sincere and appropriate. If my felicitation appears to be covering only limited ground, it will give an impression that I am offering the felicitation not out of conviction, but out of compulsion or courtesy. If, on the other hand, I use extravagant words, my speech will be perceived as contrived and pretentious. That is the reason for my searching for the right words to be used in my speech of appreciation" explained Rangarajan. 

"Oh! There is so much to consider in presenting a speech of felicitation! Are other types of speeches also governed by such norms?" asked Lakshmi, expressing her surprise.

"These considerations are important for all kinds of speeches. They apply even to my conversation with you. If I don't use the right words while answering you, you may think that I am answering you mechanically or that I am answering you in a superficial manner thinking that you won't understand if I give you profound answers to your questions" said Rangarajan, laughing.

"I have never felt that way. This may be because you are a person who always uses the right words!" said Lakshmi with admiration and pride. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 645 (in Tamil):
solluga sollaip piridhOr sol achchollai
vellum sol inmai aRindhu.

Meaning:

When you speak, select and use a word such that no other word

can better that word.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'enna enna vArththaigaLO' by the same author.) 

Verse 646
Verse 644