607. Hunting For A Job At the Age of Forty

"You are forty years old. Did you not go for any job till now?" Shanmugam, the Manager of the firm, asked Kesavan, who had appeared for the interview, for a job in the firm.

"No, sir" said Kesavan.

"Why?"

"Family circumstances."

"That means?"

"My father was ill. He was bed-ridden. My mother was also weak. She was unable to take up any physical activity. So, I had to stay home, do the chores and look after my parents too."

"What about your siblings?"

"My elder brother has been working in another town. My sister got married and went to live with her husband."

"So, the entire burden was on your shoulders" said Shanmugam, feeling sympathetic. "But, you don't even have a good education. You didn't study even up to tenth grade!" he remarked.

"Yes, sir. I have been looking after my parents, even from my school days" said Kesavan.

"How do you know our Proprietor?"

"One of my father's friends had told your Proprietor about me and requested him to give me a job in his firm. I met the Proprietor in his house. He asked me to go to the office and meet you."

"Mr. Kesavan! This is a small organization. There is a vacancy only for the post of a peon. The salary won't be high" said Shanmugam, reluctantly.

"Any job is good enough for me, sir."

"As a peon, you will have to do various tasks, ranging from running errands to getting coffee and tea to the employees from the nearby restaurants. The job will be hectic and you will have to run around a lot. Usually, we recruit only young people for this job. They will have the inclination and the energy to move about a lot. You are not young..."

"That won't be a problem, sir" said Kesavan.

"Ok" said Shanmugam. Hearing some sounds of movement in the Proprietor's cabin, which was close by, he told Kesavan, "Our Proprietor seems to have come to the office. I will put in a word to him about you and come back."

Shanmugam then got up from his seat and went into the Proprietor's cabin.

Kesavan was able to hear the conversation Shanmugam had with the Proprietor in the latter's cabin. 

Shanmugam spoke in a subdued voice, taking care to ensure that Kesavan wouldn't hear him. But the Proprietor, who had a stentorian voice, didn't make any attempt to lower his voice. 

After hearing what Shanmugam had said, the Proprietor laughed out loud.

"Oh, that's what he said! It has been several years since his parents passed away. All these years, he had been idling at home or roaming about the town aimlessly, without doing anything useful. After squandering all the money and properties left to him by his parents and reaching a state, where he needs to earn money for his survival, he is seeking a job, at the age of forty. He is married and has a child too. His wife had been urging him to go for a job for the past several years, but, he didn't listen to her. As a boy, he didn't bother to study well. But, you say he is blaming his parents for his lack of education! My friend, a friend of his father, told me these facts. He had also repeatedly advised Kesavan to take up a job, but to no avail. It was only out of sympathy for Kesavan's wife and child, that my friend recommended him to me. By nature, Kesavan is lazy. He is likely to be sluggish in his work. Be strict with him" the Proprietor told Shanmugam.

The Proprietor's words entered Kesavan's mind through his ears and pierced it like arrows. His body shrank in humiliation, caused by his plight of having to listen to such demeaning words from strangers.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 607 (in Tamil):
idi purindhu eLLum sol kEtpar madi purindhu
mANda ujnaRRu ilavar.

Meaning:

Those who, out of indolence, do not engage themselves in dignified exertion, may have to listen to rebukes and insulting remarks.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'nARpadhu vayadhil oru vElai' by the same author.) 

Verse 608 (Soon)
Verse 606

138. An Evening That Changed the Life

When I came to know that my friend Murugesh had been admitted in a hospital in Madurai, for treatment of malfunctioning of his lever, I wanted to go to Madurai immediately and meet him. But, I could not take leave, since I had some important work to attend to, at my office in Mumbai. 

When I went to Madurai after a week, Murugesh had been discharged from the hospital. 

I visited him at his home. 

I was shocked to see the skeleton-like figure lying on the cot.

'Is this Murugesh?' was the question that instinctively arose in my mind. Though it had been some years since I had met him, I could not believe that he would have changed so much in appearance.

I first met Murugesh in a training program organized by my company for new recruits like me, at its head office in Delhi. Within a few minutes of getting acquainted with each other, we became intimate.

On the last day of the training, the company hosted a dinner for the trainees in a high class hotel. Liquor was served before dinner. Those who had already been exposed to drinks partook the drinks, with excitement and joy. 

Some of us, including Murugesh, who were not accustomed to drinking liquor, stood aside . 

"Have the drinks and enjoy, boys! You won't get such high quality liquor at other places. Nothing wrong in taking a peg or two occasionally. I don't drink regularly, but I never miss my drinks in parties like this. Should we not enjoy life?" said our Training Officer.

Prodded by his talk, some people began to taste liquor. Murugesh was one among them. That was the starting point for Murugesh's addiction to drinking. 

Murugesh and I had been working at different places. So, we were not able to meet often. However, we were in touch.

Over the years, I got several promotions and rose to the position of a Deputy General Manager. Murugesh, however, remained a junior officer in the company.

The drinking habit, acquired by Murugesh at the hotel in Delhi on the last day of our training, had gripped him tightly. His addiction led him to such a state that he could not refrain from taking liquor even for a day.

During the times I met him, I had been urging him to give up his addiction to drinks. After his marriage, his wife had also been pleading with him to give up drinking. But, he was unable to come out of the drinking habit.

As could only be expected, excessive drinking resulted in causing a serious damage to his liver. He had to be admitted to a hospital for treatment.

"You have become so emaciated" I said.

I heard the sound of sobbing from behind. It was from Murugesh's wife Bhanumathy.

"He didn't listen to you, me or to any of the other well-wishers, who had repeatedly pleaded with him to come out of this destructive habit. Now, he has got his health ruined and become bed-ridden" she told me, in between sobs.

"Give up this habit, at least now!" I told Murugesh.

Murugesh nodded his head.

"The doctor told us that if he drank again, his life would be at risk. Please advise your friend to keep away from liquor, hereafter" Bhanumathy told me.

"I won't touch liquor, hereafter" said Murugesh, firmly.

"Will you be able to do it?" Bhanumathy asked Murugesh, not convinced by his declaration.

She then turned to me and said, "In a way, not having children is a blessing to us. I have been struggling to run our family with the money he gives me, after spending a major portion of his salary on drinks. If we had children, it would be even more difficult for me to manage our family. While feeding the children would itself be a challenge, spending money for their education would be unthinkable. But, from another perspective, the presence of children at home would offer me some solace."

I told Murugesh, "Murugesh! Take leave for three months. Come and stay with me at Mumbai, with your wife. It will be a change. If you are with me for some time, you will also be able to give up your drinking habit."  

I couldn't think of anything more that I could do in that situation, to help my friend Murugesh.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 139 (In Tamil)

nanRikku vththAgum nal ozhukkam thI ozhukkam
enRum idumbai tharum.

Meaning:

Good conduct becomes the seed for good developments.

Bad habits will invariably lead to agony.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'payiRchiyil thuvangiya pazhakkam' by the same author.)

Verse 140 (Soon)
Verse 138

606. Murugan's Classmate

"You are not looking for a job. You have been sitting at home, whiling away your time. After having a good sleep in the night, you sleep during daytime too. Now and then, you sit on the pial of our house, invite people walking on the street for a chat and chat with them. If this is going to be your way of life, how will you come up in life?" Muthulakshmi asked her son Murugan.

"Dad has left me properties of considerable value. Why should I go for a job?" countered Murugan.

There is a proverb, 'If one has no earnings and keeps consumes his assets, even a mountain of assets will be reduced to a plateau, through.'"

"It will take a long time for a mountain to be exhausted. Let me see, after the mountain is reduced to a plateau."

Murugan did not pay heed to his mother's repeated pleas. After he got married, his wife Uma also echoed his mother's views. But, Murugan didn't make any attempt to change his ways.

One day, a fleet of cars entered the street in which Murugan's house was located. The cars halted in front of Murugan's house. With a number of cars arriving at the street and stopping, a screeching sound was heard over the street, making many residents come out of their houses, to find outwhat was happening.

Hearing the sound made by the cars, Uma also came out of her house, driven by a sense of curiosity and anxiety.

Two police officers got down from the cars in the front. Someone opened the rear door of the third car. 

Uma was dumbstruck seeing the person, who got down from the third car. 

It was the Chief Minister of the state.

The Chie Minister greeted Uma, by folding his palms and showing his respect to her and asked her, "Is this Murugan's house? Is he there?"

"Yes, he is. Please come in, sir" said Uma, unable to believe what was happening before her eyes. 

As Uma entered her house, the Chief Minister and two police officers followed her into the house.

Murugan, who came out from his room, hearing the voices, looked at the Chief Minister and exclaimed in astonishment, "Hey, Selvam! You are visiting me!"

"Yes, Murugan. How are you?" inquired Chief Minister Selvam and hugged him.

The Chief Minister then looked at Uma and said, "Murugan and I studied together in the primary school in a nearby village. Subsequently, his family moved to this place. Your husband would have told you about me. We were close friends in the school. We are, even now."

He then looked at Murugan and asked him, smiling "Aren't we?"

"Of course, we are!" said Murugan.

The Chief Minister conversed with Murugan for a few minutes and then departed. 

While taking leave, Selvam told Murugan, "Contact me for any help you need. I will tell my personal secretary that whenever I get a call from you, he should connect the call to me."

He then looked at Uma and said, "I came to Kumbakonam, to attend a function. I remembered that the place where Murugan has been living is nearby. I decided to visit him and came down here. My visiting your home with no prior intimation may have caused you inconvenience. The coffee you gave me was very delicious. Best Wishes. I take leave." 

After Selvam had left, Uma asked Murugan, "You didn't tell me that the Chief Minister was your classmate!"

"I didn't think it was important" said Murugan, tersely.

Uma reflected on the Chief Minister's words, 'Contact me, for any help you need.'

If Murugan were to start a business, he can get help from the government. Even if he weren't, the fact that the Chief Minister was a classmate of Murugan, which was just made known to people living in the village, would enhance Murugan's esteem and create a favourable impact about him on others.

But Uma knew that the prospects of Murugan making use of such a favourable image and impression, by working towards taking his family forward in the path of progress were not very bright.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 606 (in Tamil):
padi udaiyAr paRRu amaindhak kaNNum madi udaiyAr
mAN payan eydhal aridhu.

Meaning:

The lazy man will not be able to gain any benefit, even if he gets the acquaintance of the ruler of his country. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'muruganin naNbar' by the same author.) 

Verse 607
Verse 605

605. The Price of Procrastination

"You have completed your studies. Should you not be trying for a job?" Arunachalam asked his son Viswanathan.

"Don't you know that I have been trying?" shot back Viswanathan. 

"I wonder! After your examinations were over, I asked you to look for job advertisements in the newspapers and apply for jobs suitable for you. But you didn't."

"Dad! I can apply, only after the exam results are released."

"There are many advertisements that say that candidates awaiting results can also apply. I have shown such advertisements to you and asked you to apply for those jobs. But, you responded only to a couple of such ads."

"After the examination I wanted to relax for a few days!"

"Isn't getting a job an important step in your life? You could relax, after getting a job. Look at your friend Raghu. From the very next day of completing his examinations, he started sifting through 'situations vacant' pages of the daily newspapers and applying for each and every job, for which he was eligible to apply. Now he has been called for interview by a good company."

"Dad! Raghu is a book-worm. When he was studying in the college, he was immersed in text-books. Now, he immersed himself in newspaper ads. Even if he gets a job, he will keep reading the job ads in the newspapers, looking for more lucrative jobs. He will keep doing this, even after his retirement. I can't be like him."

"You don't have to be like him. You have relaxed enough, by being carefree for two months, after writing your examinations. You have been roaming about the city and sleeping till ten o' clock in the morning. Now, the exam results have come. You have also received your score card. If you are serious about getting a job, you should be spending some time every day, going through the job ads in the newspapers. But, I find that you have been reading only magazines filled with entertainment stuff. Instead, if you read journals that have content relating to general knowledge and aptitude development, it will be of some help in writing aptitude tests or facing interviews. But, the point is, you have not been going through job ads. If I go through the ads, select the ones suitable to you and ask you to apply, you don't apply to them!"

"Dad! I have been applying to all the ads you ask me to."

"No, you are not. If I show you ten ads, you apply for two or three, that too, only after repeated reminders from me. Sometimes, you say you forgot. By the time, you remember and set out to apply, the last date gets over. It has been five months since you completed your studies. Seven or eight of your classmates have landed a job already. The number could be more. After all, I don't know all of your classmates. You get up at ten in the morning. After that, you just while away the time, without doing anything worthwhile. You neglect to do the things you have to do, in time, and just say you forgot! I am worried how your future is going to be, if you  continue with your ways!"

Arunachalam spoke his mind, conveying his concern and sorrow.

"I will mend my ways, daddy. Hereafter, I will be earnest and brisk and do things promptly" said Viswanathan.

However, Viswanathan did not make any effort to change himself.

It has been eighteen months, since Viswanathan completed his studies. He had still not got a job.

Arunachalam stopped the practice of going through job ads and pointing out the relevant ones to his son, after getting fatigued and frustrated by the attitude of his son.

Viswanathan's friend Kumar told him, "A new industrial unit is coming up in the public sector. It is going to recruit a large number of people for various positions. The ad has come in today's paper. There is a good chance of our getting a job in this firm. It is a very good firm. The salary is good. The career prospects are also bright. If we get a job in this firm, we can settle down in our life. I am going to apply for this today. You may also apply."

"I will" said Viswanathan.

Viswanathan decided that immediately after going home, he would look for ad and apply.

When he reached home, his father was there. Since Viswanathan wanted to avoid any question from his father about the job he was applying for, he postponed looking for the ad. If his father came to know about the opportunity, he would pressurize him to apply immediately, making a lot of fuss, in the process.

Since the last date to apply was about fifteen days away, Viswanathan was complacent for the next couple of days, 

Some relatives visited his home and stayed for a couple of days. Viswanathan's attention was diverted. By the time the relatives departed, Viswanathan had forgotten about applying for the job.

He remembered the matter, after two days, but he didn't remember the date on which the ad for the job was published in the newspaper. He took out the papers for the last fifteen days and searched for the ad. He couldn't find it.

Kumar would be having the cutting of the ad. But he was not in town. 

Viswanathan concluded that he had not searched for the ad meticulously. He decided to search for the ad more thoroughly, the next day.

When he searched again the next day, he was able to find the ad.

Viswanathan felt relieved.

But when he read the ad, he saw a problem.

The application process was not simple. First, he had to request for the application form, by writing to the head office of the firm at Delhi, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. After receiving the application form from the firm, he should fill it up and send it to the Delhi office, along with copies of his certificates and a postal order for ten rupees.

The last date for receipt of the applications was only five days away. It would take four days to receive the application form from Delhi, even if he were to send the request for the form that day. Even if he could post the completed application the same day he received the form, it would take at least two days for it to reach Delhi. There was a Sunday in between. Therefore, the completed application would reach Delhi, only after the last date.

After the bitter realization that it was impossible for him to apply for that job. he put the newspaper away, in disgust.

The feeling of regret that he could have applied for that job in time, if only he had been a little less lethargic, created a pain in his mind. 

Arunachalam, who had entered the house just then, saw his son going through several newspapers and felt, 'Not bad. At least now, he has become responsible.'

After three months, Kumar received an appointment order from the public sector firm.

"You are better than me, in all aspects. So, if you had applied for the job, you would have definitely got it. Why did you miss applying for the job?" asked Kumar.

Viswanathan cursed himself for losing a good opportunity, due to his lethargy and sluggishness.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 605 (in Tamil):
nedunIr maRavi madi thuyil nAngum
kedu nIrAr kAmak kalan.

Meaning:

Procrastination, neglect, sloth and slumber; these four are the ship that are lovingly boarded by people destined to lose.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'visvanAdhA vElai thEdu' by the same author.) 

Verse 606
Verse 604

604. Father's Ceremony

"It is common for people like me, who are born poor and deprived of education and who can't find means to earn money in an honest way, to indulge in theft, for survival. One should be lucky to carry on, without getting caught. But, I was caught and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. What crime did you committee?" Satya asked Manickam, his co-prisoner.

Manickam did not reply.

"People like him belong to a different category. He is not someone who would be involved in activities like picking pockets, house-breaking etc. He looks like a gentleman" said Sekar, another prisoner. 

Other prisoners laughed, enjoying Sekar's wry humour.

"Did you commit what is called a white collar crime?" asked another prisoner, who was a little educated.

Manickam quietly listened to the chat, keeping his chin down.

Manickam's mother who came to the prison to see him, cried, lamenting, "Why did you bring yourself to this state?"

After conversing with Manickam for a few minutes on some general topics, she said, "Your father's ceremony falls next week. After he had passed away, we have been performing his ceremony every year, following the traditional practice by engaging a purohit* and observing the formalities. We won't be able to perform the ceremony this year."

Manickam thought about his father. What a noble person was he! What great esteem had he commanded among the people of his village!

The goodwill earned by Manickam's father had been a great asset to Manickam. But Manickam did nothing to sustain it or even take advantage of it. For a long time after his father's death, Manickam did not take up any job, due to sheer lethargy. It was only after his family's financial situation became so bad that he had to go for a job and earn an income for survival that he began to look for a job. He was able to get only a job with a modest salary.

Finding that his salary was inadequate to meet the family's needs, Manickam, in a desperate moment, forged the signature of his proprietor and attempted to draw money from the bank. But he was caught, while trying to encash the cheque, arrested and slapped a prison sentence.

Listening to his mother's lament about their not being able to perform his father's annual ceremony, Manickam told himself, 'My inability to perform my father's annual ceremony is not a severe fault, compared to my betraying his legacy through my act of bringing disrepute to his name.

*purohit is a person well-versed in scriptures, who is engaged for performing religious ceremonies. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 604 (in Tamil):
kudi mdindhu kuRRam perugum madi madindhu
mAnDa ujnaRRilavarkku.

Meaning:

If a person yields to laziness and fails to put forth efforts, the reputation of his family will be destroyed and faults will increase.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thadaippattup pOna sadangu' by the same author.) 

Verse 605
Verse 603

603. The Meaning of the Emperor's Words

"Your Majesty! You have  expanded your kingdom to a large extent, outperforming your ancestors. Your name will definitely be engraved in the annals of history" said Minister Mazhavaroyar.

"Minister! History is an ongoing phenomenon. Not only the past, but also the future, will be recorded in history" said King Suryakeerthi.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But, what about it?" 

"Nothing" said Suryakeerthi, staring at a remote spot on the ceiling. 

The Minister looked at the King with the mixed feelings of perplexity and concern.

The Minister observed that despite conquering several kingdoms and establishing himself as an Emperor, King Suryakeerthi, of late, appeared to be concerned about something. The King often revealed his concerns through cryptic remarks.

The Minister was unable to discern the reasons for the King's concerns. He was also reluctant to ask the King what he was concerned about. He hoped that someday, the King himself would share his concerns with him. 

But, that day never arrived. King Suryakeerthi passed away. 

"Your Majesty! Your late father conquered some countries and made them a part of our country. In the case of some other countries, he allowed the kings of those countries to continue to be the rulers, but made them our subjugates. They were required to pay a part of the tax money collected by them to us. They have been doing so. Your father would often visit those countries, meet the people and interact with them. Citizens of those countries loved your father so much that they did not consider him a conqueror, but a benign emperor, having power over their kings. It is my suggestion that like your father, you also visit those countries, meet the people and interact with them. Such visits will ensure that the bond your father ha established with those people remains intact" Mazhavaroyar told the new king Veeraman.

"I don't see any need for such visits, Minister. There are officials at local levels, looking after the administration and fulfilling the needs of people. That is enough" said Veeraman.

Mazhavaroyar thought that he would broach the subject again, after some time. But, when he did, Veeraman gave the same reply.

Veeraman chose to confine himself to the palace and enjoy life, by indulging in exotic food, drinks and the company of women.

"Your Majesty! Some of the kings in our empire have been creating trouble, by being defiant and defaulting on the payments to be made to us. There are also some disturbances in some regions within our country. If you visit those places once, meet the people, listen to their grievances and assure them that their grievances will be looked into, people will give up their protests. In the same way, if you visit the countries whose kings are creating problems and talk to the kings, they will become compliant" said Mazhavaroyar.

"If the king has to personally attend to everything, why do we have the officials? And why do I have you as the Minister?" asked Veeraman nonchalantly and retired to his chamber.

Mazhavaroyar realized that expecting Veeraman to safeguard the country would be foolish. 

'I should make all efforts I could, within my powers and strive to bring things under control. Otherwise, the empire created by Suryamurthy may perish even during the time of his son' thought the Minister.

He recalled the cryptic words of the late King, "Not only the past, but also the future will get recorded in history."

The meaning of the King's words began to unravel in the mind of Mazhavaroyar. Suryamurthy had made that statement, only because he had known about his son's lazy attitude and passive nature. That was why he was concerned.

Suryamurthy made that statement out of his concern that the empire created by him could wither away during the tenure of his son. That was the meaning of his remark that the future developments would also be a part of history. 

The Minister began to worry that Suryamurthy's fears could become true.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 603 (in Tamil):
madi madik kondu ozhugum pEdhai piRandha
kudi madiyum thanninum mundhu.

Meaning:

The fool who lives clutching the fatal indolence,

will see his family’s demise before his own.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'arasar En appadich chonnAr?' by the same author.) 

Verse 604
Verse 602

139. "I Wish Him Well"

"You gave a new lease of life to that urchin, who, orphaned by his parents, was roaming on the streets, by giving him a job and enabled him to earn a decent income and live a dignified life. For the past several years, he had been working for you with sincerity and dedication. Now, he has quit the job, without even telling you and started a business in competition with your business. Are you going to allow him to get away with this treachery?" burst out Sundari, giving vent to her anger and frustration.

Sabhapathy did not say anything.

"For his act of ungratefulness, I want him to..."

"Don't curse him" interrupted Sabhapathy. "May he be happy!" 

"We should at least condemn a person who betrayed us, in strong words. That will give us some satisfaction!" said Sundari.

"The hallmark of a good person is not to use words intending harm to others" said Sabhapathy.

"What do you mean? We may decide not to punish a person who has wronged us. But should we not give vent to our anger? That's what will make us feel better."

"It is a wrong approach."

"What you say is strange. Some people will use abusive words against a person who has wronged them. Dignified people won't use abusive language. But they will curse the traitor, saying things like, 'he will pay the price for this,' 'he will be punished by God for what he did to me' etc. It is natural for people to react this way."

"Using harsh words amounts to punishing ourselves."

"How can it be?"

"In our mythology, there are stories of sages who attained extraordinary powers through long years of penance. But if they cursed someone, their powers would get diminished. This is what we see in several mythological stories. Now, what is cursing? Cursing is using words intending harm to others. Doesn't the sages' suffering loss of power, when they cursed other people, indicate that this resulted from their lack of discipline and propriety? Is this not a punishment the sages inflicted on themselves, by slipping on their discipline and code of propriety?"

Sundari did not answer her husband.

After a few months, there was news of a person running a chit fund having absconded with the money deposited by the subscribers to various chit fund schemes. Sundari had subscribed to a scheme promoted by him and deposited fifty thousand rupees over a period. When she heard the news, she was shocked. The grief resulting from losing a large amount of money made her feel angry towards the person who had cheated her. She began to curse him with the words, "May he suffer from...." But immediately, she changed her thought and murmured "I wish him well."

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 139 (In Tamil)

ozhukkam udaiyavarkku ollAvE thIya
vazhukkiyum vAyAl solal.

Meaning:

Those who practice propriety will not utter harmful words even inadvertently. 

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

Verse 140 (Soon)
Verse 138