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 (Soon)
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 (Son)
Verse 644

152. The Odd Man Out

"The meditation exercise you are going to practice now is the most important exercise in this 'Everyday Yoga' course. 

"In your life, many people could have caused you various types of harms. You have reached your present state, after suffering or overcoming the effects of those harms.

"The anger on the people who caused you harm in the past and the pain and humiliation suffered by you resulting from such a harm will still be residing in your mind, like a piece of burning coal covered by a layer of ash.

"This fire, silently burning in you, has been consuming you and perishing your life little by little, without your being aware of it. It has been keeping your goals and ambitions from getting realized, by scuttling your plans and burning your efforts.

"Therefore, there is an imperative need for you to blow off the ash that has been covering the fire burning inside you, bring out the fire and extinguish it completely, by pouring the water of forgiveness over it. Let us do this process. Please close your eyes."

Obeying the command of the mentor, all the trainees closed their eyes. 

For the next few minutes, the mentor gave the trainees a series of commands for bringing their minds to a state of equanimity and making them delve into deeper levels of their minds. 

"Now, you are completely relaxed. Your mind is serene and blissful. Now, slowly go into your past. 

"Starting from your childhood days, recall the people who cased you various kinds of harm, small and big. Recall the face of each and every one of them and bring them in front of your mind's eye. Now, imagine that they are all standing in an open ground, facing you. 

"I will wait for five minutes. Within that time, bring as many people as possible and parade them before your mind's eye.

"I will speak to you after five minutes. At that time, I will explain to you how to forgive the people who did harm to you in the past and how, through that process, to extinguish the fire glowing deep in your mind and how, through that process attain the power to make your mind perform at its full power."

The mentor glanced at the trainees. He quickly noticed that one person was sitting, with his eyes open. The mentor signaled him to close his eyes. But he shook his head sideways, indicating that he couldn't do so.

The mentor signaled to one of his disciples. The disciple went near that man and led him out of the training hall. 

After the meditation session was over, the mentor spoke to that person, in the privacy of his room. 

"What is your name?" asked the mentor.

"Sanjeevi."

"Why didn't you close your eyes?"

"Initially I closed my eyes. But I opened my eyes, after you asked us to recall people who caused harm to us."

"You should have followed my instruction!"

"No, sir. I didn't want to think of people who harmed me."

"As I explained in detail, if you have to extinguish the hatred and anger you have towards those who harmed you, you should first expose the fire in your mind, hidden under a layer of ash, by blowing off the ash and then extinguish the fire, by pouring water on it."

"Excuse me, sir! I can't do that."

"Why?"

"I have developed a practice. If anyone does any harm to me, I will forget it immediately.

"You can't do it. The anger against the person will remain deeply buried in your mind. This meditation practice is for driving out such hidden anger."

"No, sir. If someone does any harm to me, I will immediately think of the good things they have done. When I do this, the anger against them will subside and eventually fade away.

"Even if that person has not done any good to me, I will think, 'Poor man! He did this thinking that he would get some benefit by doing this. He would not have done this, for the purpose of causing harm to me.' By developing such a thought process, I will ensure that I don't get angry with that person. Thus, the anger I had against them initially would fade away soon.

"If I had followed your advice, the bad things done by others, which I had forgiven and forgotten, would again surface in my mind. Is this good?" asked Sanjivi,

The mentor kept quiet.

"I was not sure whether recalling things I had forgotten already and then making them go away was the wise thing to do. I wanted to get this clarified by you and then do that meditation practice."

'I should learn from this man!' thought the mentor. 

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 16
Forbearance 

Verse 152 (In Tamil)

poRuththal iRappinai enRum adhani
maRaththal adhaninum nanRu.

Meaning:

Bear with the harm done to you by someone. Forgetting is even better.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'ninaiikkath therindha manamE' by the same author)

Verse 153
Verse 151

644. A Lesson Learned From the Professor

A contractor had to be finalized for running the mess attached to our college hostel. 

After scrutinizing all the proposals received, the college administration shortlisted five applicants.

Our college principal entrusted the responsibility of talking to the five shortlisted candidates and selecting one among them to me, the mess secretary and to our hostel warden, an English professor in our college.

Our English professor would speak only in English, while lecturing in our class. I have not heard him utter a single word in Tamil, the local language and the mother tongue of most of us including him, even inadvertently.

He was speaking to me in English while walking from his cabin in the college to the hostel office, where we had planned to have the interviews with the shortlisted applicants, I was responding to him in halting English, given my limited fluency in English. 

A slight apprehension about how the professor would converse with the applicants began to arise in me. I thought that I would have to do most of  the talking with the applicants.

When the first applicant entered the interview room, I hastened to speak to him, before the professor could start speaking. I explained to him about what we expected from the mess contractor. From the way he nodded his head, I was unable to conclude to what extent he understood what I had told him. 

The professor turned to me and told me in English, "It seems he has not clearly understood what you said."

He then began to speak the applicant - in Tamil!

I was surprised to hear for the first time the professor speak in Tamil. I was even more surprised by his explaining our requirements to the applicant in a way even a child could understand. 

I was quietly listening to his talk. After the professor explained our requirements to the applicant, the applicant responded by telling us in detail how he would perform the service. We made a note of the points mentioned by him and sent him away

"I hope my Tamil was not bad!" the professor asked me, with a smile, when we were alone. 

"Sir! You explained the terms to him in a simple and clear manner" I said, with genuine admiration.

"I am aware that many students like you have been thinking that I don't know Tamil at all, since I speak only in English in the classroom" he said, with a smirk.

He continued, "While speaking to the applicant, you used several English words. Some of us might have got accustomed to using some words and expressions in English. But, for the people not well educated, such words may not be intelligible. For example, I observed that the applicant didn't understand what you meant by 'per head.' That is why, when I spoke to him, I explained it in Tamil. I am not finding fault with you. I only wanted you to be aware of such nuances, while speaking to people."

I was both amused and ashamed by my rushing in to talk to the applicant, attempting to beat the professor to it, because of my misplaced anticipation that the professor would speak to the candidate in English, but ending up in getting a lesson from the professor on how to tailor our speech to the capabilities of the people we have to talk to.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 644 (in Tamil):
thiRan aRindhu solluga sollai aRanum
poruLum adhanin Ungu il.

Meaning:
Speak words that befit the capabilitiesof the listener;

there is no greater virtue and wealth than that.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'pErAsiriyar kaRpiththa pAdam' by the same author.) 

Verse 645
Verse 643

643. The Co-Pasenger

"To which place are you traveling?" the passenger sitting next to Guruswamy in the train, asked him.

"Kumbakonam. What about you?" replied Guruswamy. 

"I am also going to Kumbakonam. Where from are you coming?"

"We are coming from Chennai. But we went to Chidambaram from Chennai. And we are going to Kumbakonam from Chidambaram."

The other passenger understood that when Guruswamy said 'we,' he was including the man sitting next to him, with his eyes closed.

"I am coming from a small place called Punthottam. In fact, I am coming from a village, situated at about five miles from Punthottam. I came to Punthottam by cycle, kept the cycle at the place of a person known to me, who is residing near Punthottam railway station and boarded the train. From Punthottam, I came to Mayavaram by train and boarded this train at Mayavaram" said the other passenger

"Should you take so much trouble to travel to Kumbakonam from your village?" asked Guruswamy. 

"What to do? The distance from my village to Kumbakonam is only eighteen miles. But since there is no bus connection from my village to Kumbakonam, I have to change trains and travel fifty miles to reach Kumbkonam."

"Since you are taking so much trouble to come to Kumbakonam, you should be having some important wok at Kumbakonam" remarked Guruswamy.

"Yes" said the co-passenger. "Since you are coming from Chennai, let me ask you this. Have you listened to the lectures of Scholar Murugappan?"

Guruswamy, surprised by the question, said, "Yes, I have. Living in Chennai, how could I have not listened to his lectures? People come even from other places to listen to his lectures on Kamba Ramayanam."

"Will his lectures be so interesting?"

"Even atheists will become devotees of Rama, if they listen to his lectures on Kamba Ramayanam. He is such an impactful speaker. Living in a remote village, how do you know about him?" asked Guruswamy. 

"There has been a lot of news about him in the papers. I have been waiting for the day his speeches will be broadcast in the radio. It has not happened so far. Some people from our village, who have listened to him during their visits to Chennai, speak highly about his lectures. Listening to such comments, I have also been stimulated by a desire to listen to his speeches. Till now, I didn't get an opportunity to visit Chennai.  But, I have now got an opportunity to listen to him" said the co-passenger, with enthusiasm.

"How?" asked Guruswamy.

The person who was sitting next to Guruswamy, who had kept his eyes closed all along, was now sitting with his eyes open and actively listening to the conversation between Guruswamy and the other passenger.

"Murugappan is coming to Kumbakonam. His lecture is scheduled for this evening. I am going to Kumbakonam, for listening to his lecture" said the co-passenger, with the excitement of a child. 

"You are going to listen to him this evening. But, you can meet him now. This is Scholar Murugappan" said Guruswamy, pointing to the man sitting next to him. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 644 (in Tamil):
kEttArp piNikkum thagaiyavAyk kELArum
vEtpa mozhivadhAm sol.

Meaning:

Speak with such quality that it binds those who hear the speech,

and creates a desire to hear on even those who have not heard it.

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

Verse 644
Verse 642

642. The Missed Opportunity

"Mr. Selvam. You are the leader of our trade union in your company. Should you not have acted with  responsibility?" asked Senguttuvan, a member of the State level committee of the trade union.

"Are you suggesting that I should submit myself to the repressive approach of the management?" countered Selvam.

"Surya, an employee, spoke to the supervisor in an insulting way. The management suspended Surya for this. Instead of meeting the Managing Director (MD) and settling the matter amicably, you fought with the MD. Now he has hardened his stand against Surya and decided to take stringent action against him. The situation has become more complicated now."

"I asked the MD whether it was fair on his part to have suspended Surya, for using an inappropriate word against the supervisor, in an emotional moment. He didn't like me asking that."

"You didn't stop with that. You asked the MD, 'Did you not once call your persona assistant 'bastard,' when you were angry with him?' Wonder how I knew about this? Your MD himself told me!" said Senguttuvan.

"You spoke to my MD! When? You had never met him, without taking me along?" asked Selvam, shocked.

"Yes, I met him without taking you along. I met him only to pacify him about your inappropriate remarks. How could I have taken you along? You would have again said something untenable and exacerbated the problem. But, I didn't go alone. I took your deputy Manikandan along, since he was present when you spoke in an inappropriate way with the MD."

The fact that Senguttuvan had taken along Manikandan, whom Selvam considered a potential rival shocked Selvam even more. 

"What have you done, Senguttuvan? You have taken along my deputy Manikandan, without my knowledge, to meet the MD. Is this fair?"

"Having failed to exercise restraint in your speech, you can't expect that your action won't have any consequences" said Senguttuvan, with irritation. 

"Okay. What did you tell the MD? Did you apologize to him for Surya being disrespectful to the supervisor?"

"There was no need for that. I only apologized to him for the way you spoke to him. The MD, on his own, said that he was revoking the suspension of Surya. If you had told the MD, during your meeting with him that what Surya did was wrong, he would have revoked Surya's suspension immediately. You would have got the credit for getting Surya's suspension revoked. By speaking to the MD in a provocative way, you not only missed that opportunity but also earned a bad name for yourself. At least hereafter, be careful in the use of words" said Senguttuvan.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 65
The Power of Speech

Verse 642 (in Tamil):
Akkamum kEdum adhanAl varudhalAl
kAththOmbal sollin kat chOrvu.

Meaning:

Since (both) wealth and destruction result from a one's speech, one should carefully guard oneself against faultiness in one's speech. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mudhalALiyudan pEchchu vArththai' by the same author.) 

Verse 642
Verse 640

151. A Journey Into the Forest

Finding the hermitage of Valmiki in the deep forest was not an easy task for the old man. 

Starting from Ayodhya, the old man entered the forest, after traveling for several days. With no one in the forest to seek guidance from, he roamed about in the forest with no sense of direction, before finally arriving at the hermitage.

After reaching the hermitage, he sent word through a disciple standing at the doorstep that he wanted to meet Sita, residing there.

Sita came out in a moment.

Looking at the fatigued state of the old man, Sita told him, "You look fatigued and exhausted. First, have some food."

Even before Sita could complete the sentence, a disciple came from inside, carrying a fruit tray. He placed the tray before the old man.

"If you know who I am, you may not be so hospitable to me!" said the old man. 

"Who you are doesn't matter. We follow the practice of offering food to anyone visiting this hermitage. Especially in the case of people who are old or fatigued, we would ask them any details, only after making them eat food" said Sita.

"No. madam, First, I will introduce myself. I am a washerman."

"Oh! But, in our hermitage, we wash our clothes by ourselves. We don't engage the services of a washerman."

No, madam. I didn't come here, offering my services as a washerman. I am coming from Ayodhya."

There was a trace of grief on Sita's face, for while. But, quickly changing her expression and assuming a cheerful disposition, she asked the old man, "Are Rama, his brothers and others doing well?"

The old man broke down suddenly and began to sob uncontrollably. 

"Madam, you still don't seem to have realized my identity. I am the one responsible for your having to come to the forest and live an arduous life here. It was only after listening to my thoughtless remark questioning your chastity that your husband Rama decided to send you to the forest" said the old man, amidst sobs.

There was a faint smile on Sita's face. "It happened several years back. Why talk about it now?"

"No. madam. I made a scandalous remark in some mood, without  realizing the implications of my thoughtless and irresponsible remark. You had already proved your chastity to the whole world, by stepping into fire and coming out of it unscathed. It was cruel of me to have spoken ill of you, in spite of knowing about it."

Sita didn't say anything. 

"I have been living in regret, blaming myself for my stupid and arrogant remark and getting seared by the flame of guilt that has constantly been burning inside me. I realized that I would be able to come out of my feelings of guilt only after meeting you in person, apologizing to you for my sin and accepting a punishment at your hands. It was only with that determination, I gathered information about your whereabouts and came to this place, after walking for several days" said the old man. 

"I am sorry that I had engaged you in conversation, without asking you to take your food. Please have your food" said Sita. 

"No, madam. You should award some punishment to me. Please ask someone in this hermitage to give me lashes with a whip or a crane."

"Ok. But, your body needs strength to withstand the punishment. You have come here, after a few days' travel. You might not have got adequate food on the way. Therefore, have your food first" said Sita. 

"Will you award me some punishment, after I take my food?" asked the old man and began to eat the fruit.

Sita went inside. When she came out after a few minutes, she was accompanied by a disciple, carrying a spade in his hand. 

The disciple began to dig a pit on the ground outside the hermitage. 

'Why is this man digging a pit? Is he going to bury me alive into this pit?' the old man began to wonder, with apprehension.

Since the ground was moist, digging through the earth was easy. Within a short time, a pit with the depth of a few feet was dug.

Sita told the man who was digging the pit, "Enough. Now, please descend into the pit."

The man stopped digging, kept his spade aside and descended into the pit.

Sita asked the old man, "Sir! Can you tell me why the man is standing in the pit, without going under the earth?"

"Because the earth is supporting him" answered the old man, puzzled by the question. 

"When he was standing on the surface of the earth, the earth was supporting him. But, even after he dug the earth and stood in the pit dug by him, the earth has still been supporting him.

"My father Janaka picked me up from the earth, when he was ploughing the fields. So, I am considered the Earth's daughter. Being the daughter of the Earth, which is an embodiment of forbearance, won't I have a little forbearance myself? 

"I don't want to punish you. You can return home with the satisfaction of having expressed your regret for your action and live your life, without any feeling of guilt.

"I have asked the men to give you a packet of fruits to serve you as food, on your way back. Please take it and leave. A disciple will come with you some distance to show you the way in the forest" said Sita.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 16
Forbearance 

Verse 151 (In Tamil)

agazhvAraith thAngum nilam pOlath
thammai igazhvArp poRuththal thalai.

Meaning:

Like the earth that bears even those who dig through it, supreme virtue is to be patient with one’s deriders.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kAnagaththaith thEdi' by the same author)

Verse 152
Verse 150