559. When it rained...

"The monsoon has failed for three years continuously. This has never happened before."

"There is acute water scarcity. But the government has not taken any step to help the people. It has given permission to a few industrialists to destroy forests and use the lands for setting up factories. Environmental enthusiasts have expressed concerns that this move will adversely affect the rainfall. People living in forests have been evicted. Having lost both their homes and source of livelihood, they are struggling for survival. Only big businessmen are thriving under this government. I have never seen a government worse than the present one." 

"The monsoon has failed during the last three years, only because of the tyrannical government we have in our country."

"Don't talk nonsense. What is the connection between governance and monsoon? The perception that if a king gave a good rule, there would be regular rains and if the king's sceptre was not straight, it would lead to the failure of rains was probably created to instill a fear in the monarchs and motivate them to rule the country in a just way. Like the belief that ghosts live on the branches of a neem tree, this is also an irrational. There are scientific reasons for monsoon failures. There is no connection between bad governance and deficit rainfall."

"However much evidence is offered in support of a time-tested theory like this, rationalists like you won't accept it. We are having the election soon. This government will be definitely voted out and a new government will assume office. After that, we will have rains. Let me see whether you will accept my theory, after this happens!" 

"Didn't I tell you? The new government that assumed office after the election has begun to correct the wrongs of the previous government. Soon after the new government had started giving good governance, we had rains. This is summer, not the season for rains to occur. Still, we got a very good rainfall, which has brought relief to the people, who have suffered for the past three years."

"After three years of monsoon failure, we can expect a year of good rainfall. That is what has happened. This is called the 'Law of Averages.' This has got nothing to do with good governance. Let us say this government continues to give good governance. There may still be a monsoon failure during some years. How will you explain it? It is also possible that after sometime, the functioning of this government becomes bad. If there are good rains during that period, will you say that since the rainfall is good, the governance should be considered good? Making a connection between unrelated events is foolish. "

"Just as there is a 'Law of Averages,' there is a 'Law of Nature.' Rationalists like you will never understand this. There is no point in trying to convince you!"

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 559 (in Tamil):

muRai kOdi mannavan seyyin uRai kOdi
ollAdhu vAnam peyal.

Meaning:

If the king lets his sceptre of justice waver,

the skies won’t yield and monsoons will fail.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'poyththa mazhaiyum, peydha mazhaiyum' by the same author.)

Verse 560 (Soon)
Verse 558

558. Keep the Change!

After the taxi came out of the airport and entered the main road, Vivek asked the driver, "Before starting the car, you worshipped a picture by touching it and then touching your eyes. Is it the picture of Mahatma Gandhi?"

"Yes" replied, Senthil, the driver. "Did you see me touching it and paying obeisance to it?" 

"Yes, I did. But it appeared that you were doing it secretly, taking care to ensure that no one saw you doing it!" said Vivek, laughing.

"Yes. Some people, who had seen me doing this, made fun of me. That is why I do it, without giving a chance to others to see my doing it."

"I won't make fun of your act. I don't know why you pay obeisance to Gandhi, treating him as God. But I feel that at this point o time, we need a person like Gandhi, to salvage our country."

Senthil turned back and looked at the passenger with surprise.

"I worship Gandhi, praying that he should save this country. But, I am surprised that wealthy people like you also think that way!" said Senthil.

"A political party can come to power only by getting the votes of the poor, who constitute an overwhelming majority of the electorate. People who are now in power have come to the position, only because the poor people of this country have voted for them. But, if an industrialist like me finds fault with the government, people like you ask us, 'You belong to the affluent class. What problem could you have!'"

"Sir, don't mistake me. I don't know about you. But is it not true that the actions of this government have affected the poor people in a big way? The present rulers have hiked up the prices of all essential commodities. They have taken away the rights of the workers. They arrest the journalists who criticize the government and keep them in prison for months together. As a result, there is virtually no one to raise their voice for the poor. It is true that the rulers got the votes of the poor and won the elections. It doesn't mean that the poor are happy under this government" said Senthil.

"What you say is true. But not many people are aware of the difficulties faced by people like me - industrialists, traders, people engaged in small business, self-employed etc. Except for a couple of big industrialists, all businessmen have been facing severe problems, under the present government. The economic and taxation policy of this government favours only a handful of big corporate groups. It appears that the government is there, only to take care of the interests of these people. It appears that very soon, people like us will have to shut down our businesses and work as sub-contractors for these corporate groups. Already, many industrialists and businessmen have closed shop and come to the streets, unable to repay the loans taken by them. Nobody is even talking about these developments. When workers are affected, they will come out and protest. We can't do even that!"

"Sorry to hear that. I was thinking that only the poor suffered under this government. It appears that people whom I consider well-to-do have been suffering even more" said Senthil.

"Seeing you pay your respect to Gandhi, I had an impulse to open my mind and share my feelings with you. I have never shared my views about this government with anyone, except a couple of my close friends" said Vivek.

After that, neither of them said anything.

When the taxi reached the destination, Vivek looked at the taxi app on his mobile screen. It showed the fare as Rupees 550. Vivek handed two five hundred rupee notes to Senthil.

Without receiving the money, Senthil asked Vivek, "Don't you have a fifty rupee note?"

"I don't" said Vivek.

"In that case, pay me only five hundred rupees" said Senthil, and took one five hundred rupee note from Vivek.

"You are taking fifty rupees less. Will this not be a loss to you?" asked Vivek.

"It is okay, sir!" said Senthil.

It appeared to Vivek that Senthil might be thinking, 'You are worse off than me. Keep the change!'

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 558 (in Tamil):

inmaiyin innAdhu udaimai muRai seyyA
mannavan kOl kIzhp padin.

Meaning:

If one were to live under an unjust ruler.

being wealthy is worse than being poor,

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

Verse 559
Verse 557

557. After the Migration

"Guru! I find the sufferings of the people of this Maragatha country heart-rending" said the disciple.

"Yes. Even a person like me, who is considered to have attained a status of having absolute control over my emotions feel depressed, by looking at the sufferings of these people. Of all the tragedies in the world, the tragedy resulting from the failure of rains is the most gruesome" said the Guru.

"Why do things like this take place, Guru? Why is God so merciless towards the people of this country?"

The Guru closed his eyes for a moment and then said, "If we could understand God's mind, then the very idea of God will become meaningless. This is the only reply I can give you now."

"Maybe, if I become more matured, I will be able to give you a better reply!" he added, with a smile.

After some time, the Guru told his disciple, "A severe famine prevails in this country because of the failure of the rain to arrive. However, people, in spite of not getting enough food even for themselves, have been offering food to us, considering that we are ascetics. We can't accept this strained hospitality for long. It is only appropriate that we leave this country and migrate to some other country. Even after migrating to some other country, we will continue to pray for relief for the people of Maragatha country. That is the only thing we can do."

Accordingly, they migrated to Gomethaka country.

"In contrast to Maragatha country, Gomethaka country is full of fertile lands and bountiful crops" said the disciple.

'Yes. Let us pray that Maragatha country also be blessed with abundance of grains from the crops grown there" said the Guru.

A few weeks after their settling down in Gomethaka country, the disciple told the Guru, "Guru! Though this country is blessed with abundance of resources and plentiful yield of grains, people of this country do not seem to be happy. I see on the faces of people of Gomethaka country, the same signs of grief I saw in the people of Maragatha country, due to their suffering from famine conditions."

"Yes. The intensity of grief on the faces of the people of Gomethaka country is even more than that on the faces of Maragatha country."

"Why is it so, Guru? Why are these people engulfed in grief, when they have been living in a state of abundance?"

"Living in abundance has not made these people happy. How can people be happy, when they are under a tyrannical rule?"

"What do you mean, Guru?"

"The king of Gomethaka is a tyrant. People have been suffering under his rule, the way plants will suffer from lack of rain."

"But I have heard people praising the king!"

"Two kinds of people will praise a tyrant. One kind of people, who blindly support the king, praise him. The other kind of people praise the king, fearing that if they don't do so, they would be branded enemies of the state and put in prison. There is also a third kind of people, who, like a farmer desperately hoping for the rain to arrive, have been waiting for the tyranny to come to an end and for breathing the air of freedom. Since they don't reveal themselves, we won't be able to identify them" said the Guru, wit a sigh.

"What should we do, Guru?"

"Just as we have been praying for rains to arrive in Maragatha country, let us pray that the tyrannical rule of the king in Gomethaka country come to an end soon and that people of this country be blessed with a benign rule. What else can we do?" said the Guru.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 557 (in Tamil):

thuLi inmai gnAlaththiRku eRRaRRE vEndhan
aLi inmai vAzhum uyirkku.

Meaning:

Just as lack of rain is to the world, so is

rulers’ lack of benevolence, to the people.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'nAdu vittu nAdu vandhu' by the same author.)

Verse 558
Verse 556

556. The Lucky Ruler!

"Oh, king! After a long time, you wanted to meet me and invited you to your palace? What is the matter?" asked the king's mentor.

"Pardon me, Guru! Since I was facing a lot of problems, I didn't find the time to meet you and pay my respects. Don't mistake me" said the king.

'It didn't strike you to meet me and seek my counsel, when you had problems. Perhaps, you felt that my advice won't be palatable to you!' thought the mentor.

"Since you have now found the time to meet me, I believe that you have resolved the problems faced by you!" said the mentor.

The king looked at the mentor, with an embarrassed expression and said, "Guru! You can't be unaware of the fact that our country has been facing a lot of problems, for the past couple of years. The problems are intensifying day by day and new problems are cropping up every day. I feel that things are going out of my control. I requested a meeting with you, to seek your help and counsel."

"Tell me. What is your problem?"

"Guru! For the past few years, there have been a lot of protests and agitations in the country. People who were affectionate towards me earlier, seemed to have developed a dislike towards me. They are even angry with me. It is true that there are problems like food shortage etc. in our country. But what is the justification for people becoming angry with me because of these problems?"

"Is it true that you invited me only to seek my counsel?"

"Yes, Guru. Why do you have this doubt?"

"In that case, I should tell you some truths. You said that earlier, people were affectionate towards you."

"Yes, Guru. I have experienced their affection."

"It is true. I have also witnessed it. But there should be a reason for people who had affection for you to develop a dislike for you."

The king remained silent.

"In your heart, you know the reason for people's anger towards you. But you are reluctant to accept it. I will be frank with you. In the beginning, you governed the country with righteousness and compassion. You had concern for people's welfare. People reciprocated your good rule, by showing their affection towards you. But, when the problem of food shortage arose, instead of coming to people's help, you imposed more taxes on them. When people protested, you put down the protests, by unleashing repression on the protesters, by the use of force. The protesters were beaten up by the guards and many of them were imprisoned for long periods. You did these on the advice of some people surrounding you. Since you knew that I wouldn't have approved of your actions, you avoided meeting me. I was aware of your predicament. Since, people affected by food shortages, undaunted by your highhandedness, have intensified their protests, you realized that the situation had gone out of control and then called me for advice. Am I right?" asked the mentor, looking into the king's eyes.

The king turned his face away, averting the mentor's gaze. "Guru! What you say is right. But what is perplexing me is that people don't respect my authority" he said, in a faint voice.

"People respect only the authority of the sceptre of the king. If the sceptre is straight, they will respect and love the king. If the spectre's uprightness is violated, the king will lose his respect. However, I think you are a lucky person!"

"Lucky person! What do you mean?" asked the king, perplexed.

"Because, even when the people are dissatisfied with you, you continue as the king! In some countries, a new system of rule called democracy has come into force. Under that system, people will decide who should rule them through a system of voting. The person who gets the votes of the largest number of people will rule the country for five years. After that, there will be another election. If people are not happy with the person who ruled them for the last five years, they will vote him out and elect another person as the new ruler. You don't have to face such a situation. That is why I called you lucky" said the mentor, smiling.

The king looked at his mentor with a mixed feeling of amazement and apprehension.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 556 (in Tamil):

mannarkku mannudhal sengOnmai ahdhu inREl
mannAvAm mannarkku oLi.

Meaning:

Just rule yields lasting fame to a ruler;

no justice, no fame.

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

Verse 557
Verse 555

1130. The Mirror That That Reflects 'His' Image!

"I think it has been six months since Thirumaran left on his tour. Am I right?" Kodhai asked Maragadham.

Kodhai was a distant relative of Maragadham. She lived in a street adjacent to the one Maragadham lived. Kodhai would often visit Maragadham's house to have a chat with Maragadham's mother. Every time, she came to their house, Kodhai never missed asking Maragadham about Thirumaran.

"It is nearly six months" said Maragadham.

"You are saying this casually, as if you are telling me the age of a child! What has he been doing for six months?"

"Auntie! He gives spiritual discourses. During his tour program, he will visit many places and then only return home. He is not a prince. So has can't be sending me a message about his location and next place of visit through a messenger. Usually, he returns from a tour in two or three months' time. Last year, when he visited some places for the first time, the people there asked him to visit their places every year. So, this time, he is taking a longer time to cover all the places. At the time of leaving, he told me that it might take six months for him to complete the tour and return home."

"It has been decided by both of your parents that you two are to be married to each other. Thirumaran could have gone on the tour after marrying you" said Kodhai.

"What difference would it have made?" shot back Maragadham.

"Once you are married to him, you will be able to have him in your control. If he has love for you, he shouldn't go places, leaving you alone for such a long time!" commented Kodhai, before leaving the place. 

'Goodbye, auntie! Go to some other house, find out what problem they have and aggravate their agony, by talking to them about it and making unhelpful comments' Maragadham said to herself, looking at the figure of Kodhai, leaving her house.

Maragadham stood before the mirror and looked at her reflection. She felt the excitement that she always did, while looking at the mirror. She was having this experience, from the time Thirumaran had left the village.

When Thirumaran, before starting his journey, came to her house for taking leave of her, Maragadham asked him, "You are going away, leaving me alone here for six months. How am I going to survive without seeing you?" holding back her tears, with great effort.

"Maragadham! There is an idol of the Vaishnavite saint Ramanuja in Sriperumpudur. The legend is that Ramanuja, before leaving Sriperumpudur, embraced the idol and infused his personality into it, so that his disciples could sense his presence, by looking at the idol and overcome the grief of his separation. After that, whenever Ramanuja left Sriperumpudur, his disciples would look at the idol and experience the feeling of seeing Ramanuja himself. That idol is called 'thaam ugandha thirumeni' an expression in Tamil, which means, 'an idol authenticated by (Ramanuja) himself.' In the same way, I am going to infuse my personality in you, so that you could always see my appearance, even when I am away" and embraced her tightly.

When Thirumaran embraced  Maragadham, she experienced a sensation of thrill. She realized that that thrill indicated his entering her heart.

From that time, Maragadham had been looking at the mirror several times a day and seeing her lover in her reflection. 'How can people like Kodhai understand this?' thought Maragadam, feeling proud.

"What is this, Maragadham? You stand before the mirror several times a day! Have you gone crazy? As soon as Thirumaran returns, I will get your marriage performed. Otherwise, your craze will intensify into  some form of mental disorder" said Maragdham's mother, seeing her daughter standing before the mirror.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 113
In Praise of Love

Verse 1130 (in Tamil):
uvandhu uRaivar uLLatthuL enRum igandhu uRaivar
Edhilar ennum ivvUr.

Meaning:

He ever lives in my soul, with delight. But the townsfolk will call him loveless, saying 'he has gone far away, leaving her alone.'

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'uruvaththaik kAttidum kaNNAdi' by the same author.)

Verse 1131 (Soon)
Verse 1129

555. Why This Punishment?

"How could they have delivered such a verdict? During my long political career spanning over 30 years, there has not been a single allegation of corruption against me. When I was the Chief Minister, whenever there were allegations of corruption against a minister in my cabinet, I ordered a probe and took action against the minister concerned, if the probe indicated that the allegations were prima facie true. They filed a case accusing me of accumulating assets disproportionate to my income. I have been convicted and given prison sentence. They have also imposed a fine of ten crore rupees on me. I don't have assets to the value of ten crore rupees!" lamented Manimaran, a former Chief Minister, to his lawyer who had come to meet him in the prison.

"We have filed an appeal in the Supreme Court and also sought bail. You may get the bail in about a week. We have requested the Supreme Court to hear your case expeditiously" said the lawyer.

 ''Getting bail is fine. But this is a fundamentally flawed verdict. Since I was not guilty, in the beginning, I didn't take the case seriously. I was confident that I would be acquitted. But my political opponents created a false narrative that my younger brother's properties were acquired by me from ill-gotten income and that he was only a front for me. Even when the lower court convicted me, accepting this story, I was hoping that I would get justice in the High Court. But to my shock and surprise, the High Court has dismissed my appeal and confirmed my conviction."

"Sir! We have discussed the case in detail. Your brother was a bachelor and he lived in your house. He earned a lot of money in his real estate business. But, unfortunately, to evade taxes, he understated his income in his financial statements. He didn't keep proper records either. Since he had no children, he wrote a will leaving all his assets to your children. He died and all his assets came to your children. After you had lost the election, your political opponents made clever use of these facts to project that the assets acquired by your brother were, in act, acquired by you, since your brother had no means to acquire those assets and that his writing a will leaving his properties to your children confirmed this. Unfortunately, the circumstances supported their allegations and the courts accepted the case made out against you" said the lawyer.

"Then, how did you say that I would get a favourable verdict in the Supreme Court?" asked Manimaran, sounding angry.

'When did I say so?' said the lawyer to himself. 

"We will present strong arguments that the entire case is based on assumptions and that there is no evidence to show that you acquired the assets owned by your brother. There have been many instances of some big lawyers, through their skills of persuasion and argument, having successfully got the Supreme Court overturn the High Court judgements" he told Manimaran, in an attempt to infuse a sense of optimism in him.

"I am not sure. Anyway, please proceed with the appeal and the bail petition, as per your plan" said Manimaran.

Manimaran's wife Kumari came to the prison to meet him.

"Kumari! You know about me. I never took any bribe from anyone. I didn't have money to acquire these assets. Why should this happen to me?" asked Manimaran, sounding desperate.

Quite unexpectedly, Kumari reacted with an angry outburst.

"Do you want to know why? When you were in power, you adopted a highhanded approach and committed atrocities against ordinary people. You might not have taken bribes. But, what about your autocratic, aggressive and oppressive acts? I have cautioned you several times not to do things that would harm others. But you didn't listen to me."

"I don't understand what you are talking about. When I was running the government, I was bound to use the powers vested with me, to put down protests and agitations. My distractors called me an autocrat and a tyrant. But I only acted tough against people who tried to obstruct me from carrying our my plans. What can be wrong about it?" shot back Manimaran.

"The things you did were not just wrong. They were merciless and cruel. How many people did you imprison? You ordered lathi charge on peaceful protesters. You even ordered shooting on the agitators which led to the death of several people. It was nothing short of murder!"

"A strong government has to act strongly against people who hold protests and launch agitations!"

"Just because you had the power, you thought you could use it anyway you wanted to. You took the law into your hands. When people protested against that chemical factory, complaining that its exhaust fumes caused environmental effects resulting in many people including children getting diseases, you ordered firing against the protesters. Fifteen people were killed in the police firing. Even a boy who was supplying tea was killed. Do you know how I felt when I saw in the TV the cry of his mother? When I heard her curse, 'God will punish those who killed my son,' I was struck by the fear that something bad would happen to us. Now, you are in jail and we are going to lose all our properties, which are going to be confiscated by the government, as per the court order. Our two sons and I are going to be on the streets!"  cried Kumari, feeling both angry and frustrated.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 555 (in Tamil):

allal pattu ARRAdhu azhudha kaNNIr anRE
selvaththaith thEykkum padai.

Meaning:

The tears shed by citizens subjected to intolerable grief

are the weapons that erode the rulers’ wealth.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'edhaRku indha dhandanai?' by the same author.)

Verse 556
Verse 554

554. Opinion Polls

The meeting of the High Power Committee of People's Democratic Party was going on.

"It has been two years since our party came to power. We contested the elections on three planks - honest politics, efficient administration and power to the people" said Shyam Prasad, a senior leader of the party.

 "Of course, we did! But, why are you mentioning this?" asked Amarnath, the party president.

"Are we running the government in tune with these principles?" asked Shyam Prasad.

"He is attacking the Prime Minister. We shouldn't allow this" yelled a supporter of the Prime Minister, in a loud and angry voice. 

"Let him air his views" said Prime Minister Mahadev. "Mr. Shyam Prasad! You are one of the most senior leaders of the party. I am willing to listen to your views and correct my functioning, if necessary. Tell us what deficiencies you find in our government."

Kalidas, who was sitting next to Shyam Prasad, whispered in his ears, "This is a trap. He will encourage you to speak your mind, but use your words to take action against you, accusing you of acting against the party's interests. Don't fall into this."

"I am not concerned about what they will do to me" Shyam Prasad told Kalidas, in a whispering tone. 

He then turned to the Prime Minister and said, "Don't you know what you have been doing? Your government is being run in contravention of the three principles propagated by us during the election campaign. Corruption in the government has increased many times over what it was when you took over. You have enacted laws that would affect the poor and the downtrodden people. You have let out repression on those who protest against the government and those who are critical of the government. You have taken several measures so as to benefit a couple of business houses, to the detriment of the vast majority of the people of our country. Because of your arbitrary actions, the economy of our country is in a precarious state."

"In which world are you living Mr. Shyam Prasad?" asked Amarnath, in an agitated tone. "The entire media has been saying that there was never a leader like Mr. Mahadev in any country of the world, during any time in history. All the opinion polls say that the Prime Minister has an approval rating exceeding 80%. We are going to win not only the next election, but also all the elections that will be held in the next hundred years. The newspapers describe Mr. Mahadev as the permanent Prime Minister of our country. Don't you read these papers?"

"You have imprisoned all critics of the government, branding them anti-national and created a situation that only the kind of media that sings the praise of the government could exist. You are living in a delusional world created by the pretentious praise of such media. You don't know what the reality is" shot back Shyam Prasad

"Mr. Shyam Prasad! I am pained to hear you speak the language of the enemies of our nation. I respect your views. But, since, no one in this committee agrees with you, I think we can talk of other things" said Mahadev, putting an end to the discussion.

The next day, there was an announcement from the People's Democratic Party that Shyam Prasad had been expelled from the party, because of his anti-party activities. There was also a raid on Shyam Prasad's house by the income tax authorities. But, nothing incriminating was recovered during the raid.

After getting expelled from the party, Shyam Prasad used the social media to voice his criticism about the government's policies and functioning. He was severely trolled by the supporters of the ruling party. Many libelous allegations were made against him.

During the next three years, the economy of the country kept deteriorating, going from bad to worse. But in the government's annual surveys, reports and budgets, a rosy picture of the economy was being projected.

It was time for the next election. The opinion polls carried by the media projected a huge win for the ruling party. They said that Mahadev's party would win an even more impressive victory than it did in the previous election.

The exit polls presented at the end of the polling day also confirmed the predictions of the opinion polls, by projecting that the Prime Minister's party would win about 80% of the seats in parliament.

However, when the votes were counted and the results announced, Mahadev's People's Democratic Party had ended up losing most of the seats it had contested. Mahadev himself was defeated in his constituency, losing his seat by a huge margin.

The new government that assumed office after the election, after making an assessment of the state of the country's economy and the government's finances, revealed that the country's economy was in a very bad shape and that the previous government had been giving out false and misleading information about the state of the country's economy.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 554 (in Tamil):

kUzhum kudiyum orungizhakkum kOl kOdich
chUzhAdhu seyyum arasu.

Meaning:

The king who lets his sceptre tilt towards tyranny

will lose all his wealth, people and state.

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

Verse 555
Verse 553

129. "Remember Me?"

Thirty years had passed. In Dhandapani's mind, the memories of spending his life as a boy in that village were like the impressions of a hazy dream.

Dhandapani's father had passed away two months before he was born. Dhandapani could not even know his father's face, since no photograph of his father was available.

In the year1960, in the village his family had lived, the number of people who would have been photographs was in single digit.

Arranging to be photographed even during a special occasion like marriage was a practice only among the well-to-do people living in towns.

"Look at your face in the mirror. What you will see is your father's face!" Dhandapani's grandmother would often tell him.

Dhandapani lived in his native village till he was five. Since he was brought up in a joint family, he did not feel the absence of his father very much.

When he was five years old, an incident happened. During the Deepavali festival, he was holding a sparkler in his hand and whirling it. 

His shirt caught fire, from coming into contact with the flame of the sparkler. For a couple of minutes, no one noticed it. By the time someone saw his shirt burning, pushed him on to the ground, rolled him a couple of times and put out the fire, the fire had burnt a small area on the side of his torso, below his right shoulder. It took a few weeks for the burn injury to heal.

A few months after this incident, Dhandapani left the village, with his mother, for Chennai, for living in his uncle's house.

He had his education in Chennai. After completing his education, he got a job, got married, begot children and settled down in Chennai.

After thirty years, he got a chance to visit his native village. 

His family members had decided to sell the properties in the village jointly owned by hem. The sale was finalized and the date for registration of the sale deed was also fixed. As one of the joint owners, Dhandapani was required to go to the Registrar's office and sign the registration of the sale.

Dhandapani arrived at the village, a day before the date of registration. He stayed in a relative's house. 

In the evening, he went around the village. No place appeared familiar to him. People said that the village had not changed much. Yet, he had no recollection of any place, which he should have visited as a boy.

He went to the house in which he had lived. He had no recollection of living in that house. Images of his standing outside that house, whirling a sparkler, someone shouting, 'fire, fire,' someone pushing him to the ground and rolling him and his getting scared by what was happening to him seemed to be the only things that stayed in his memory.

He sat on the pial of the house and wondered why he couldn't remember anything about his life in that house till his fifth year. 

He heard a noise and turned back.

A tall old man had come and stood near him. 

"Dhandapani! Do you remember me?" he asked.

Dhandapani looked at him. Even as he was wondering how he could possibly remember a face seen by him thirty years back, a spark appeared in his mind.

"Are you not Kulasekaran uncle?" asked Dandapani.

"Amazing! You remember my face after thirty years!" exclaimed Kulasekaran.

A scene appeared in Dhandapani's mental screen. It was vivid like a scene from a movie.

After he had the burn injury, went to the hospital, got medicated and came home, many people came to see him.

He was able to remember only one among them - Kulasekaran, the man known in the village for his sharp tongue!

"Lad! You have survived the fire accident. Though you swallowed your father, even when you were in your mother's womb, your father, dwelling in the heavens as an angel, saved you from getting burned."

Kulasekaran's words fell on Dhandapani's ears like a flame and inflicted an agony that was even more intense than the one caused by the burn.

After thirty years, Dhandapani felt the same pain rising up again in his mind. He reflexively put his hand on his chest.

"How can I forget you?" asked Dhandapani, with a smile.

Kulasekaran couldn't have sensed the bitterness behind Dhandapanils smile.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 13
Restraint

Verse 129 (In Tamil)

thIyinAl sutta puN uL ARum ArAdhE
nAvinAl sutta vadu.

Meaning:

A wound caused by fire will heal inside;

a scar caused by the tongue never heals.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'ninaivirukkiRadhA?' by the same author)

Verse 130 (Soon)
Verse 129

553. The King's Decision

"Minister! Six months back, there were some protests in regions close to our southern border. We tried to quell the protests. but couldn't succeed. Taking advantage of the situation, our neighbouring country Seevaga occupied those areas. Did you see what reward the protesters got? Like people who were enjoying a jolly ride in a boat getting caught in a vortex, people of that region have entrapped themselves into the tyrannical rule of the king of Seevaga!" said King Adiyta Velaan, sounding bitter.

The minister nodded his head quietly, wondering how to convey to the king what he wanted to.

"Your Majesty! After Seevaga country occupied the region belonging to us, we sent our troops to retrieve the region, but the people of that region did not extend their support to us" said the minister.

"That is what surprises me! What is the reason for their apathy towards us? Are they so scared of the king of Seevaga country, or have they given up thee loyalty towards their motherland?"

"Your Majesty! It is my humble opinion that this is is not the time to discuss that issue. Now, we have a problem in the central region of our country. We should think of ways to resolve it."

"What is there to think about? Arrest the protesters and put them behind the bars. The protests will then subside" said the king, angrily.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty. People who are protesting are our own people. They are your children. If the child cries, the mother should find out why it is crying and do what needs to be done."

"What are you trying to say? People in that region complain that that region is affected by floods every year, during the rainy season. Can we stop the rains? When the area is flooded, people should migrate to some other place and return after the flood waters recede. How can the king solve the problems created by nature?"

"We can do a few things to mitigate the problem, Your Majesty. We can dig canals in the flood prone areas to divert the flood waters to other areas. It may take a few years to complete digging the canals. But, if we announce the plan and start the work, people will develop the confidence that the problem will be resolved. More importantly, the feeling that we have understood their problem and begun to take steps to resolve it will drive out people's anger and frustration and make them peaceful and hopeful" said the minister.

The king was silent, as if he was reflecting on the minister's words.

"Your Majesty! You may remember that when there had been protests in the southern region, I suggested that we depute some officials to that region, ascertain the people's grievances and create a confidence in them that we would take steps to redress their grievances. But, since we approached the situation as a law and order issue and tried to put down the agitation, people of that region lost their faith in us. Our enemies took advantage of people's resentment and occupied the region. They had even won over the people there, by addressing their problems. That was why those people did not support us, when we tried to retrieve that region."

"I agree with you, minister. We lost a part of our country, because we failed to appreciate and resolve the problems faced by the people living there. I consider losing the faith of those people a greater loss than losing that region. Hereafter, I want to ensure that not even one person should lose his faith in us. You may decide what is to be done to resolve the problems of the people of our central region and take appropriate steps. Send some officials to that region immediately for meeting the people, talking to them and restoring their faith in us, by assuring them that we will do what is needed to resolve their problems" said the king

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 553 (in Tamil):

nALdhoRum nAdi muRai seyyA mannavan
nALdhoRum nAdu kedum.

Meaning:

The ruler who doesn’t assess and administer justly, day after day,

will let his state rot, day by day.

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

Verse 554
Verse 552

1129. A Prescription for Sleeplessness

"What is the problem?" asked the doctor.

"She has not been able to sleep, since the past few months" said Sarada, Suganthi's mother.

"Are you not getting sleep?" the doctor asked Suganthi.

"I don't think I have a problem" said Suganthi.

The doctor examined Suganthi in a general way and said, "There doesn't seem to be any problem. Are you studying in a college?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Try reading some textbook lying on the bed. You will get sleep immediately" said the doctor, smiling.

"Doctor! The problem is she doesn't lie down. She keeps awake the whole night, sitting before the computer" said Sarada.

"That is the problem. Whether you get sleep or not, you should cultivate the habit of going to bed at a particular time, every day. If you follow this practice, after some time, you will start getting sleep and things will become normal" said the doctor.

"You said you would be coming to my house yesterday. Why didn't you come?" asked Thenmozhi, Suganthi's friend.

"I went to see a doctor" said Suganthi.

"What was wrong? Who was not well?"

"It was for me. My mother took me to the doctor for the reason that I was not getting sleep."

"Do you have such a problem? You didn't tell me about it. What did the doctor say?"

"He said that if I lied down on the bed and closed my eyes, I would get sleep!"

"That's all! Then follow the doctor's advice."

"I can't. Rajesh's image is permanently stationed in my eyes. Whether he is there in front of me or not, his image is with me. I think I am unable to close my eyes, because have a fear that if I close my eyes, his image will go off!"

"Rather than blaming you for this delusion, I would blame your lover Rajesh, who has driven you to this state!" said Thenmozhi.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 113
In Praise of Love

Verse 1129 (in Tamil):
imaippin karappAkku aRival anaiththiRkE
Edhilar ennum ivvUr.

Meaning:

I fear that if I shut my eyes, he would be veiled. Hence, I don't sleep. But, the townsfolk blame him (for my sleeplessness), calling him uncaring.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thUngAdha kaNNenRu onRu' by the same author.)

Verse 1130
Verse 1128

552. The Dacoits

When Nitya Satya contested the election for the President of the country, he promised to cut the taxes by half.

But, within a year of his becoming the President after winning the election, taxes were steeply increased by his government. With the increase in indirect taxes that impacted the poor being particularly high, inflation was spiked, leading to an abnormal increase in the prices of essential commodities. Survival became a challenge for people in the lower strata of the population.

Suicides triggered by extreme poverty and starvation deaths were on the increase. Protests against increase in taxes and prices erupted in many places all over the country and soon became a daily occurrence. 

But Nitya Satya did not seem to be bothered by the protests.

Nitya Satya had summoned the Finance Secretary to discuss the annual budget with him. 

When the Finance Secretary mentioned about the problem of deficit, Nitya Satya insisted on increasing some taxes still further.

"Sir! People are already protesting against increase in taxes and prices. If we increase the taxes, the protests will intensify" said the Finance Secretary.

"I will manage the protests. What do we have the police and the army for? Why have we given them lathis and guns?" said Nitya Satya, with a chuckle.

"Moreover, members of parliament are unable to face the people's anger, when they visit their constituencies. They will not support any proposal for increasing the taxes. We won't be able to get the budget passed in parliament."

"If the budget is not passed in parliament, I will approve it, using my special powers. Prepare the budget as per my ideas" said Nitya Satya, in a strict tone.

The Finance Secretary nodded his head and left.

The President was having a discussion with the Home Secretary.

"How is the law and order situation in the country?" asked the President.

"Protests against higher taxes have been increasing day by day" said the Home Secretary.

"Leave it. I will ask the army chief to take care of the protests. Let us talk about other issues" said Nitya Satya, in an acerbic tone.

"Of late, incidents of dacoity are on the increase. Buses and cars are waylaid by dacoits holding weapons and valuables are looted from the passengers. Even pedestrians are robbed. Since these incidents take place at different places, the police are unable to prevent them. When the police are on the lookout for the culprits of a robbery at one place, similar incidents take place at other places. The entire police force is on its toes and the hunt for the dacoits is on."

"Since how long have these robberies been occurring?"

"For the past three or four months."

"When the government increases the taxes, people protest. Why are they not protesting against the robberies?" asked Nitya Satya.

"I don't know" said the Home Secretary. 'Perhaps, they think that dacoits' looting them at gun point is not as cruel as the government squeezing the people by imposing exorbitant taxes on them!' he told himself.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 552 (in Tamil):

vElodu ninRAn idu enRadhu pOlum
kOlodu ninRAn iravu.

Meaning:

The extortion and graft done by the person (ruler) wielding the sceptre is no different from robbery done (by a dacoit)  pointing a spear.

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

Verse 553
Verse 551

551. Three Judgements

"Arresting journalists indiscriminately and incarcerating them for long periods has become a routine affair, in this fascist regime. Intimidated by this, many journalists have stopped reviewing the government's actions. I feel sad that Murthy became a victim of the government's highhandedness."

"It is true. Most of the journalists have chosen to sing the praise of the government. They depict even the corrupt, self-serving and pernicious actions of the government as being in the country's interest, so as to be in the good books of the government and get the benefits they want from the government. Some journalists like you and me, who are conscientious, have been doing a tight rope walking, by not blindly toeing the line of the government, while also not being critical of its misdeeds. But, journalists like Murthy have been boldly pointing out the wrongdoings of this government. They are being painted as antinational elements by the government, arrested on fictitious charges, under the draconian laws enacted by this government and put behind the bars for an indefinite period. People like us have to watch these atrocities silently and lament in private. Even while exchanging our concerns in the privacy of our office or a club, we have to be apprehensive of someone hearing us and reporting us!"

"The court is going to give its verdict on Murthy's bail petition tomorrow. I wonder what the verdict is going to be!"

"Yes. And another verdict is going to be delivered tomorrow!"

"It is on the public interest petition filed by a citizen seeking a probe into the corruption charges against that important person!"

"Yes."

"Can we not guess what the judgement on that petition is going to be? I expect that soon after the verdict is delivered, the person who filed that petition will be arrested on some charge."

"Yes. We can bet on such a development taking place. I am reminded of the lines in Bharathiyar's poem, 'In the devil's regime, the scriptures will be eaten by the cadavers.' We are experiencing what the poet warned us of. I am hoping for some miracle to happen in the next election, leading to a regime change."

"Okay. Let us meet again tomorrow evening."

"The verdicts in both the cases have been on expected lines."

"Yes. The judge has ruled that there are no grounds to order a probe into the corruption charges, levelled against the important person. I can stomach it, but I am saddened by the denial of bail to Murthy, though this was expected to happen."

"Yes. The judge accepted the government counsel's argument that if Murthy is released on bail, he is likely to indulge in seditious activities."

"Apart from these two judgements, another judgement was delivered today. Did you notice it?"

"What is it?"

"A person charged with murder has been given death sentence."

"Oh, what a pity!"

"You are showing compassion to a murderer!"

"I didn't mean to show my sympathy to the murderer. Perpetrators of crimes more heinous than murders have been getting immunity from punishment. Innocent people like Murthy have been incarcerated and denied bail. I just expressed my dismay at this pathetic state of affairs."

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 56

Tyranny

Verse 551 (in Tamil):

kolai mERkoNdarin kodidhE alai mERkoNdu
allavai seydhu ozhugum vEndhu.

Meaning:

The ruler who harries his citizens,

and indulges in unjust acts is worse than a murderer.

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

Verse 552
Verse 550

128. The Devoted Daughter-in-Law

"Do you need anything else?" asked Sumathy.

"Nothing else" said Parvathy.

"Shall I massage your legs?"

"You massaged my legs just half an hour back. How long can you keep doing this? If I had a daughter, even she won't be taking so much care of me!"

Parvathy's eyes began to well, as she said this.

"If a person is not well, someone need to help that person. If it were my mother, wouldn't I be helping her?" said Sumathy.

Parvathy didn't know how to express her gratitude to her daughter-in-law.

Parvathy had been suffering from knee pain for several years, but, till about six months back, she was moving about within the house and taking care of herself, without the need for help from anyone. 

Her knee problem aggravated suddenly and she became bed-ridden.

It was Parvathy's daughter-in-law Sumathy, who was looking after her. From making her sit up on the bed, by gently lifting her and serving food to her, to taking her to the restroom several times a day, by holding her hand and supporting her to walk, Sumathy was taking complete care of her mother-in-law.

Sumathy also gently massaged Parvathy's legs several times a day, in an attempt to ease her pain and make her feel slightly better. Though Parvathy tried to dissuad her from doing so, Sumathy persisted with this service.

Even Parvathy's son Bhupathy confined himself to enquire about her health in a routine way, soon after returning home from work in the evening. But, Sumathy was coming to Parvathy's room every now and then, checking about her requirements and doing the needful. 

Sumathy was sitting in the living room, watching the television, when her friend Sakuntala visited her. 

The friends conversed for some time.

"How is your mother-in-law?" asked Sakuntala.

"She is in the same state. There is no improvement" said Sumathy.

"You are the one, who is taking care of her?"

"Yes."

"Is she awake now? Can I go and see her?"

"She is sleeping. But, if you want, you can go and see her."

"No. I will see her some other time, when she is awake. She seems to be suffering a lot. What a pity!" said Sakuntala.

"Yes. I don't know what sin had she committed in her previous birth. She is suffering and making others suffer too!" said Sumathy.

After Sakuntala had left, Sumathy went into her mother-in-law's room.

Parvathy was lying on the cot, with her eyes closed. When Sumathy tried to massage her leg, Parvathy pulled her leg back. Normally, she won't be able to mover her leg so fast. It should have pained her a lot to do so!

Parvathy opened her eyes and looked at Sumathy. She then said, "No, Sumathy. I have already committed sins in my previous birth. I don't want to accumulate more sins, by making you massage my legs and thereby inflicting pain to your hands!"

Sumathy looked at her mother-in-law's face, wondering whether she would have heard her conversation with Sakuntala.             

Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 13
Restraint

Verse 128 (In Tamil)

onRAnum thIchchol porutpayan uNdAyin
nanRu AgAdhadhu Agi vidum.

Meaning:

Even if one word that conveys a harmful meaning is uttered, all good intention will come to naught.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'oru sol' by the same author)

Verse 129
Verse 127