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Immediately on stepping into the house, Girija asked Uma "There is an emergency. Can you wake up your husband?" Her voice was broken. It was clear that she was struggling to hold back her tears.
Uma asked her to be seated and went inside to wake up her husband Sekar.
The moment Girija saw Sekar, she broke down. "Mr. Sekar! Your friend has orphaned us and gone away" she said amidst sobs.
"What do you mean? What happened" asked Sekar, perplexed.
Amidst uncontrollable sobs, Girija conveyed to him that her husband Raju had left home during the night, without even telling her.
"Don't worry, Girija. Raju won't abandon you and your children" said Sekar
An acquaintance of Girija made a suggestion that she could become an insurance agent. Being desperate to catch any straw in the wind, Girija acted upon this suggestion and enrolled herself as an agent of an insurance company. She knew nothing about insurance and was not aware of the existence of such a company, earlier.
In the beginning, she found it difficult to sell the insurance policies. Putting away her innate inhibition, she approached her relatives and friends. She beseeched them to buy an insurance policy just for helping her. But most of them turned her down, some politely and others bluntly.
Girija continued to have close relationship with Seakar-Uma family. Even after becoming financially independent, she took all important decisions only after consulting Sekar and Uma. She admitted her children in the same school in which Uma's children were studying. She remained grateful to her friend's family for supporting her at a time she faced a crisis in her life. When Girija had the opportunity, she helped them in ways that their pride or self-respect was not hurt.
"How can he not inquire about us?"
"I told him about your achievements. He was happy about the good life you and your children have. He told me with pride that his prayers were answered."
"What else?"
pOyp peRuva evan.
Amidst uncontrollable sobs, Girija conveyed to him that her husband Raju had left home during the night, without even telling her.
"Don't worry, Girija. Raju won't abandon you and your children" said Sekar
Even before Sekar could complete his statement, Girija showed him a letter.
In that letter, Raju had conveyed to Girija that he had decided to renounce his family life and to take up sanyas (the vow of renunciation.) He said that he was leaving for some other place where he would live the life of an ascetic.
Sekar was speechless. He didn't know how to console Girija.
In that letter, Raju had conveyed to Girija that he had decided to renounce his family life and to take up sanyas (the vow of renunciation.) He said that he was leaving for some other place where he would live the life of an ascetic.
Sekar was speechless. He didn't know how to console Girija.
Girija was clueless about how she was going to lead her life, taking care of her son and daughter who were studying in the school.
Girija approached her relatives seeking their help to overcome he situation created by Raju's leaving her and her two children in the lurch. After a week, Girija realized that she won't get any help from her relatives.
Girija approached her relatives seeking their help to overcome he situation created by Raju's leaving her and her two children in the lurch. After a week, Girija realized that she won't get any help from her relatives.
Sekar and Uma were sympathetic. They provided both moral and material support to her. But Girija knew that she could't depend on them indefinitely.
Using his contacts, Sekar made efforts to help Girija get a job. But his efforts were not successful, since Girija had neither the education nor the work experience to qualify her for a suitable job.
An acquaintance of Girija made a suggestion that she could become an insurance agent. Being desperate to catch any straw in the wind, Girija acted upon this suggestion and enrolled herself as an agent of an insurance company. She knew nothing about insurance and was not aware of the existence of such a company, earlier.
In the beginning, she found it difficult to sell the insurance policies. Putting away her innate inhibition, she approached her relatives and friends. She beseeched them to buy an insurance policy just for helping her. But most of them turned her down, some politely and others bluntly.
The insurance policies bought by a few of her friends and relatives, either out of sympathy or out of an intention to encourage her, served as a base for her professional growth.
After exhausting the circle of her friends and relatives, Girija thought of approaching strangers. She felt that approaching strangers and offering them insurance policies to suit their needs would be better than begging people known to her to buy insurance policies from her just for helping her.
Girija started visiting offices, apartment blocks and public places like temples, parks etc. Though initially she encountered rejections, after some time she began to see success. She was able to sell insurance policies to some strangers. This success encouraged her to continue her efforts with more vigour and enthusiasm.
After a few months, Girija was treated to a pleasant surprise. Some customers who bought policies from her referred their friends and relatives to her. Some people even approached Girija on their own.
Her persistent efforts and the goodwill she had created for herself with her customers resulted in her getting new customers on the one hand and her existing customers buying more insurance policies from her on the other. At the end of two years, Girija was earning a substantial income regularly by way of commission on insurance policies sold by her.
Girija continued to have close relationship with Seakar-Uma family. Even after becoming financially independent, she took all important decisions only after consulting Sekar and Uma. She admitted her children in the same school in which Uma's children were studying. She remained grateful to her friend's family for supporting her at a time she faced a crisis in her life. When Girija had the opportunity, she helped them in ways that their pride or self-respect was not hurt.
Five years passed since Raju had gone away, abandoning Girija and her children.
One day, Sekar came to see Girija. He said with excitement "Girija! I met Raju!"
"Oh!" said Girija, without any enthusiasm.
"I met him in Vijayawada when I had been there in connection with my office work. As mentioned by him in his letter to you, he has become a monk. He is the head of a mutt (monastery) there. He is surrounded by disciples and followers."
"m..m..."
"Do you want to know how I found him? I happened to see his photo on a poster displayed in several parts of the town. Though he has grown a beard now, I was still able to recognize his face. The poster was about a function at the mutt. I went there and listened to his lecture. I was surprised how he had acquired so much of spiritual knowledge! I met him after the function got over. He spoke to me freely, the way he used to speak earlier, though I found it difficult to speak to him as a friend, given his spiritual status now. But he put me at ease by giving me a private audience. He inquired about all of you."
"How can he not inquire about us?"
"I told him about your achievements. He was happy about the good life you and your children have. He told me with pride that his prayers were answered."
"What else?"
"He is coming to our city next month. He said you and the children could meet him at the mutt he will be staying and receive his blessings."
"How magnanimous of him! Ok. Do you have his phone number?" asked Girija.
"Yes, I do. Want to talk to him?"
"No. Will you please talk to him on my behalf?"
"Sure. Tell me, what I should tell him."
"You and your friend both had nearly the same financial status and family background. You have been living a happy life with your wife and children. After my husband had left me, I managed to survive after an initial struggle. Now I am also living a happy life with my children. Please ask your friend, who left his family to become an ascetic, whether he is as happy as you and I are."
"Girija! Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"
"Please call him now and ask this question. Tell him that I requested you to pose this question to him."
"Can I tell him that you are near me listening to the telephone conversation?"
"He will know even without your telling him!" said Girija.
"How? Are you going to get the phone from me and talk to him?"
"You will understand when you make the call."
Sekar called Raju over the phone and reluctantly asked him what Girija wanted him to.
After Sekar posed the question to Raju, before Raju could answer, Girija spoke in a loud voice.
"Just a minute, Mr. Sekar. Your friend need not answer this question. I wanted this question to be posed to him only to awaken his conscience. He orphaned us at a time when we needed his support, but he now wants us to meet him and seek his blessings! We are not going to seek the blessings of Saint Raju. If he wants, he can give up his life of sanyas (asceticism) and come back to us. We will welcome him back happily. Nothing can give more happiness to me and my children than getting him back in our lives. I will not rake up the past. What he is going to do after coming back to us is up to him. He may go for a job, start a business or sit at home. With the grace of God and the help of good friends like you, I am now earning enough income to run my family. I am confident that I will be able to take care of my children till they become independent. If your friend in interested in family life, let him come back to us. If he wants to remain a monk, let him do so. If we have to seek the blessings of a monk, we can go to any of the several monks residing in this city."
"Just a minute, Mr. Sekar. Your friend need not answer this question. I wanted this question to be posed to him only to awaken his conscience. He orphaned us at a time when we needed his support, but he now wants us to meet him and seek his blessings! We are not going to seek the blessings of Saint Raju. If he wants, he can give up his life of sanyas (asceticism) and come back to us. We will welcome him back happily. Nothing can give more happiness to me and my children than getting him back in our lives. I will not rake up the past. What he is going to do after coming back to us is up to him. He may go for a job, start a business or sit at home. With the grace of God and the help of good friends like you, I am now earning enough income to run my family. I am confident that I will be able to take care of my children till they become independent. If your friend in interested in family life, let him come back to us. If he wants to remain a monk, let him do so. If we have to seek the blessings of a monk, we can go to any of the several monks residing in this city."
There was no answer from the other end for a long time.
Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue
Section 1
The Path of Virtue
Chapter 5
Family Life
Family Life
Verse 46 (In Tamil)
aRaththARRin ilvAzhkkai ARRin puRaththARRilpOyp peRuva evan.
Meaning:
If a person leads a family life following the path of righteuosuness, what is there for him to seek following another path (like renunciation)
(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'tholaipEsi cheydhi' by the same author)
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