90. Change of Plans!

Raju had to go to Bangalore on a matter relating to his business. He had to meet a customer and have a discussion with him, in person. The discussion would take only a couple of hours.

Raju thought of taking his wife Girija along and showing her some places of interest in Bangalore, since she had never visited Bangalore earlier. Girija enthusiastically accepted his proposal.

Raju's friend Gopal, residing in Bangalore, had been asking Raju to come and stay with him for a few days, with his wife. When Raju suggested that they could stay at Gopal's house, Girija hesitated a little.

"It will be okay for you to stay with your friend. But, I have not met your friend's wife, till now. So, she is a stranger to me. How can I be comfortable about staying at your friend's house?"

"I attended Gopal's marriage, but I have not met his wife subsequently. So, I am also a stranger to her. We are going to get acquainted with her and become friendly!"

"I still feel uncomfortable."

"Girija! We are going to land their house, keep our baggage there and then go out for site-seeing. We will come back at night, sleep there and again leave the house, early next morning. So, we are not going to inconvenience them in any way. If we stay at some other place, my friend will feel unhappy" said Raju.

Girija half-heartedly accepted Raju's suggestion 

After arriving at Gopal's house, Raju and Girija rested for a while, refreshed themselves, had their breakfast and got ready to leave for site-seeing.

When they were about to leave, Girija told Raju, "Let us take our baggage. After visiting a few places, we can go to my cousin Indira's house."

"Why? You can stay here. Raju said that you would be staying her for two or three days!" asked Gopal, surprised by Girija's words.

Before Raju could reply, Girija said, "It is true that our plan is to be in Bangalore for two days. But I have told my cousin Indira that I would come to her house this evening. We two have been very intimate, since our childhood days."

"That's fine. But, why do you have to take your baggage, while going for site-seeing? You can come back here in the evening, have your dinner here, and then leave for your cousin's house" said Gopal.

"To come back here, we have to commute a long distance. Indira's residence is near Lal Bagh. We will go to her house, keep the baggage there and then go to Lal Bagh and other places" said Girija.

Gopal looked at Raju and Raju looked at Girija, feeling perplexed.

Girija asked Raju, "This is our plan, isn't it? Didn't you tell your friend about our plan, clearly?" in an accusing tone.

Raju told Gopal, apologetically, "Gopal! We changed our plan, just before leaving. I thought I would tell you after coming here. I am sorry for the communication gap!"

After they came out of Gopal's house, Raju asked Girija, "You had told me that your cousin Indira was in Nagpur? Has she moved to Bangalore? You didn't tell me about this. I didn't want to ask you in front of Gopal."

"She is in Nagur, alright!" 

"Then? Where are we going to stay?"

"Look for a good hotel. We will stay there."

"Why? Did you find the accommodation in Gopal's house inconvenient? I think it was good. And they took good care of us, during the couple of hours we stayed there."

"They did take good care of us. I am not complaining. But, when we stepped into your friend's house, I noticed an unhappy expression on the face of your friend's wife. Though she welcomed us and greeted us, it appeared to me that she considered our staying with them an inconvenience."

"No. You have been imagining things. I think she was very kind and hospitable. She made good breakfast for us."

"She was hospitable. I am not finding fault with her. But she might have had some inconvenience in our staying at their house. I think that feeling might have unconsciously reflected on her face."

"Is it not possible that this is your imagination?"

"It is not. The expression I noticed on her face was unmistakable! If we had stayed with them for three days as per our original plan, she would have taken good care of us. But, after noticing the sign of dissatisfaction on her face, I didn't feel like staying there. That is why I had to invent the story of my cousin Indira living in Bangalore and my desire to stay with her!" said Girija.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 9
Hospitality

Verse 90 (In Tamil)

mOppak kuzhaiyum anichcham mugam thirindhu
nOkkak kuzhaiyum virundhu.

Meaning:

The flower, anicham, shrivels when it is smelt. A guest will wilt,

if the host’s face betrays the slightest twitch.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'periyammA peN' by the same author)

Verse 91 (Soon)
Verse 89

416. Friends

Dhanaraj had his education only up to the secondary school level. He was employed in a small firm on a modest salary. He was not married. 

He lived in a rented house, sharing the accommodation with two of his friends, Sudhakar and Ganesh.

There was good understanding between the three friends. They shared household chores like cooking, cleaning the house, cleaning the dishes etc. with a flexible approach, based on who was at home at different times. 

Of the three, Sudhakar had a well-paying job in a reputed company. He had a laptop for his personal use. He also had an internet connection, for which he was paying the monthly charges. However, he told his two friends that they could use his computer, whenever he was not using it. 

Since Sudhakar had subscribed to certain services that streamed films, web series etc, the three of them would watch together some film or web series during the weekends.

Ganesh had a craze for watching films. Among the three, he was the one who was using the laptop the most. Since, he was at home for a longer period of time every day than the other two, the laptop was available to him for a longer time.

Among the three, Dhanaraj was the one, who was at home for the shortest time in a day. Every day, he returned home very late. By the time he returned home, the other two would have gone to sleep. They would have kept the food for him.

One day, Ganesh told Sudhakar, "Sudhakar! Dhanaraj returns home very late every day. After taking his food, cleaning the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, he sits before the laptop for some time. I think he watches films. I thought only I had an obsession for watching films, but, Dhanarj seems to have even a greater obsession than me! He sacrifices his sleep for watching films."

"He might have watched films on some days, when he was not getting sleep" said Sudhakar.

"This is not an occasional occurrence. He has been doing this every day. He is sitting before the laptop, even after 12 o' clock in the night."

"Leave it! If he likes watching films, let him watch" said Sudhakar.

Sudhakar happened to wake up from sleep. The time was 12.30 in the night. He noticed that the light was on in the next room. 

Sudhakar walked to the room and stood outside the door. Dhanaraj was wearing a headphone and watching something on the laptop.

'Perhaps, what Ganesh said is true!' thought Sudhakar.

Curious to know what Dhanaraj was watching, Sudhakar stepped into the room noiselessly and stood behind Dhanaraj.

Dhanaraj was watching a video on 'self development!' Rather, he was listening to a talk on self development.

"Why are you watching this, without going to sleep?" asked Sudhakar.

Startled by the voice from behind, Dhanraj turned back.

Seeing that it was Sudhakar, Dhanaraj said, "Just by way of relaxing myself!" taking off his headphone,

"I thought that after working all day, you would be watching some entertainment program, to relax yourself. But, you are watching some serous stuff!" said Sudhakar.

"As you know, I am not well educated. So, I thought I could spend at least half an hour a day, watching or listening to something educative" said Dhanraj, feeling embarrassed, as if he had done something inappropriate.

"What kind of programs do you watch or listen to?"

"I listen to topics on motivation, general knowledge, science etc." "And sometimes spirituality too," he added reluctantly.

"Why do you feel embarrassed to tell me this? What you have been doing is something commendable. I feel proud of you. Continue listening to the talks on these and other useful topics. But, take care of your health, too!"

Sudhakar patted Dhanaraj on his back and returned to his bed, to resume his sleep.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 42
Learning through Listening

Verse 416 (in Tamil):

enaiththAnum nallavai kEtka anaiththAnum
AnRa perumai tharum.

Meaning:

Listen to good things, at least to a little extent. The glory it will bring you will be to the extent to which you listen (to good things.)

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

Verse 416
Verse 415

1099. The Engagement

"My engagement function is tomorrow. Don't forget!" Renuka told Nikhita.

"Forget! I have plans to tease you tomorrow to such an extent that you will never be able to forget the experience. You are going to cry cursing yourself why you invited me at all to your engagement function!" said Nikhita, laughing.

As Nikhita had indicated the previous day, she, in the company of her friends, teased Renuka a lot on the day of her engagement. 

Renuka enjoyed the teasing. After all, it was friendly teasing and it was about how joyful and fun-filled her marital life was going to be.

Renuka introduced her colleagues, who were present for the engagement function, to Nikhita. Of them, only two were unmarried - Sneha and Mukesh. 

Renuka observed that while Nikhita conversed a lot with Sneha, she didn't seem to take notice of Mukesh at all. Seeing Mukesh sitting alone, Renuka felt that if only Nikhita had conversed with Mukesh too, he wouldn't have been sitting alone, probably feeling ignored.

After a few weeks. Nikhia broke the news of her marriage having been fixed. 

Renuka was surprised to learn that Nikhita would be marrying Mukesh!

"When was the marriage finalized?" asked Reuka, in surprise.

"Marriage was finalized only recently, but..." paused Nikhita.

"But, what?"

"We have been in love for the past several months!"

"You have been in love for several months! But, you didn't tell me, your close friend, about this?" said Renuka, in a tone of complaining.

Then, suddenly remembering something, Renuka asked, "But, when I introduced you two to each other, during my engagement function, neither of you gave any indication of having been acquainted with each other, already. Not only that. You two acted like strangers, not even exchanging a word or two!"

"Do you expect that we should have proclaimed to the whole world that we are lovers?" asked Nikhita, with a mischievous smile, resulting from the satisfaction of having successfully kept her love a secret even from her close friend Renuka!

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 110
Reading the Cues

Verse 1099 (in Tamil):
EdhilAr pOlap podhu nOkku nOkkudhal

kAdhlar kaNNE uLa.

Meaning:

It is the nature of the lovers to act as strangers before other people, in a public place. 

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

Verse 1100
Verse 1098

415. Advice Sought From A Friend

"I still find it difficult to digest that Sankar, who had been a trusted employee of yours all these years, betrayed you!" said Santha.

"Greed can corrupt anyone. He should have been tempted on seeing two lakh rupees. It should have been an impulsive move to have run away with the cash I gave him, for depositing in the bank!" said Selvarangam.

"But he had deposited cash in the bank several times in the past!"  

"In the past, the amounts handled by him were small- within fifty thousand rupees. Yesterday, there was a big transaction. So, the sum was big. Seeing cash of two lakh rupees, he might have been struck by temptation. So, he has taken the money and vanished. But how long will this money last for him? He has also left his wife and children behind!"

"Did you talk to his wife?"

"Yes. I went to his house and talked to his wife. She cries, 'He has left us in the lurch. How are we going to survive?'"

"Have you given a police complaint?"

"Not yet" said Selvarangam and left home.

Selvarangam returned home, after a while.

"Have you given a police complaint?" asked Santha.

"No. I am yet to go to the police station" said Selvarangam.

"Where did you go, then?"

"I had been to my friend Sivarama's house."

"What for? Is he a policeman or a clairvoyant who could say exactly where Sankar is now?" asked Santha, sounding sarcastic.

"Sivaraman is not just my friend. He is also a guide."

"He is an ordinary person. He might have been educated and fairly well-informed. But should you have to seek his guidance on a matter like this?" 

"It has been my experience that seeking the guidance of a man of character and integrity like Sivaraman kept me from doing inappropriate things. In the epic Mahabharata, there is a character by name Vidura. He was the younger brother of the Kaurava king Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra always sought Vidura's counsel, but he never acted as per his counsel. Dhritarashtra's son Duryodhana didn't even give Vidura the respect due to him. But the Pandavas acted as per Vidura's counsel. As you know, the Pandavas became victorious in the end and Duryodhana was ruined."

"That is a mythological story. It has no relevance to contemporary life!"

"Ok. Let us take a contemporary example. Mahatma Gandhi was a great man. Every one in our country respected his words. When he was observing a fast for some cause, he asked Rajaji, his friend and a great personality himself, whether it would be okay, if he drank lime juice, while observing the fast. Rajaji told him that since lime juice had nutritional content, it won't be appropriate for Gandhi to drink lime juice, while fasting. Gandhi accepted Rajaji's counsel and drank only water, when he was fasting. Since Rajaji showed him the right path, Gandhi described Rajaji as his conscience keeper."

"Ok. I understand where you are coming from! What did your friend tell you?"

"I had been thinking that I was the only person affected by Sankar's criminality. Sivaraman made me realize that Sankar's family was also affected by his act. He asked me to act, keeping that in mind. He pointed out to me that Sankar's family members, who had committed no wrong, should not suffer as a result of my actions. If I gave a complaint to the police, the police would first inquire his family members. Sivraman advised me that I should take care to see that they are not harassed by the police, by convincing the police that Sankar's family had no role in the crime committed by Sankar. He also advised me to do what I could, to help them come out of the difficult situation in which Sankar had put them. After Sivaraman brought these aspects to my attention, I felt guilty that I had not considered these aspects of the situation. So, I am going to the police station, taking Sankar's wife along with me and explain to them all the facts in detail so that the police would look at the issue in the right perspective."

Selvarangam looked at Santha's face.

She didn't say anything.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 42
Learning through Listening

Verse 415 (in Tamil):

izhukkal udaiyozhi URRukkOl aRRE
ozhukkam udaiyAr vAych chol.

Meaning:

The words of wisdom from men of character will help us like a staff helps a person walking on a slippery surface.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'naNbaridam kEtta AlOsanai' by the same author.)

Verse 416
Verse 414

89. Dining Table

"We need to buy a new dining table. Let us go to the shop and choose a good table" Muthu told his wife Lakshmi.

"What is the need to buy a new dining table? The table we now have is good enough!" said Laksmi.

"It was bought five years back. It is time we dispose it of and buy a new table. Why should we hold on to an old table? We can afford to by a new table, after all!"

Both of them went to a furniture shop known to stock the most exquisite variety of furniture.

After looking at several models, Muthu chose a large dining table.

"This is good, isn't it?" he asked Lakshmi.

"It is good, alright" said Lakshmi.

"So, shall we we buy this?"

"I have selected one. Look at that also" said Lakshmi.

"What you have selected couldn't be better than this. This is the most expensive dining table available in this shop. If we go to some other shop also, we may not get a better model than this" said Muthu.

"Maybe. But why don't you look at what I have selected?"

Muthu looked at the model shown by Lakshmi and threw a look of surprise at her.

"You want us to buy this! This is very small. This looks like a cheap model that people on a budget will chose!" said Muthu.

"This is adequate for our need."

"What do you mean?"

"There are only the two of us in our home. Only we two are going to sit at the dining table and dine. No relative or friend of either of us is going to dine at our home even once. If someone visits us, they will sit for a while on the sofa and then leave. Why do we need a large dining table?"

Muthu was silent, having got the inner message contained in Lakshmi's words.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 9
Hospitality

Verse 89 (In Tamil)

udaimaiyuL inmai virundhOmbal OmbA
madamai madavArkaN uNdu.

Meaning:

Not being hospitable is to be poor, in spite of being wealthy. This stupidity is the attribute of fools.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'Dining Table' by the same author)

Verse 90
Verse 88

1098. Will I Get the Signal?

Raghuraman first saw her at Pallavaram railway station, but he didn't remember when he saw her for the first time. 

He thought that he she could have attracted his attention, after he had seen her a couple of times, without being conscious about it.

Raghuraman would come to Pallavaram railway station at 8.30 a.m. every morning, to catch a train to Guindy, for commuting to work. Hundreds of faces would come to his sight every day at the station. Those were the faces of people, who, like him, came to the station every day, at that time, to catch the train. Beyond that, he had not thought any further about those faces.

But, looking at the face of that girl a couple of times had resulted in his getting attracted to her!

Raghuraman usually boarded a compartment, which was next to the ladies' compartment. That girl always boarded the ladies' compartment. So, she would be standing at about ten feet from him on the platform, while waiting for the train. Some more ladies would also be standing at that spot.

Every day, she would arrive at the station, before he arrived and wait for the train, standing at the same spot.

'Why did I particularly notice her?' he asked himself.

It had been several days, since Raghuraman began to notice her. By that time, he had come to the conclusion that he was, in fact, in love with her!

But he didn't know whether that girl had even noticed him. 'Is she aware that I keep looking at her, from the time I arrive at the railway platform, till the time she boards the train?' he pondered.

Some times, he would think of approaching her and engaging her in conversation. But, he had a a fear that going near her and talking to her, when several other women were standing nearby, might prove to be a misadventure, if some people considered his advancing towards her an aggressive move.

He was not even sure whether she had looked at his face even once!

That day, after the train arrived at the station and halted there, Raghuraman was looking at the girl, till she boarded the train, as he always did. Before getting into the train, she turned her face towards him. It appeared to him that she looked at his face and even smiled. But, he was not sure whether it was a real happening or it was just his imagination. 

The next day, when Raghuraman came to the station at the usual time, he couldn't find her on the platform. Even as he was wondering whether she would be coming late or won't be coming at all, he sensed some movement near him and turned. 

He was astonished to find that she was standing near him!  

Raghuraman felt a current of emotions running through his body.

It took him a few seconds to realize that she was standing near him, contrary to her practice of standing a little away from him, at a spot, where the ladies' compartment would halt. 

He looked at her face, with even the thought of smiling at her not occurring to him.

She looked into his eyes directly and smiled.

When the train arrived, she got into the same compartment, in which he got into.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 110
Reading the Cues

Verse 1098 (in Tamil):
asaiyiyaRku uNdANdOr EryAn nOkkap
pasaiyinaL paiya nagum.

Meaning:

When I look at her, she returns a gentle smile. Oh, what

bewitching charm fills the tender maid’s look!

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'signal kidaikkumA?' by the same author.)

Verse 1099
Verse 1097

414. Missed and Gained!

I got acquainted with Sowrirajan, when I was transferred as a teacher to a school in his village. 

Sowrirajan's father had been the Village Head. However, during his time, the post of the Village Head was abolished by the Government. Village Administrative Officers, appointed by the Government took the place of the Village Heads, picked by the villagers.

Even after Sowrirajan's father had lost his position as the Village Head, his family commanded resect among the villagers. Apart from the fact that his was a wealthy family, in possession of large extents of lands and other properties, the munificent nature of his family that had been in display over several generations also earned a respect for the family.

A few days after joining the school, I went to Sowrirajan's house and met him by way of making a courtesy call. Even during our first meeting, an intimacy began to develop between the two of us.

After that, both of us visiting each other became a frequent event.

My wife would often wonder, "You are educated and working as a teacher. Mr. Sowrirajan is a person with no education. How did the two of you become so close?"

Sowrirajan had a deep regret that he was not educated.

"When I was a boy, I had no interest in studying. But, I enjoyed going to our fields and engaging in activities relating to cultivation. I struggled to get through my fifth standard examination. In my later years, I used  to wonder whether my teachers had been awarding me enough marks needed to pass the examination, on the consideration of my being the son of the Village Head! At that time, our village had only a primary school. To study beyond the fifth standard, we had to go by walk to the secondary school in another village, situated a few miles away. I told my father that I didn't want to study beyond the fifth standard. My father agreed to my request. So my education came to an end. But, now I regret that I had not continued my studies" he told me, once.

"Even if you are not highly educated, you have knowledge about many things" I said.

Though, at that time, I said this only to make him feel good, I later realized that he, in fact, had knowledge about many things. 

Once, after hearing him talk about a subject, I asked him, in amazement, "Where did you learn this?"

"From educated people like you" he replied, politely.

Once, when Sowrirajan went to meet his friend Sadasivam, who was indisposed, he asked me to accompany him.

"He falls sick quite often. He doesn't have a steady income, too. Let us meet him and say some words of encouragement" he said.

"But why do you want to take me along? I am not acquainted with him!" I asked. 

"I think if a stranger visits him and wishes him a speedy recovery, he will feel good!"

After talking to Sadasivam for a few minutes, Sowrirajan took out an old book from his bag and handed it to Sadasivam. "This is Sundara Kanta*. I brought this for you."

"What is this for?" asked Sadasivam, after receiving the book from Sowrirajan.

"As you know, there is a popular belief that if we read Sundara Kanta, our problems will be solved and good things will happen to us. But, many people won't even attempt reading this book, since it is quite voluminous! There is a chapter in this book, which lists the good omens witnessed by Sita, when she was depressed, while being held a prisoner by Ravana in the Ashoka Forest, in Srilanka. After she observes the omens, she feels confident. Immediately after this, Hanuman, the messenger of her husband Rama, visits her and conveys a message from Rama that he would soon liberate her. This is narrated in the 29th chapter of Sundara Kanta. There are only eight verses in this chapter. So, it won't take much time to read this chapter. The verses are in Sanskrit, but they have also been transliterated in Tamil. The meanings of the verses are also given. If you or your wife will read these eight verses, for a few days, you will find things turning for the better. When my wife was bed-ridden, I read these verses. Since I was not well-educated and the verses were in Sanskrit, I had to struggle to read the transliteration. After about a week, my wife recovered from her illness. You will also find dramatic developments occurring, within a few days after you start reading the chapter every day!" said Sowrirajan.

While returning from Sadasivam's house, I expressed my amazement to Sowrirajan, saying, "How did you know about this? Though I am educated and supposed to be knowledgeable, I was not aware of this. I am sure that this is not known even to many spiritually inclined people!"

"I had a friend by name Ramu, living in this village. He is well-educated and highly knowledgeable. I have learnt many things from him. He is not here now. He has gone to Mumbai and settled down there. I have been missing him. But fortunately, I have been getting new friends like you, from whom I can learn many things" said Sowrirajan, holding my hand, by way of conveying his gratefulness to me. 

I thought that having not had a good education was not a handicap at all to Sowrirajan.

* Sundara Kanta is one of the seven parts of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 42
Learning through Listening

Verse 414 (in Tamil):

kaRRilan Ayinum kEtka ahdhu oruvaRku
oRkaththin URRAm thuNai.

Meaning:

Even if a person is uneducated, he should learn by listening to men of knowledge and wisdom. That learning will act as a pillar of support, during the time of adversity.

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

Verse 415
Verse 413

413. The Sacrificial Rite

"Oh, king! I am pleased that you intend to perform a yagna*. Most of the kings perform the yagna, praying for the welfare of their royal families, victory for their enemies in the war etc. But you are performing this yagna for the welfare of your citizens. This shows your noble thinking" said Sage Gowtama.

"Revered Sage! I don't know anything about the sacrificial rite, called yagna. I am performing this yagna as per the advice of my Guru, He also advised me that I should approach you requesting you to conduct this yagna" said the King.

"I appreciate your being outspoken. I will conduct this yagna for you. This yagna will definitely yield a lot of benefits to your country and its people. You will also gain personal benefits" assured the sage.

"Revered Sage! As I had said already, I don't know anything about yagnas. So, pardon me for asking this question. How will performing a yagna bring in benefits?"

"There is nothing wrong in your asking this question. It is good to learn about the yagna, before performing it. A yagna is performed to please the celestials called Devas, living in the heaven. We perform the yagna, seeking a particular benefit from the Devas. We offer various goods and objects, including food to the Devas by dropping them into the fire, created in a contained space, at the site of the yagna. It is the belief that Agni, the God of Fire, will carry these offerings and deliver them to the Devas. The Devas are pleased by the offerings made by us and grant us our prayers" explained the sage. 

The yagna was performed under the guidance of Sage Gowtama.

Gowtama told the King, "Oh, king! The yagna has been duly completed. Now, you should present gifts to the scholars, sages and other dignitaries."

"I have arranged for the gifts and kept them ready, as instructed by you already. I want to present the gift to you, first!" said the King.

"No. Since I conducted the yagna, I am part of the team that performed the yagna, you being its leader. So, I should not receive any gift from you. Please present the gifts to the dignitaries assembled here."

"Please guide me whom should I present the gift first?"

"Just a moment!" said Gowtama and looked around. He looked at a particular person, sitting among the audience and signaled him to come near.

That person, who presented the appearance of a layman, was perplexed and came near the sage, hesitatingly.

Gowtama told the King, "King! This person deserves to receive the gift from you first."

The king hesitated for a moment, then presented a gift to that person. That person received the gift, looked at the sage with gratefulness, bowed his head before the king and the sage, and left.

The sage's disciples, the other sages and the scholars assembled there looked at Gowtama, with disappointment and perplexity.

Gowtama looked at the sages and scholars and told them, "My advising the king to give the gift first to an ordinary person might have surprised many of you. You are all men of learning. But that person who appears to be an ordinary person is also a man of learning! His learning has been through listening. Yes, for the past several years, I have noticed that he has been listening to my lectures at different places. Recently, I called him and spoke to him. I learnt that over the years, he has been listening to the lectures of several other scholars, in addition to mine. During the conversation I had with him, I realized that as a result of his performing the yagna called 'listening to words of wisdom,' for many years, he has become a repertoire of knowledge. A person with such an extent of knowledge is comparable in stature to the Devas, who receive the offerings made in the yagna. I decided that he should be honoured during this yagna, and asked him to attend this. I am narrating this with the objective of making all of you understand the power of learning through listening."

Yagna* - A sacrificial rite.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 42
Learning through Listening

Verse 413 (in Tamil):

sevi uNarviR kELvi udaiyAr avi uNarvin
AnROrOdu oppar nilaththu.

Meaning:

Those mortals who feed their ears with learning have a stature comparable to that of the immortals who consume sacrificial offerings.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kELvi enum vELvi' by the same author.)

Verse 414
Verse 412

88. Celebrating the Sixtieth Birthday

When Manimaran celebrated his sixtieth birthday, many of his relatives did not attend the event. Not many of his wife's relatives attended the event, either. 

He had invited only some of the relatives and only a few of the invitees were present for the event.

Manimaran was not keen on celebrating his sixtieth birthday. He agreed to have the function only because his wife insisted on organizing a celebration.

Manimarsan had only one daughter. If he had had a son, perhaps, the son might have taken the initiative to organize the event in a big way, since, as per tradition, a son is required to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of his father and seek the blessings of his parents. 

Tradition has also prescribed that, after her marriage, the daughter is considered to belong to the family of her husband. So, she could only attend the event as a guest, along with her husband, but not organize it!

Therefore, Manimaran had to organize the event, by himself. Given his economic status, he was not in a position to celebrate the event in a big way, by spending a substantial sum.

If his economic status had been what it was ten years back, things would have been much different. He was a wealthy man at that time, running a successful business.

Manimaran had a humble beginning. He was living a mediocre life on the modest salary he was getting from his job.

At one point of time, he took a bold decision to quit his job and start his own business.

He started his business with a small capital, but his business turned out to be highly profitable. He gradually expanded his business and became a wealthy person in a few years.

After attaining an enviable financial status, Manimaran did not like his poor relatives being close to him. He did not even encourage them to visit his house.

His wife Valli pleaded with him many times, "We should invite our relatives to our house. We should have them dine at our house now and then. This will help in keeping our relationship with them vibrant. They will also have goodwill towards us." 

But Manimaran didn't pay heed to her advice. 

He said, "We meet our relatives now and then, during occasions like marriages or other functions taking place in the families of our relatives. That is enough to keep the relationship alive! There is no need to invite them to our house for lunch or dinner. If someone visits us, welcome them, exchange pleasantries with them, give them a cup of coffee and send them away. If we try to be too hospitable, they will keep visiting us often and even stay here for a few days. I am not working hard and earning money to feed our relatives!"

The relatives understood Manimaran's attitude and  learnt to keep away from him.

After some time, Manimaran faced a setback in his business. Due to change in market conditions, his business began to decline and his income started to dwindle. Things didn't improve despite his hectic efforts. Eventually, a stage was reached, when survival itself became a challenge.

Life went on somehow and he reached the age of sixty years. 

And here he is, celebrating his his sixtieth birthday as per his wife's desire!

 While sitting on the dais with his wife Valli and looking at a sparcely filled hall, Manimaran told Valli, "The gathering is very small. Many of the people invited by us didn't turn up. Maybe, I should have invited some more people!" 

"When we were well off, you didn't have the mind to invite any of your relatives to come to our house and dine with us. Now, when your income has shrunk and is hardly sufficient for running our family, what is the point in regretting that we are unable to invite a large number of people for the function and treat them to a hearty feast? And how can we expect that our relatives would readily accept our invitation and enthusiastically participate in the function?" said Valli, with a deep feeling of regret.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 9
Hospitality

Verse 88 (In Tamil)

parindhOmbip paRRaRREm enbAr virundhOmbi
vELvi thalaippadAdhAr.

Meaning:

Those who have guarded their wealth without spending it on the  spiritual ritual of hospitality will later repent that they have lost the support they cherished.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'indha nAL anRu pOl illaiyE' by the same author)

Verse 89
Verse 87

412. Canteen

"There is a literary function today. I am attending it. Want to join me?" asked Vittal.

Vittal is my neighbour. He is ten years elder to me. Since we two had some common interests, we would often interact with each other. In spite of my being in a different age group, he has been treating me like a friend.

I hesitated for a while, unable to decide whether to attend that function or not.

"This is an annual event. It will be lively. Every speech will be very interesting. There was a session in the forenoon but I couldn't attend it, as I had some other work. The evening session will be even more interesting. It starts at 4 p.m. The speakers will enchant us and time will fly. Let us go," he added.

Noticing that I still hesitated, Vittal said, "The canteen at the meeting hall is run by Vijaya Bhavan!" smiling.

Viyaya Bhavan is a restaurant chain, reputed for its exquisitely delicious dishes.

"Yes, sir. I will join you!" I said.

As we entered the hall at about 4 p.m, the enchanting aroma of dishes from the canteen struck us.

"Why don't we have some snacks in the canteen and then enter the function hall?" I suggested.

Vittal shot down my suggestion saying, "The program is about to start. We will go to the canteen after some time" and virtually pulled me into the hall.

As stated by Vittal, the speeches were enthralling, indeed. The speakers were delivering an exquisite literary fare, without contaminating the speeches with silly jokes, contrived humour, political innuendo, references to populist trivia about films and film stars etc.

Even as I was enjoying the speeches, a part of my mind was still relishing the aroma from the canteen inhaled by me, while entering the hall.

I asked Vittal a couple of times whether we could take a break, go to the canteen and come back.

He rejected my suggestions, saying, "Wait! How can we leave in the middle of such a wonderful speech?"

Exasperated by his repeated turning down of my requests, I began to wonder whether we would be going to the canteen only at 9 p.m, after the program had ended. 'By that time, the dishes would have got exhausted and the canteen might have been preparing to down its shutters. Maybe, my luck is not favouring me today!" I thought, feeling frustrated.

After a particular speaker had completed his speech, the person presiding over the session announced the name of the next speaker.

Vittal suddenly pressed my hand and said, "Get up! Let us go out!" and began to quickly walk towards the exit 

After leaving the hall, he walked briskly towards the canteen. I followed him, rejoiced by this unexpected break.

After we took our seats in the canteen, I asked Vittal, "Why did you decide to skip the speech and come here, sir? Did you suddenly feel hungry?" in a mocking tone,

"When I have been treated to such wonderful speeches, how could I feel hungry?" replied Vittal.

"Then, why did you get up abruptly and come to the canteen?"

"Did you hear them announce the name of the next speaker? I have heard his speech earlier. He is not a good speaker. Since I knew that his speech is not going to be a treat to my ears, I thought I could offer some food to my belly! This speaker may speak for 20 to 30 minutes. We should be able to able to enjoy some delicious snacks and return to the hall, before the next speaker begins his speech. That way we won't be missing any treat to our ears! Let us give our orders fast. The canteen is not crowded now, but I expect that more people will flock to the canteen, after listening to the present speaker for a few minutes and discovering that he has nothing pleasing to offer to their ears! When the canteen gets crowded, it will take longer for the snacks we order to get delivered to us!" said Vittal.

Just as he had finished saying this, I observed that some people were entering the canteen.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 42
Learning through Listening

Verse 412 (in Tamil):

sevikku uNavu illAdhapOzhdhu siRidhu
vayiRRukkum Iyappadum.

Meaning:

When the ears are not treated to good fare, let us give some food to the belly.

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

Verse 413
Verse 411

1097. Here is My Lover!

"We shouldn't have joined a co-education college!" said Dinesh.

"Boys studying in men's colleges feel jealous of us. But you regret joining a co-education college!" said Murugan.

"I mean it. If I love a girl, the news spreads to the whole college!"

"Do you love a girl? Even I, a close friend of yours, am not aware of this. How do you claim that the entire college knows about this? Who is that girl, by the way?" asked Murugan.

"My love has not yet been reciprocated by the girl. Only then, it can be called love. At that time, it will be known to the whole college. This is what I meant."

"You have still not told me who the girl is!"

"Poongodhai" said Dinesh.

"I find that even your names don't match. Your name has a Hindi origin, while her name is in classic Tamil. How will you two be compatible with each other?" teased Murugan.

"Going by your logic, you can marry a girl, only if her name is Valli*! I have already been concerned that I have not received any response from her to my signals. Don't irk me by bringing in compatibility of names etc." said Dinesh, displaying his annoyance.

Dinesh noticed Poongodhai walking with two of her friends inside the college campus. Dinesh walked behind her, keeping some distance, hoping that he would get a chance to talk to her alone, if her friends moved away from her.

One of Poongodhai's friends noticed Dinesh following them and said in a loud voice, "A Romeo is following us. I don't know which one among the three of us he is targeting!" She then turned to Poongodhai and asked her, "Is he your guy?" in a mocking tone.

"If he is my guy, he will walk ahead of me, not behind me" said Poongodhai. It appeared to Dinesh that she deliberately spoke in a loud voice, so that he should hear what she said.

The other two girls laughed aloud.

Dinesh had a feeling of having been struck hard. He walked past the girls.

"He is walking ahead of you, as desired by you" said one of Poongodhai's friends.

"It looks as if he will dance to your tunes!" remarked the other friend.

"First of all, let him walk without falling down. Looking at his speed, it looks as if he could trip and fall any moment. He is so slim that he could be knocked down by the wind!" said Poongodhai.

A few days after this incident, when Dinesh was walking inside the college campus, Poongodai was coming towards him from the opposite direction, with some of her friends.

When Dinesh passed Poongodai, he looked at her face. She also looked at him. But it appeared to Dinesh that there was anger in her look.

'Oh, it appears that she doesn't like me' thought Dinesh. Though the realization was disappointing, he told himself that he had to accept the reality.

Dinesh saw Poongodhai talking to Murugan. 'Oh, it seems, she likes Murugan.' Though this thought was shocking, Dinesh consoled himself thinking, 'when I know she doesn't like me, how does it matter to me whom she likes?'

Seeing Dinesh, Poongodhai moved away.

"Congrats, Murugan!" said Dinesh.

"I should congratulate you!" said Murugan, smiling.

"What for?"

"Poongodai was talking to me only about you. She is highly impressed by your restraint and decency."

"Really? The derisive comments she made about me to her friends and her angry look gave me the impression that she didn't like me!" said Dinesh, pleasantly surprised.

"She had no opportunity to talk to you alone. She teased you in front of her friends expecting that you would pick up a fight with her. Since you didn't show any reaction, she was even angry with her. She has been hoping that you would talk to her and since you didn't, she came to me and poured out her mind, knowing that I am your friend!" said Murugan.

Dinesh began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" asked Murugan.

"I want to catch her before she is joined by any of her friends and convey my love to her" said Dinesh, increasing his pace.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 110
Reading the Cues

Verse 1097 (in Tamil):
seRAch chiRu sollum seRRAr pOl nOkkum
uRAr pOnRu uRRAr kuRippu.

Meaning:

The pretended angry look and the bitter-sweet word of the beloved are like those of a stranger. Surely, these are but the masks of her love. 

*As per a mythological story, the Hindu God Murugan, married Valli. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'avaLE en kAdhali by the same author.)

Verse 1098
Verse 1096