410. Talking (about) Sense!

Guru, a college student, was watching some movie on the TV, sitting in the living room of his house.

"What is the film you are watching?" asked his father Devarajan, who was sitting near him. 

'Seventh Sense. It is a good film" replied Guru, as if justifying his watching the film.

"Seventh sense? We all have just one sense, which we call intelligence. Am I right?"

"No, dad. We human beings have six senses."

"Six senses? There is just one brain, which senses everything."

"Dad! Please wait a little. I am watching the film now. I will explain when there is a commercial break" said Guru.

Presently, the commercial break arrived.

"Explain to me. I didn't go to the school. So, I had no chance to learn these" said Devarajan.

"Dad! Brain is an organ. Sense is the ability to perceive. We often hear the expression 'five senses,' don't we?"

"Tell me what these five senses are."

"The eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the skin are called the five sense organs."

"Yes. All creatures including animals, insects and worms have these!"

"No, dad. We can't say that insects and worms have five senses."

"Why? They also see, smell, hear, eat and feel the touch, don't they?"

"No, dad. If we take all living things, some living things like trees, plants, creepers, grass etc. have only one sense - the sense of touch."

"Oh!"

"Some creatures like fish, ouster etc. have two senses - the sense of touch and the sense of taste."

"I didn't know this. Proceed!" said Devarajan, his interest aroused.

Enthused by his father's interest, Guru continued with enthusiasm.

"Then, there are creatures like ants, termites, leach etc, which have three senses including the senses of smell. At the next higher level, we have insects like bees, crab etc. which have four senses. including the sense of vision. Animals and birds have five senses, including the sense of hearing."

"What is the sixth sense, then?"

"It is the ability to think. Only, we, the human beings possess this sixth sense."

"Interesting. I didn't know that there was so much to know about senses,"

"Now, if you want to know what the seventh sense is..."

"No. I am not educated. I am not sure whether I have the sixth sense at all. It appears to me that I possess only the five senses which the birds and animals possess. What am I going to gain by learning about the seventh sense? The commercial break just got over. You may watch the film now."

 Devrajan got upand moved away.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 41
Lack of Education

Verse 410 (in Tamil):

vilangodu makkaL anaiyar ilangu nUl
kaRRArodu Enaiyavar.

Meaning:

The contrast between human beings and animals is similar to the one between people who have studied books of wisdom and the uneducated.

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

Verse 411
Verse 409