438. Knitting Jobs

"No entry for salesmen and donation seekers!"

On seeing the above board, displayed outside an apartment complex, while passing through it, when he was going in his car, Selvanayakam asked his driver to stop the car. 

He showed the board to the official of his company, who was traveling with him in the car, and told him, "Get a board like this fixed outside our office immediately. The menace of people visiting us, asking for donations, is becoming unbearable. Since our office is located inside a compound that locates several offices, a lot of people are able to gain entry into our compound."

Selvanayakam was following the policy of not extending any help to anyone. He was strict about not encouraging his friends or relatives to seek any help from him.

"Every one should earn money for his own needs and live within his means. What is this culture of seeking help from others?" he would often tell his wife Visalakshi.

"What would people, who don't have sufficient income, do? Doesn't humanitarianism require us to help the needy and the poor?" Visalakshi would argue.

This kind of exchange of views had taken place between the husband and the wife many times, but Selvanayakam was stubborn in his attitude.

"As your wife, don't I have the right to spend your money for some of the causes dear to me?" Visalakshi asked him once.

"You can spend money for your needs. But I won't allow you to donate money for any cause" said Selvanayakam, firmly.

Selvanayakam was alone in his house. Visalakshi had gone out.

A boy came there, asking for Visalakshi.

"Sir, is madam not home?" the boy asked Selvanayakam.

"Who are you?" asked Selvanayakam. He judged the boy to be poor, by his appearance.

"Madam told me that she would give me money to buy my school books" said the boy, reluctantly.

"How much?"

"Two hundred rupees."

At that time, Visalakshi arrived there. She took out two hundred rupees from her handbag, and handed the money to the boy.

Selvanayakam was waiting for the boy to leave, before he could take Visalakshi to task.

"Have I not told you that you should not spend money for charity?" asked Selvanayakam, angrily.

Visalakshi looked at him directly and said, "Yes, you had said that I should not spend YOUR money for charity. But the money I gave the boy was earned by me!"

"Earned by you! How?"

"I knit sweaters for a company. They provide me the thread. My job is to knit it by hand, using a needle. They will pay me for each sweater I knit. I do this job, when you are not home. I can't earn much from this. I hardly earn a couple of thousand rupees per month. I use that money to help a few poor boys in our neighbourhood, for their educational needs" said Visalakshi.

"I am earning in millions from my business. Why should you work like a labourer working on piece rate, to earn a couple of thousand rupees per month?" asked Selvanayakam, shocked and angry.

"I don't like leading a life of selfishness, without helping anyone. When I saw that we are surrounded by people, needing help and support from more fortunate people like us, I thought I should do something for them. So, I do some work to earn some money and use that money to do a little help to a few needy people. Please don't try to stop me from doing this!" said Visalakshi, folding her palms together, in a gesture of beseeching him.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 44
Condemnation of Faults

Verse 438 (in Tamil):

paRRuLlam ennum ivaRanmai eRRuLLum
eNNappaduvadhu onRanRu.

Meaning:

Clinging to wealth, out of avarice, and not being inclined to charity

is worse than any other flaw, a person could have. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kambaLip pinnal vElai' by the same author.)

Verse 439
Verse 437