508. In the Footsteps of His Father

"We feel sorry about your seeking retirement, sir" said Ponmozhi.

"Young lady! Generally, one is expected to retire at the age of sixty. I am seventy now. If I don't retire now, then when?" asked Adikesavan, smiling. 

"Someone is still sticking to his job, even after he has turned seventy five. If he leaves, we will be happy" said Nathan.

"Even if he decides to leave, our Proprietor won't allow him to go!" said Velu.

Adikesavan didn't say anything. 

"Sir" You know about the state of affairs of our firm. We are talking freely, because Mr. Santhakumar is on leave today. The proprietor is also not in the office now. Mr. Santhakumar is the Manager of this office. I remember a scene from an old Tamil film, in which, Nagesh, the comedian, would call the manager 'damager,' due to a slip of his tongue. That description will perfectly fit our Manager. He has been causing damage to our firm and also causing problems to us in various ways. Because of his wrong decisions and actions, our firm had to encounter various problems. But our Proprietor has been blindly following his advice, treating it as gospel. But the onus of sorting out the problems created by Mr. Santhakumar's arbitrary actions fall on us. I don't understand why our Proprietor has not been able to understand the situation" said Murthy. 

"Sir! You have been source of great support to us. You have been protecting us from the consequences of Mr. Santhakumar's arbitrary functioning. Our Proprietor gives weight to your words" said Ponmozhi.

"No. It is not true. Our Proprietor would politely listen to me, alright. But he would only act as per Mr. Santhakumar's words. He respects my age, not my words!" said Adhikesavan.

"Why is it so, sir? Why does our Proprietor give so much importance to Mr. Santhakumar. We all know that Mr. Santhakumar is not a person with knowledge about running a business. Nor did he have any experience before joining our firm!" said Nathan. 

"Yes. His entire experience has been in our firm. But he doesn't seem to have learned anything, working here!" said Velu.

"Please tell us, sir, why our Proprietor gives so much importance to Mr. Santhakumar. Mr. Santhakumar doesn't have even a fraction of your knowledge or experience" said Ponmozzhi. 

"It is not right to say such things about a person who is the Manager of our firm" said Adhilesavan. After a pause, he said, "This firm was established by the grandfather of our Proprietor. He was an enterprising person, with a business acumen. He made the firm grow well within a short period and established a strong business base for the firm. After his demise, his son - our Proprietor's father - took over the reigns. He took his friend Santhakumar giving him a responsible position in the firm. I joined this firm, sometime after Santhakumar had joined. Santhakumar had no knowledge about our business. He had no work experience before joining this firm. He had no inclination to learn things, either. But, since he was the Proprietor's friend, in the firm, his word was the law. Some of us spoke to the Proprietor about the problems created by Santhakumar's arbitrary decisions. But he paid no heed to our concerns. He didn't live long. The present Proprietor took over the business, after his father's demise. Believing that Santhakumar was his father's guide, he began to blindly accept Sathakumar's advice. Even after seeing how Santhakumar's wrong advice had created many problems to our firm, he continues to toe Santhakumar's line. I don't know how long and how much this firm is going to suffer because of our Proprietor's intransigent attitude towards Santhakumar.

"There is a saying that the puppy's bark landed the mother into trouble. Here, it is the reverse" said Velu. 

"It is surprising how the blunder committed by our Proprietor's father in giving a responsible position to Mr. Santhakumar, without assessing his capabilities, has affected his next generation too!" said Nathan.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 508 (in Tamil):

thErAn piRanaith theLindhAn vazhimuRai
thIrA idumbai tharum

Meaning:

Choosing a stranger without knowing his traits will result in harm that may affect even the next generation.

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

Verse 509
Verse 507

507. Opening A New Branch

"Sir, we should decide who is going to be the Manager for the branch we are opening in Madurai" said Sundaramurthy, Senior Manager.

"Whom do you suggest?" asked Arunan, the Regional Manager.

"I think either Ramesh or Sudhakar can be posted."

"You didn't consider Kumar!"

"Sir! Kumar doesn't have the required experience. Opening a new branch requires the person selected to lead the branch going to that place and doing a lot of preparatory work. Starting from finding a place to rent for the office through doing the interior work for the office to recruiting some local people to work in the office, there are a lot of things to be done. And after opening the branch, he has to develop the business. Only someone having the field experience will be able to do these tasks effectively. Kumar has been mostly working inside the office..."

"When will he get the exposure, then?" interjected Arunan. "Having worked in the office for long, he would be well versed in the company's policies and procedures. Is this not an advantage he has?"

After a moment's hesitation, Sundaramurthy said, "Sir! For that matter, Kumar is not well versed in the company's policies and procedures either. In general, he doesn't show much interest in learning things. I think he doesn't have the capability needed for opening a new branch and running it well."

"I think you have a dislike for Kumar, for some reason!" said Arunan.

'I think you have a liking for Kumar, for some reason. That is why you are refusing to look at his shortcomings' thought Sundaramurthy. 

"Sir! Given Kumar's profile, it will be difficult to get the approval from our head office for posting him as the manager of a new branch" said Sundaramurthy, by way of making a last ditch attempt to dissuade Arunan from selecting Kumar for the job.

"I will manage that" said Arunan.

As he had told Sundaramurthy, Arunan spoke to the Head Office and got its approval for posting Kumar as the manager of the new branch to be opened in Madurai.

Six months had passed since Kumar assumed charge as the Manager of the new branch at Madurai. As feared by Sundaramurthy, the business didn't pick up at the branch, due to Kumar's lack of competence and experience.

"It is a new branch. It will take time for it to grow. Let us wait for some more time" said Arunan.

Sundaramurthy wondered whether Arunan could not understand that Kumar's incompetence was the root cause of the problem or he was just refusing to accept the truth.

The Head Office, which had been receiving and reviewing the monthly reports about the performance of the new branch, was repeatedly writing letters to the Regional Manager, expressing its concern about the unsatisfactory performance of the branch. Arunan kept replying that things would improve in a couple of months.

Arunan received a phone call from the Head Office. 

"Mr. Arunan! Our Madurai branch is going to complete one year" said the General Manager who was on the line. 

"Yes, sir. We have been trying to improve the performance of the branch" said Arunan, his weak tone betraying his discomfort.

"As you know, any new branch of our company will start doing well within two or three months. Madurai is a big city. It is a place with a lot of potential for developing our business. It is a matter of concern that even after nearly a year, there has not been much of a progress."

"Sir! I have a plan. I will be visiting the branch on the occasion of the first anniversary of the branch. I will stay in that place for two or three days, guide the Branch Manager properly and ensure that he shows good results very soon" said Arunan, tying to sound enthusiastic.

"There will be no need for that, Mr. Arunan. We have decided to close that branch. We have sent letters to you and the branch, conveying our decision. I called you only to inform you in person."

The General Manager had ended the conversation.

Arunan regretted how acting on his preference, without considering Sundaramurthy's advice, had resulted in a big blunder. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 507 (in Tamil):

kAdhanmai kandhA aRaivu aRiyAth thERudhal
pEdhaimai ellAm tharum

Meaning:

It is the height of folly to choose the ignorant, blinded by affection. 

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

Verse 508
Verse 506

506. Unbelievable!

Sambandham had lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle, who never encouraged him to study much.

When Sambandham turned twenty-two, his uncle managed to get him a job at Sri Agencies, through an acquaintance.

On his first day st the firm, when Sridhar, the Proprietor told Sambandham about the nature of his work and the salary details, Sambandham told him politely, “Sir, whatever salary you give is fine. But, please allow me to stay in the office, till I find a suitable place for me to stay.

Sridhar was surprised. “Why don’t you continue to stay at your uncle’s house?”

With tears in his eyes, Sambandham replied, “Sir, I stayed there only because I had no other choice. Many times, I wanted to run away from there, but I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I just endured my stay there. I consider you God, for giving me this job. As long as there is life in my body, I will work for you like a faithful dog.”

Moved by his words, Sridhar agreed to his request. “Alright. Until you find a good place to stay, you can stay here. There is a room for old records, but the records occupy only a small part of the room. You can use that room.”

A few months later, Sambandham rented a room in a lodge and moved away, but he never forgot the promise he had made to his proprietor. He worked tirelessly and loyally for the company. In course of time, the other employees began to fear and respect him, for he had become the most trusted man of the boss. Though just an assistant, he was treated almost like the second-in-command at the office.

So, when the news was heard, it shocked everyone.

“How could Mr. Sambandham do such a thing?” whispered typist Meena.

“They say the police found lakhs and lakhs of rupees in his house. Even the boss couldn’t believe it!” said Ramkumar, another employee.

The accountant, Kumaraguru narrated the situation. “Sambandham always has handled petty cash—about ten thousand rupees at a time. Our proprietor had authorized him to spend that money for certain expenses—transport, buying gifts for customers and customer entertainment—and then submit bills and vouchers. I have, on certain occasions, suspected the bills to be fake or the amounts inflated. I even shared my suspicions with the proprietor a couple of times. But he dismissed my concers saying, ‘Sambandham has no family or relatives. Even if he makes money through false accounting, what is he going to do with it?’ So, the matter was dropped. But for years, he had been quietly stealing money bit by bit.”

“How did he finally get caught?” someone asked.

“One day, the proprietor found some anomalies while going through the vouchers submitted by Sambandham and grew suspicious. When he confronted Sambandham, Sambandham faltered and gave himself away.”

Later, at home, Sridhar confided to his wife, his voice heavy with pain and sorrow. “I trusted Sambandham so much. The realization that he had been cheating me all these years filled me with anger and sorrow. I filed a complaint with the police. When the police searched his house, they found money stashed everywhere—in boxes, bags, even pillow covers. More than twenty lakh rupees! From what I know of him, he was never careful with money. Even if he had lived frugally, he couldn’t have saved more than five or six lakhs in eight years.”

His wife sighed. “You gave him a job out of pity. You trusted him. He has no family, no ties—why this greed for money?”

Sridhar shook his head. “I don’t know. We assume people without families won’t crave wealth. But in reality, those with families at least have one fear—that if they get caught, they will have to face the shame in front of their loved ones. Men like Sambandham have no such fear. That may be the reason they commit crimes like this without the slightest hesitation."

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 506 (in Tamil):

aRRAraith thERudhal Ombuga maRRavar
paRRilar nANAr pazhi

Meaning:

Don't choose persons who have no kith and kin. With nothing to bind them, they won’t dread disgrace.

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

Verse 507
Verse 505

121. Who Will Be the Successor?

Chief Minister Vetrivel’s announcement that he would not contest the next election and was retiring from active politics sent ripples of shock not just inside his party, but across the media and among the public.

Yet, the widespread expectation was clear: once Vetrivel retired, his younger brother Thirumurthi would succeed him as party leader and be projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate, in the next election.

“What now?” Kathir exclaimed. “Our leader has announced his retirement. There’s barely a year left for elections. What are we going to do?”

“What can we do?” Neelavannan replied calmly.

“The cadres look to you as the next leader. Under your leadership, victory is certain. You are the natural successor—the next Chief Minister.”

“Is it enough that you say so? Do we know what our leader thinks?”

“The leader will want only his brother to take charge.”

“Then how can I possibly take his place?”

“The rank and file of the party are with you. They will never accept Thirumoorthi. Even among the people, you are more popular. If we contest the polls under Thirumurthy’s leadership, we will face a humiliating defeat.”

“Our leader will weigh every factor before taking a decision. Until then, let us remain patient.”

“It is your patience that emboldens Thirumoorthi to project himself as his brother’s successor” Kathir shot back. “I will raise the matter in the executive committee meeting. I will propose that you must be chosen as the next leader. Three-fourths of the executive committee members will stand with you.”

“Don’t act in haste. Let’s focus on party work. If our leader and others in the party believe I am fit to lead the party, then the opportunity will come to me naturally” Neelavannan answered.

“Politics rewards only the bold,” Kathir warned. “Stay muted, and men like Thirumurthi will crush you ruthlessly.”

After Vetrivel’s announcement of his intention to step down, Thirumurthi began to behave as though power had already passed to him. Since he was the Chief Minister’s brother, no one dared to resist his overreach.

Though he held no official position in either the government or in the party, an impression was created that Thirumurthi was already in command of both the organs. The growing resentment this created among workers and the public did not trouble Thirumurthy in the least.

Six months before the election, Vetrivel issued another statement:

“As I have already announced, I will not contest the forthcoming election. Nor will I engage myself in active politics. It is my wish that our party faces the election under a new leadership. Therefore, on the fifteenth morning, I shall submit my resignation to the Governor. That afternoon, our legislators will meet to elect their new leader. By evening, he will assume office as the Chief Minister.”

The media wasted no time in dissecting the move:

“The party is destined to lose this election. This arrangement is nothing but a ploy of Vetrivel to let his brother wear the crown for six months.”

Kathir, Neelavannan’s staunch supporter, fumed:

“The fortress has fallen! The leader has paved the way for Thirumoorthi!”

But Neelavannan remained silent.

Hours before the legislative party meeting, an unprecedented announcement was made by Vetrivel: the entire session would be broadcast live.

“This has never happened before! Something is about to unfold,” people whispered. Across Tamil Nadu, families gathered in front of their television sets, waiting with breathless anticipation.

When the meeting began, Vetrivel rose to speak:

“This party was built by my predecessors, and by me, through hard work. If today, it stands like an unshakable fortress despite countless trials faced by it, it is because of the tireless sacrifices of its leaders and workers. In the future too, only those who have laboured selflessly for this party will have the right and the responsibility to guide the party forward.

In that spirit, I request all of you to elect my beloved brother Neelavannan—who has worked tirelessly for our cause for many years and earned the affection of every one of you—as your next leader. I trust you will honour my wish.”

Even before Vetrivel had ended his speech, thunderous applause filled the hall.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 13
Restraint

Verse 121 (In Tamil)

adakkam amararuL uykkum adangAmai
AriruLuyththu vidum.

Meaning:

Restraint will place (a man) among the Gods; Lack of it will drive (him) into the  darkness (of hell)

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'arasiyal vArisu' by the same author)

Verse 122
Verse 120

505. An Honest Officer?

“This is the culture of our office. What difference will it make, if only you and I are honest?” asked Senthil.

“It may not make any difference. But doesn’t doing our work honestly make us feel good?” replied Balaji.

“Yes, but look at the situation. On the one hand, the public puts pressure on us, trying to bribe us and demanding that we act in their favour and on the other, our higher officials are unhappy with us, considering us as obstacles in their path to make money by misusing their powers. And our colleagues consider us foolish and mock at us!”

“Well, at least you have me and I have you for comforting each other!”

“Today, a new officer is taking charge. Let us see how he is going to be!” said Senthil.

When Thanikachalam, the new officer, assumed charge, he called all the employees to his cabin.

“Listen carefully. I am very strict when it comes to work. I will not tolerate even a small irregularity. Keep this in mind and be sincere and honest in your work.” He began this way and gave a short speech stressing the importance of honesty, service-mindedness, and dedication in one’s duty.

When the two returned to their desks, Senthil told Balaji, “At last! An honest officer has come. At least for us, working under him will be a satisfying experience, I think.”

“You can’t judge him just by what he says. Let us see how he actually behaves” said Balaji, smiling.

“It appears that having seen so many corrupt officers, you find it hard to believe that any officer can be honest!” said Senthil.

Balaji just smiled without replying.

A few days later, when they were speaking in private, Senthil whispered to Balaji, “Your skepticism has proved to be right. Mr. Thanikachalam is not an honest person, as I believed him to be."

“How did you come to this conlcusion?” asked Balaji.

“A businessman named Manickam had made an application for approval of his plan. I told him that his plan won't be approved since it was not in conformity to the rules. He told me, ‘Just send the file to your officer, I will handle it.’ I told him, ‘This officer is an honest man; he won’t agree to this.’ He threw a derisive smile at me.

“I sent the file with my note that approval could not be given as per the rules. A week had passed. The file didn’t come back. This morning, Manickam called me and said, laughing, ‘I have taken care of your officer. He has given me the approval I asked for.’ Later, the file was sent back to me by the officer, overruling my objection and giving approval, justifying his decision with some dubious reasoning!”

Balaji smiled without saying anything.

“How did you suspect him right from the beginning? Did you already know about him?” asked Senthil.

“No. I didn’t know him. But I believe that we should judge a person not by what he says, but by what he does. Many dishonest people loudly proclaim themselves to be honest—rather too loudly! “The morning Mr. Thanikachalam joined our office, I saw him at the temple. At that time, I didn’t know who he was. A small crowd was waiting in line before the temple was opened. He went and stood in the middle of the line. When people at the back objected, he said he had been standing in the line earlier, but went back to fetch his purse from his scooter parked outside. I knew that it was a lie. The line was short and I had been standing in the line for quite some time. He had not been in the line earlier. I wondered why he should lie for te sake of jumping ahead in a line that was quite small. When he went inside the sanctum sanctorum, he shoved aside even some elderly devotees to take his place in the front. Later, when I saw him in our office, I remembered how he had behaved in the temple. Judging him by his conduct at the temple, I thought he was not likely to be an honest man. And the way he kept insisting that he was very honest only made my suspicion stronger!” said Balaji.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 505 (in Tamil):

perumaikkum Enaich chiRumaikkum thaththam
karumamE kattaLaik kal

Meaning:

The touchstone for greatness or unworthiness of a person is one’s own deeds.

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

Verse 506
Verse 504

504. The Selection Process

“The interview is over. Whom are we going to select?” asked Sundaram, the Personnel Manager.

“This is a promotion interview for a Department Manager. That manager will be working under you. So, your opinion is the most important,” said Raju, the General Manager, looking at Selvam, the Divisional Manager.

Before Selvam could reply, Sundaram interjected, saying, “We have already shortlisted two people, right? We only need to choose one of them. What is your choice?”

‘Isn’t this the same question the GM had just asked me? And now, just to show off your authority as the Personnel Manager, you are repeating it to me!’ thought Selvam irritably. He turned to Raju and said, “Sir, between Ram and Neelakantan, my choice is Neelakantan!”

“Neelakantan? His profile is not that impressive, is it?” said Sundaram.

Suppressing his urge to hit back Sundaram with the retort ‘Then how did you even agree to have him shortlisted?’ Selvam said, “You are looking at the profile. I am looking at the person.”

“Correct. You are the one who interacts with both of them directly, right? That is why I said your opinion matters,” said Raju. “But before finalizing the selection, let us list out the strengths and weaknesses of both the candidates.”

For the next few minutes, the three of them together listed the strengths and weaknesses of Ram and Neelakantan.

“Now that we have listed both their strengths and weaknesses, if we assign positive marks for strengths and negative marks for weaknesses, who do you think ends up with a higher score?” asked Raju, looking at Selvam.

“Certainly, Ram has a better score. Based on my personal interactions with both the candidates, initially I thought Neelakantan was the obvious choice. But, when we look at it through this approach you suggested, it is clear that Ram is the better candidate” admitted Selvam.

“Very good! So shall we, the three of us, unanimously finalize Ram as our selection?” asked Raju.

The other two silently nodded in agreement.

After Selvam had left the room, Sundaram turned to Raju and said, “Sir, Selvam was biased! I think he had decided even before conducting the interview that Neelakantan should be chosen. Only when we compared both candidates’ strengths and weaknesses as per your suggestion, did he change his mind.”

“True, having a bias may be Selvam's weakness. But he also has many strengths. First, he admitted that he had a bias. Second, he has a sense of fairness. Even after forming an opinion, he is willing to listen to others, consider the validity of their reasoning, and change his decision, if he finds their reasoning is justified. So, on balance, the positive qualities of Selvam outweigh his flaws. Can’t you see that?” said Raju.

Sundaram nodded his head, agreeing with his General Manager.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 504 (in Tamil):

guNam nAdik kuRRamum nAdi avaRRuL
migai nAdi mikka koLal

Meaning:

Examine the good and bad in a person and judge his character according to what predominates in his composition. 

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

Verse 505
Verse 503

1127. The Secret Hidden by Shreenidhi

“You look different today,” Yuva told Shreenidhi, tilting her head as though trying to view her friend’s face from a different angle.

“Different? Not at all,” Shreenidhi replied, with a mild attempt at denial. “You may feel that way because you haven’t seen me for some time, having been away for a while.”

Yuva raised an eyebrow. “I was gone just a week. What great change could have happened within this short period?” She turned toward the other friends standing there and asked them, with a smile, “Haven’t you girls noticed a change in Shreenidhi's appearance?”

Vanitha, one of the friends, laughed. “How could we not? We did notice a change in Shreenidhi's looks and asked her about it, but she denied that there was any change at all. But, we have not been able to spot what the change is. And you, Yuva, you being her closest friend, can't detect what the change is, you really are a slow one!”

Yuva studied her friend closely. “Of course, I have deciphered what the change is. Shreenidhi’s eyes used to be always rimmed with kohl—dark, sharp and beautiful. That was giving her a special look. And now, it is gone.”

Yuva's voice softened, as she addressed Srinidhi. “I have watched you put on the kohl… so carefully, as if you were drawing a border around your eyes. I have always admired it. Even when the kohl smudged, even when it stung, you still wouldn’t give it up. Why stop now?”

Shreenidhi dropped her gaze. “There is no reason. I thought why I should suffer eye irritation for the sake of making my eyes look bright?”

“Don’t lie to me,” Yuva told Shrinidhi, her voice firm, but affectionate. “I know the truth. Shall I tell them?” pointing her forefinger at their friends standing there.

Shreenidhi shook her head quickly, pleading silently.

Yuva laughed and turned to the other girls. “Shreenidhi's family members follow a tradition. In the month of Margazhi*, they fast and sing Thiruppavai**. In one verse of Thiruppavai, Andal says: ‘Let us go without kohl.’ So none of the women in her household wear kohl during that month. Shreenidhi hid this from us, fearing that we might make fun of her for following an orthodox practice."

She winked at Shreenidhi. “Isn’t that right?”

Shreenidhi said nothing, but her silence was a sign of admission.

“That’s it? What a boring secret!” the girls laughed, drifting away one by one.

When the courtyard fell quiet, Yuva leaned closer to her friend and asked her, her voice no longer playful, but searching. “Now tell me the real reason. I don’t believe it is just tradition. There is a man behind your change. Who is he?”

Shreenidhi’s lips trembled into a shy smile. “Ashwin.”

“Oh!” Yuva smiled. “Not a bad choice. But wait—did he say you don’t look good with kohl? If so, that means he has no taste!”

“No,” Shreenidhi replied quickly. “He never said that. He even asked me why I had stopped applying kohl. I gave him an evasive reply.”

“Then why, Shree? Why give up what you love?”

Shreenidhi hesitated, then whispered, almost embarrassed, “Because Ashwin lives in my eyes now. Always. Even when I close my eyes, his image remains inside, as if carved into the darkness. And when I draw the kohl, I fear its blackness will wash him away or blur the image I hold so close. I stopped… because I was afraid to lose him, even if it was only an image.”

For a moment, Yuva was silent. Then she smiled, her fingers brushing her friend’s cheek with the tenderness of sisterhood.

“You are mad, Shree,” she whispered. “Mad with love. And there is no cure for such craziness.”

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 113
In Praise of Love

Verse 1127 (in Tamil):
kaN uLLAr kAdhal avarAgak kaNNum
ezhudhEm karappAkku aRindhu.

Meaning:

My beloved resides within my eyes. I never paint them lest he vanishes for that brief time.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kaNNukku mai azhagu' by the same author.)

Verse 1128 (Soon)
Verse 1126

503. The Scholar’s Oversight

That year's annual festival of the town’s Literary Association was unlike that of any other year. 

The announcement “Ilakkiya Kadal (Ocean of Literature)” Sundaralingam would be delivering the special address"  made a sense of excitement surge through the town

To Tamil literary enthusiasts, Sundaralingam was no ordinary scholar. His very name carried the weight of reverence. People whispered with pride, “In our time, no one has studied Tamil literature as profoundly as he has.” 

Sundaralingam had delved into countless works—from the great epics to obscure manuscripts known only to a few. Not only did he grasp their layered meanings, but he could also summon thousands of verses from memory, his voice ringing with the power of poetry.

On the day of the festival, the hall overflowed. Members of the Association filled the front rows, while townsfolk crowded every corner of the hall. So great was the anticipation that many were forced to stand at the back, straining to catch a glimpse of the man they called the Ocean of Literature.

When Sundaralingam rose to speak, the hall fell silent. His words carried both scholarship and warmth, weaving knowledge with charm.

“Let me test your memories,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “If I ask you ‘Which epic contains the line—Like a man in debt, the King of Lanka was disturbed?’ what answer will you give?”

A chorus of voices rang out: “Kamba Ramayanam!”

Sundaralingam laughed heartily. “That, my friends, is the mistake so many of us make! This line is not in the Kamba Ramayanam. Generations have repeated it so often that the error has taken root like a stubborn weed. Some attribute this line to Arunachala Kavirayar. But that too is incorrect. The truth is—it comes from Thanipadal Thirattu, an anthology of anonymous verses. And the correct line is: ‘Like a heart in debt, the King of Lanka was disturbed.’

“Such are the misconceptions that creep into our tradition, passed down until they are mistaken for truth.”

The audience leaned forward, enthralled.

Sundaralingam paused, his voice softening. “Before I conclude, let me recite a hymn about Hanuman, from Kamba Ramayanam. It goes like this—

Born of the wind,
He crossed the sea,
He soared through the sky,
He beheld Sita, daughter of the earth,
And set fire to Lanka.
He, who embodies the five elements, will protect us.

“This verse,” Sundaralingam explained, “links Hanuman’s deeds to the five elements—wind, water, sky, earth, and fire. Such is the grandeur of our literary tradition.”

Applause thundered through the hall. The scholar’s words had touched both the minds and spirits of the audience, as it were.

That evening, the members of the Literary Association hosted a dinner in honor of Sundaralingam in a hotel. After the dinner was over, one after another, admirers came to his side, showering him with praise, before leaving the venue.

At last, when the gathering had thinned, a young man approached Sundaralingam hesitatingly. His voice was low, sounding unsure.

“Sir… your speech was wonderful. But… I have a doubt.”

“Go on, my boy,” Sundaralingam encouraged him, smiling benignly.

“The verse you recited about Hanuman—I heard that scholars don’t accept it as Kamban’s work…”

“How do you know that?” asked Sundaralingam, a little startled.

“When I was in school, my teacher told us so. He said devotees would find this verse pleasing to  hear, but it was not written by Kamban. The verse doesn't have the refined poetic structure characteristic of Kamban's poetry. I myself don’t have much knowledge about literature, though” said the young man, sounding apologetic about contradicting the scholar.

Sundaralingam’s smile faded. He looked at the youth with a flicker of surprise. Before he could say anything, the Association’s secretary arrived. “Shall we leave, sir?” he asked.

Sundaralingam began to move but turned to look at the young man, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he walked away.

Later that night, alone in his study, he reached for his treasured copy of the Kamba Ramayanam. With trembling hands, he searched page after page, verse after verse.

At last, the truth lay before him.

The young man had been right.

Sundaralingam closed the book slowly, his heart feeling heavy. He sat in silence, the weight of his discovery pressing upon him.

“How could I—who have studied so deeply—have overlooked this?” he whispered to himself.

The Ocean of Literature, for the first time in years, felt like tasting the salt of doubt.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 51
Assess Before Accepting

Verse 503 (in Tamil):

ariya kaRRu AsaRRAr kaNNum theriyumkAl
inmai aridhE vrLiRu

Meaning:

Even a person who is known to be erudite and faultless,

if assessed well, will rarely be free of flaws and ignorance.

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

Verse 504
Verse 502

120. The Old Bureau

When we sold our ancestral home in the village, most of the small household items were given away—some for free and some for throwaway prices. But three large wooden pieces remained: a bureau, a reclining chair, and a heavy table.

We brothers divided them among ourselves. My share was the bureau. The other two pieces were quickly sold by my brothers to a newly rich villager for a handsome sum. He also wanted my bureau, but I refused.

I brought the bureau to my (rented) house in Chennai. I say “brought it” casually, but bringing it was no easy task. The bureau was very heavy, and I had to employ several men to lift it onto a bullock cart, transport it 10 kilometers to the town, and unload it at the office of the goods transport firm

Even at the office of the transport firm, unloading the bureau required many hands. At first, the employees of the firm said it won't be possible to send the bureau by lorry. It took some pleading from me before I could make them accept the bureau for shipment. 

When I heard the freight they demanded, I was shocked—I even considered abandoning the bureau there and quietly slipping away. But, with no other option, I paid the exorbitant charges demanded by them and arranged to have it sent by lorry.

When the bureau finally reached Chennai, the trouble of moving it from the transport office to my house was no less. The transport company and the labourers virtually robbed me, extorting a heavy amount from me, yet behaved as though they were doing me a favor! I had to beg each one of them at every step of moving the bureau from the transport office to my home.

“Good heavens, sir! What sort of bureau is this? It is so heavy!” was the common remark I kept hearing.

Apprehensive that the bureau might get damaged if it slipped from the hands of the labourers due to their inadvertent handling, I kept begging them, “Please, lift it carefully and slowly!”

No sooner had the bureau reached my house than my landlord, sweating like a hawk swooping down, rushed in: “What’s this, sir? Where did you bring this from? The floor may crack—be careful!” he said expressing his anxiety.

I swallowed the retort that rose in my mind—Floors may crack under iron bureaus, not under wooden ones. Doesn’t your wooden head know this?—and replied politely, “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll take care.”

At last, the bureau stood inside my home. 

When my wife heard what the transport had cost, she nearly fainted. “For that money, we could have bought four new Godrej bureaus!” she said.

Over the next fifteen years, as we shifted our residence three times, moving the bureau each time cost a small fortune.

Now, after we had bought our own house, I couldn’t take the bureau along. My family (everyone except me) unanimously decided that there was no place for the wooden bureau in our new home.

“You have already spent enough on this bureau. Sell it and be done with it,” said my wife.

So, with no other choice, I decided to sell it.

I browsed the newspaper classifieds and was surprised to see so many buyers for old goods. I thought I would be clever—show the bureau to five or six dealers and sell it to the one who offered the most.

But no one was ready to offer a decent amount for my bureau.

“This won’t sell, sir! No one will buy it even for using it as firewood. If you want, I’ll take it away on my cart and dump it somewhere. You won’t get any price,” said one.

Another offered a sum lower than what he would have offered for old newspapers.

After several such disappointments, a man named Janarthanan arrived.

He carefully opened the bureau, examined each part, and said, “Looks like a very old bureau indeed! How much are you expecting?”

“Will you give me five thousand rupees?” I asked, hesitantly.

He laughed. “Sir, I’m a trader. I expect a fair price for what I sell, and I believe others too should get fair value for their goods.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled.

“Sir, there are collectors who will pay good money for antiques like this. If I buy this bureau from you for five thousand rupees and sell it to them for a huge profit, I would only be cheating you. Instead, let me give you the contact numbers of a few antique dealers I know. Call them. They will come, inspect the bureau, and quote their price. Check with a few, and sell it to whoever offers you the best deal.”

“And what do you think it might fetch?” I asked, astonished.

“I can’t say exactly,” he replied. “But it will surely go for more than one lakh rupees.” 

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 12
Neutrality

Verse 120 (In Tamil)

vANigam seyvArkku vANigam pENip
piRavum thama pOl seyin.

Meaning:

If businessmen treat goods of other people as they would their own, that will be considered fair business.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mara bIrO' by the same author)

Verse 121
Verse 119