162. Bhaskar's Failures

After Sumathy and Bhaskar got married, the couple visited the homes of many of Bhaskar's colleagues, for lunch or dinner, accepting their invitations. 

One day, Bhaskar told Sumathy, "We are going to my boss Ravi's house today, for dinner."

"I feel nervous, since I can't feel free at your boss's house, as I felt, when we visited your colleagues' homes. Can you cancel the visit on some excuse or other?" asked Sumathy.

"If I decline my boss' invitation, he will be annoyed with me. I may even lose my job. Let us go there, accepting his invitation" said Bhaskar. 

After returning home from Ravi's house, Sumathy asked Bhaskar. "You said Ravi was your boss. But you moved with him, as if he was a friend. Is he a friend or the boss?"

"Both!" said Bhaskar. "Ravi and I were holding the same position in our firm. In fact, he is two years junior to me. But, he got promoted and moved up to a level higher than mine. Since I didn't get any promotion, I am remaining at the same level."

"Don't you feel unhappy about this?"

"I am unhappy about my not getting the promotion. But, I am happy about my friend Ravi getting the promotion!" said Bhaskar.

"Didn't you feel upset that a person junior to you got promoted overtaking you and became your boss?"

"I didn't. You are younger to me. You came to this house only recently. But you have become my boss already! Do I feel unhappy about this?" asked Bhaskar, laughing.

Sumathy looked at her husband with a feeling of surprise and admiration. 'He has no grudge or jealousy about his friend overtaking him and getting a promotion. If a close friend of mine got something that I didn't, I would feel unhappy' she thought. 

The doorbell rang. Sumathy opened the door.

"Is Bhaskar at home?" asked the visitor.

"No. He has gone out. May I know who you are?" asked Sumathy. 

"There is a club called Srinagar Club in this area. I am the secretary of that club."

"Oh! Is Bhaskar a member of the club?"

"He is an active member. Perhaps, you are not aware of this, since you got married recently."

"You are right. I didn't know about it."

"This is one of the biggest clubs in the city. We have a membership of five thousand. There was an election for the secretary, six months back. It was hotly contested as if it was an election to the state assembly. There was hectic campaigning and a lot of excitement. Bhaskar and I were the contestants."

"And you won the election!"

"Yes, I did. But, I have not come across a person like Bhaskar. During the campaign, I had used strong words against him, in my fervour to win the election. But, after the election, Bhaskar began to move with me in a friendly manner, without any hard feelings towards me, for my using harsh words against him, during the campaign. He has become a good friend of mine and has been helping me in carrying out various activities relating to the club. In fact, I came to see him only to seek his advice on a matter relating to the club. I will come and see him later."

He took leave of her and left. 

'When I have a person with such sterling qualities as my husband, what more do I need in my life?' Sumathy thought proudly. 

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 17
Bearing No Envy

Verse 162 (In Tamil)

vizhuppu ERRin ahdhoppadhu illaiyAr mAttum
azhukkARRin anmai peRin.

Meaning:

Not being envious of anybody is a rich reward. There is nothing that can match it.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'bAskarin thOlvigaL' by the same author)

Verse 163 (Soon)
Verse 161

667. The Passenger

Dinakar extended his seat on the luxury bus, by pulling up the part of the seat that was folded down, stretched his legs, pushed back his seat and reclined comfortably, getting ready to go to sleep.

"Oh! my back is aching. It seems that traveling in a sitting position will be more comfortable" he lamented.

"That is the reason I am sitting erect, without pulling up the folded portion of the seat. This is the problem with semi-sleeper buses. If we want to travel comfortably, we should travel by a sleeper bus. Otherwise, traveling in a sitting position will be better" said his friend Arun.

"Only you and I have this problem. Look at our 'friend' there. How comfortably is he reclining on his seat!" Dinakar whispered in the ears of Arun and pointed to a person sitting on a row opposite to the one the two were sitting. 

While one passenger sitting in one of the two seats in that row was struggling, unable to decide whether to stretch his legs or fold them, the person described as 'friend' by Dinakar was relining comfortably on the seat adjacent to the window. 

Since he had a diminutive figure, his short legs fitted within the short length of the extended portion of the sheet.

"There appears to be space for another person to sit in the space left, after the little man has stretched his legs!" quipped Arun, controlling his laughter.

"He looks like a doll wearing pants and a shirt. People like him will have to lead a pathetic life. No one will offer them a job. They will have to depend on someone else, throughout their life" said Dinakar.

"You are worried about his life. But, he doesn't seem to have a care in the world and has gone into sleep immediately after stretching his legs!"

"Let him have the pleasure of good sleep, at least!"

Dinakaran was awakened from his sleep by the sound of voices. He noticed that the bus had halted and that the passengers were getting down.

He gently shook Arun and told him, "Get up, Arun. We need to get down."

The two friends took their baggages and set out to get down from the bus. 

They noticed that the passenger in the opposite row was still sleeping and that two men were standing near him and politely calling him, "Sir" repeatedly, trying to wake him up. 

"He seems to be in deep sleep. He may not hear your calls. Pat him on his back or shake him gently and wake him up" suggested Dinakar.

"We can't do so, sir. He is our Managing Diector" said one of the two. 

"Managing Director?" asked Dinakar, surprised.

"Yes, sir. He is the owner of Ramya Textiles, the biggest textile show room in this town."

At that time, the Managing Director woke up from sleep, exclaimed, "Oh! The bus has reached the destination!" He then turned to the two who had come to receive him and said in a commanding tone, "My briefcase is in the luggage compartment above. Pick it up" in a commanding tone and alighted from the bus.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 67
Efficiency in Action

Verse 667 (in Tamil):
uruvu kaNdu eLLAmai vENdum uruL perum thErkku
achchAni annAr udaiththu.

Meaning:  

Don't scorn a person for his diminutive figure. There are people in the world who are like the linchpin of the big rolling car.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'payaNiyin mIdhu paridhApam' by the same author.) 

Verse 668 (Soon)
Verse 666

1148. Yamuna's Decision

"They say things about me, knowing well that I am near them, with the deliberate intention that I should hear their words" Yamuna told her friend Neela.

"Who are you talking about and what are they saying about you?" asked Neela.

"The girls studying with us. They say that I am secretly in love with Bhaskar."

"Isn't it true?"

"The question is not whether it is true or not. Why should other people gossip about me?"

"Shall I tell you a secret? Many girls studying in our college have a crush on Bhaskar. I know that a few girls expressed their love to Bhaskar. But, 'your man' did not accept their proposal. At the same time, everyone has been seeing how Bhaskar speaks to you in a cheerful and loving way. Those girls who failed in their attempts to win the heart of Bhaskar are jealous of you and are gossiping, linking you and Bhaskar" said Neela.

"But, I don't understand why they gossip in such a way that their gossip would reach my ears. Why do they spread false stories like I have been going to the beach and the movies with Bhaskar?"

"People who indulge in gossip will always exaggerate things. They may even spin stories and make them sound like real happenings. Moreover, being jealous of you, they may believe that if they talk like this, you will feel hurt and shamed and stop moving closely with Bhaskar" said Neela.

"Bhaskar! Aside from talking to each other within the college campus, standing at an open place where people can see us, have we met at any other place outside the college campus?" asked Yamuna. 

"No. Not till now. I have been asking you to come out with me. But, you have been saying 'no.'" said Bhaskar, in a mock tone of accusation.

"I said 'no,' fearing that people would gossip about us. But, even now, people gossip about us and spread a false story that we have been secretly meeting at various places outside the college campus. So, why should I still feel shy of going out with you? Our parents are not going to stand in the way of our love. Why should we be concerned about what other people are going to say?" asked Yamuna.

"Why should we?" said Bhaskar and moved his hand towards Yamuna's shoulder, attempting to touch her.

"Not here. Let us go to a park or the beach" said Yamuna, moving aside, to ward off his touch.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 115
Gossiping by Others

Verse 1148 (in Tamil):
neyyAl eri nudhuppEm enRaRRAl kouvaiyAl
kAmam nudhuppEm enal.

Meaning:

To say that one could extinguish passion by rumour is like saying that one can extinguish fire with ghee.

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

Verse 1149 (Soon)
Verse 1147

666. The Pocket Notebook

Industrialist Sachidanandam, who was invited as the special guest for the anniversary celebrations of the college, began his speech with the words, "Your college has invited me to this function, thinking that I have achieved something in my life. But in reality, I have not achieved much."

The students eagerly waited to hear what he was going to say next.

Sachidanandam took a notebook he had kept on the podium, opened it and displayed the open pages to the audience. "This notebook contains a list of things I wanted to do. I could not do most of the things in this list."

He then took out a small pocket notebook from his shirt pocket and showed it to the audience.

"But, I have done most of the things listed in this notebook. This pocket notebook is the reason for whatever I achieved in my life and my getting invited to this meeting!"

Sachidanandam gave a pause and continued.

"What is the difference between these two notebooks? In the bigger notebook, I have written everything I wanted to do, small and big. I keep adding new things in this notebook almost every day. But, I didn't make any effort to do any of those things. However, I selected a few things from that list, which I considered important, and noted them down in this pocket notebook. I took efforts to do those things and I was able to do most of those things successfully."

Sachidanandam looked at the faces of the students. Noting that they were listening to him with interest, he continued. 

"Thoughts are powerful. You might have heard people say that you can achieve whatever you wish to. Well, we can't get what we want, just by making a wish. But, if we make efforts, we will be able to achieve most of the things we wish to. Our wishes are like the things listed in this big notebook. They will remain only as wishes. Those wishes which we strive to realize by making concerted efforts, with determination, are like the things listed in this pocket notebook. They will be be realized, by the power of our actions."

After Sachidanandam completed his speech, he received a big ovation from the audience, comprising the students of the college, their parents and the college staff.

"I have been noting down the daily milk purchases in a pocket notebook. I need to see how much I have to pay the milkman for this week's supply of milk. I had kept that notebook on the table. Did you see it?" Sachidanandam's wife Bhargavi asked him.

"Oh! I took it, but forgot to put it back on the table" said Sachidanandam, taking out the pocket notebook from his handbag and handing it over to her.

He then took out a big notebook and gave it to her, saying, "This is the notebook in which our son Ramesh has been noting down his ideas for writing stories. I took this also. Put it back on the table."

"Why did you take these two notebooks, while going to a college to deliver a speech? Did you note down points for your speech in these notebooks?" asked Bhargavi, opening the pocket notebook and browsing through it.

I didn't use the two notebooks for making any notes" said Sachidanandam. "In my speech, I wanted to convey a message to the students. If I just mentioned it, they would listen and forget. I thought if I did something dramatic, the message would be deeply impressed in their minds. When I saw these two notebooks lying on the table, an idea struck me. So, I took these two notebooks with me and showcased them, to deliver a powerful message through my speech" said Sachidanandam, with a smile.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 67
Efficiency in Action

Verse 666 (in Tamil):
eNNiya eNNiyAngu eydhuba eNNiyAr
thiNNiyar Agap peRin.

Meaning:

If those who have planned (an undertaking) possess firmness (in executing it), they will obtain what they have desired, the way they have desired it. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'chinna nOttu periya nOttu' by the same author.) 

Verse 667
Verse 665

665. A Letter From the President

"Anbarasan! You are a talented and competent person. I have been paying you well. I can give you a rise too. Don't leave my firm" said Ponnambalam, proprietor of the firm. 

"Sir, I am not leaving this firm for better prospects. You have recognized my competence and hard work and been paying me well. I will always be grateful to you for this. But, I have an ambition to start my own business" said Anbarasan.  

"Starting a business can be easy, but running it will be difficult. Apart from initial investment, you should have the resources to invest more money in the business, to meet the contingencies that may arise during different times, till the time the business starts earning profits. I am telling you this from my own experience."

"I understand your point, sir. But, an opportunity has come my way and I want to make use of it. A small machine shop is coming up for sale. I have inspected the machines. They are in good condition. The machine shop is offered at an attractive price. I propose to buy the machine shop, using my savings. In the beginning, I will be taking up only job works, which won't require investing money on purchase of raw materials. You may also help me by giving me some jobs" said Anbarasan.

"My best wishes to you. I am sure you will succeed in your venture" said Ponnambalam. 

Six months passed since Anbarasan left Ponnambalam's firm, to start his own business. 

One day, Ponnambalam called up Anbarasan over phone and asked him how his business was running.

"Sir, as indicated by you, there are challenges. The income from job work is quite small. It appears that I will be able to earn a fairly good income only by taking up manufacture of components for large industries. But that will require additional investment for purchase of raw materials and for other expenses. I have been thinking how to go about it" said Anbarasan.

"If you want to go for a job again, I can take you back any time. If you are reluctant to work in my firm again, I will recommend you to some other firms known to me."

"Sir! I don't know how I could thank you for your kindness and consideration. But, I am firm in my resolve to continue to run my business, even if I have to struggle for sometime to come" said Anbarasan. 

After a few months, Anbarasan rang up to Ponnambalam and told him, "Sir, recently I secured an order from a large company for manufacturing a component for them. I showed that order to a raw materials supplier, bought materials from the supplier for credit, manufactured the component and delivered it to the company. I will receive payment from the company after a month. After that, I will make the payment to the supplier. Subsequent to that, the supplier will supply materials to me for credit on a regular basis." 

Ponnambalam wished him, saying "Congratulations! You will grow up to become a good industrialist" 

After that, Anbarasan would call up Ponnambalam now and then and appraised him of the developments in his business, including his success stories and challenges.

In course of time, Anbarasan had become a big industrialist. He continued to share the developments in his business with Ponnambalam, even many years after his leaving Ponnambalam's firm. 

Anbarasan read the letter several times with a sense of disbelief and excitement. The letter conveyed the message that the President of India would be honouring fifty people from across the country for their achievements in the industrial front. It also carried an invitation for the function at New Delhi, in which the achievers would be given the awards. Anbarasan was one of the fifty industrialists to be honoured.

Anbarasan dialled Ponnambalam's number for sharing this good news with him. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 67
Efficiency in Action

Verse 665 (in Tamil):
vIRu eydhi mAndAr vinaiththitpam vEndhan kaN
URu eydhi uLLappadum.

Meaning:  

Dynamic deeds of a doughty person, who has become great by virtue of his firmness and excellence will be acclaimed even by the king.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kudiyarasuth thalaivaridamirundhu oru ahaippu' by the same author.) 

Verse 666
Verse 664

664. The Guide

I have heard my father often say about his friend Sundaram, "Sundaram is a knowledgeable person. He knows how to do various things. If you seek his guidance on any matter, he will show you the correct way."

Since my friend Selvam had a problem relating to his property, I took him to Sundaram, for getting his guidance.

When Selvam explained his problem to Sundaram and asked him whether there was a way to resolve the problem, Sundaram said, "There is a way to do anything."

"Executing a task is similar to going to a place on a top floor of a multistory building. If you want to go to any higher floor, you can take the stairs. If the destination is at the first floor, the number of steps will be small. If it is at the tenth floor, you will have to climb a large number of steps. It will be a tedious exercise. But you can climb. If you can't or don't want to climb the stairs, you can use a facility like a lift or escalator, if it is available. But creating such a facility is expensive. In the same way, if you want to carry out a task with minimal efforts, the process will be expensive. If there are no stairs, you will have to use shortcuts like using a rope to climb up. Not everyone will be able to adopt such shortcuts, either because they can't afford them, or because they won't like to use them. Some of these shortcuts could be illegal or risky. Therefore, before doing any task, if we can prepare a blueprint listing out the steps involved, the tasks involved at each step, the alternative ways available, advantages and disadvantages of different approaches etc, then we can execute the task in a methodical way and achieve the result we want."

After this long explanation, Sundaram came to the problem relating to Selvam's property. 

"Your property matter is somewhat complicated. There are issues like undivided ancestral property, a fairly large number of heirs, new claimants due to the passing away of some people etc. I will tell you what you should do, step by step. Make a note of the steps" said Sundaram and then listed out the steps. 

"It will require time and efforts and it will entail some expenditure. But, if you start doing things in the order mentioned by me, you will be able to complete the task. It may take five or six months for you to complete the process. But, after completing the process, you will have the satisfaction of carrying out an arduous task with perfection, following a systematic approach" said Sundaram.

After listening to Sundaram explain the process by breaking it into detailed steps, Selvam felt confident about doing the task. 

Selvam thanked Sundaram and got up to leave. I also stood up.

"Wait for a while. People who visit me shouldn't leave without having a cup of coffee. My wife is making coffee. But, excuse me. I have to leave now" said Sundaram and left.

After a couple of moments, Mrs. Sundaram came from the kitchen, with a coffee tray on her hands. She greeted me with a smile and said, "How are you? How are your parents?"

"All are fine, auntie!" I said, taking a coffee cup from the tray extended to us by her.

I introduced my friend to her and said, "He is my friend Selvam. There is an issue about his family property. We came to seek Sundaram uncle's advice about how to resolve the issue. Sundaram uncle explained the steps very clearly."

"Yes, auntie. He gave me excellent guidance" said Selvam.

"He will give good advice, alright. But, he cannot do anything for him or for our family" said Mr. Sundaram.

"Why do you say so, auntie?" I asked her, perturbed.

"There is a property in the name of my husband's mother. When she was alive, she announced that she would give that property to my husband. Her other sons - my husband's brothers agreed to abide by her wish. But, she passed away before she could execute a will. The title deeds of the property are still in her name. Only if the title of the property is transferred in my husband's name, he will be able to claim ownership of the property. My husband told me that this could be done by getting a legal heir certificate and then getting a release deed executed by his brothers, relinquishing their share in the property in favour of my husband. His brothers are willing to execute such a relinquishment deed. It has been three years since his mother passed away. But, my husband has been procrastinating on taking steps to get this done. I have lost all hopes of his doing it. I apprehend that the property worth ten lakh rupees may go out of our hand, because of my husband's inaction" said Mrs. Sundaram, her voice showing her concern.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 67
Efficiency in Action

Verse 664 (in Tamil):
solludhal yArkkum eLiya ariyavAm
solliya vaNNam seyal.

Meaning:  

It is easy for a person to say how a task is to be done, but it is difficult for the person to do it the way outlined by him.

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

Verse 665
Verse 663

1147. A Mother's Admonition

"These days, our daughter Vasanthi has been going out quite often!" observed Selvam.

"What if she does? Should she always be confined to home?" countered his wife Amudha.

"You were the one who used to chide Vasanthi, if she was going out somewhere!"

"Well. I wanted to be strict with her as a matter of caution, lest she should go out to meet a boy. Is it not natural for girls of her age to be attracted to boys of her age?"

"Are you speaking from your own experience?" Selvam taunted his wife.

"Yes, of course. That is how I ended up falling in love with you and marrying you! But, I don't want our daughter to get trapped in love. That was why I acted as if I was suspecting that she was going to see a boy, even when I knew that she was not."

"But, why are you allowing her to go out now?"

"By being strict and talking tough to her, I have created a fear in her mind. So, she will be careful. Nowadays, she is going out, only to study together with her friend Kala" said Amudha.

"How are you so sure?" asked Selvam.

Before Amudha could answer Selvam, her neighbour Anjugam came and stood at the doorstep of their house.

"Amudha! I want to talk to you for while, in private" said Anjugam. 

Amudha took Anjugam to an adjoining room. After a few minutes, Anjugam left.

After Anjugam had left, Selvam asked Amudha, "What did she say, Amudha? You look upset."

"Vasanthi has been deceiving me. She told me that she was going to her friend Kala's house, for studying the lessons together with her. But she has been going to meet her lover. Some people in our town have seen Vasanthi with a young man and been gossiping about it. This gossip has reached Anjugam's ears. She came here to tell me about it" said Amudha, feeling perturbed. 

"First, you admonished our daughter. Now, other people have begun to gossip. Hereafter, her love will grow well!" aid Selvam.

"How can you talk so irresponsibly?" asked Amudha, annoyed.

"Admonition by parents and gossiping by other people are like watering the plant of love and applying fertilizer to it. Just as you chose your life partner when you were a young girl, our daughter is in the process of choosing her life partner. What is there for us to be perturbed about it? The only thing for us to do is to ascertain whether the boy is good and if he is, get her married to him" said Selvam, smiling. 

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 115
Shedding Shyness

Verse 1147 (in Tamil):
Uravar kouvai eruvAga annai sol
nIrAga nILum innOy.

Meaning:

This malady (of lust) is manured by the talk of women and watered by the (harsh) words of my mother.

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

Verse 1148
Verse 1146

663. Why Didn't You Tell Me?

"How long are you going to continue in this job? Will you not try for a better job?"

This was a question often posed to Nandakumar by his friends.

This question came from his mother also.

"You were a bright student when you were studying in the school and the college. I used to feel proud hearing your friends say, 'Nandakumar is the most intelligent student in our class. Those friends have got good jobs in reputed companies. But, you have been working in a small firm for a low salary. And, you have not been trying for a better job. I feel very much disappointed" his mother Tripurasundari would often lament.

"I have been making efforts" Nandakumar would say. 

"I have not seen you attending job interviews!"

"Nowadays, job interviews are held online. I don't have to attend interviews in person."

"If you have been attending interviews, why is that you have still not got a good job?"

"I will get, mom. Be a little patient."

"Bless me, mon. I am going to start my own business" said Nandakumar, touching his mother's feet, in reverence.

"Really! All of a sudden, you are telling me someyhing incredible. Where will you get the money to invest?" asked Tripurasundari. 

"Mom! Even while studying in the college, I developed a process for manufacturing a new product. After getting my degree, I spoke to some reputed businessmen about my proposal. But, they didn't show any interest in it. 

"Then I began to search for a job. When I went for an interview in the firm I am now working, I told the proprietor of the firm about my idea. He was impressed by my presentation. He offered to invest the capital for setting up a unit to manufacture the product developed by me. The proposal was that he would start a company investing the required capital. I would run the company as the Managing Director. I would get a salary plus 30% share in the profit. 

"But he said that before setting up the new company, we should manufacture the product in a small scale and test it in the market. If the consumers accepted the product, then we would set up the new unit. It would take one or two years for this process.  

"So, he suggested that I could be working in his firm for salary and engage myself in setting up a pilot plant to manufacture this product. He told me that in case we didn't succeed, I could go for some other job. 

"Accordingly, for the past one year, I have been working in that firm and engaged myself in setting up a pilot plant to manufacture the product. We successfully set up the plant, manufactured the product and supplied it to a few customers. They are highly satisfied about the product. Therefore, we are now going to set up a new company and manufacture the product in a big scale. Your son has now become the Managing Director!"

"I can't believe my ears, but I feel overwhelmed with joy" said Tripurasundari, hugging her son. "But, why didn't you tell me about this earlier? You have been deceiving me saying that you are working in a small firm for a modest salary" she added, somewhat grudgingly.

"Pardon me, mom! When my friends kept grilling me about my not trying to go for a better job, I found it very difficult to give them a convincing reply. But, I was determined not to speak about my project, till it reached a stage of certainty. If I had told people about my project, they would have advised me to give up this arrangement, get a good job and settle in life. You also would have advised me the same way. I might have yielded to this kind of persuasion, given up the project and taken up a good job. I controlled myself with great difficulty to keep my activity a secret, till I achieved success. It is this approach that enabled me to succeed in implementing my idea and make you happy, by surprising you with my success story" said Nandakumar.  

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 67
Efficiency in Action

Verse 663 (in Tamil):
kadaikkotkach chey thakkadhu ANmai idaikkotkin
eRRA vizhumam tharum.

Meaning:  

Determination in accomplishing a task requires not revealing your plan to others, till the task is completed. If it is announced beforehand, obstacles may arise impeding its completion.

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

Verse 664
Verse 662

662. The Inauguration Function

The excitement felt by Nagarajan, when he received the order posting him as the Manager of a new branch of the firm was dampened, when the General Manager apprised him of the task before him.

Nagarajan had to immediately leave for the small town in Andhra Pradesh where the branch was to be opened, search for a suitable place for housing the office, arrange to get it rented to the company, make the interior structures needed for the office and get the office ready to be opened within two months.

Nagarajan's initial feeling of excitement and enthusiasm was replaced by concerns about the challenge hat arose from the enormousness of the task.

Nagarajan began to ponder how he would be able to accomplish the task, by making all the arrangements required, when he was handicapped by not being familiar with the language spoken at the place.

"This is our first branch in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Since our Chairman hails from that state, he is naturally taking a personal interest in this matter. He told me that he would come and inaugurate the branch" said the General Manager.

An idea occurred to Nagarajan. 

"Sir, I am not conversant with Telugu, the language spoken in that state. Can I take Mr. Ranganatham with me. His mother tongue being Telugu, he will be able to help me in communicating with the people there, during the time I make the arrangements. He can come back here, after the branch is opened" Nagarajan suggested to the General Manager. 

After reflecting for a minute, the General Manager, "I thought I would ask you to appoint some local person, for helping you in making the arrangements and subsequently make him a regular employee of the branch, if he was found suitable. However, if Mr. Ranganatham is willing, you can take him with you. I will issue the office order."

After some initial hesitation, Ranganatham accepted Nagarajan's request. Ranganatham was senior to Nagarajan. But, he was not interested in getting promoted and assuming more responsibility. So, he had no grudge about Nagarajan being promoted a Branch Manager. He had no problems in working under Nagarajan, in making arrangements for opening the new branch. 

After reaching the town, Nagarajan took up residence in a hotel along with Ranganatham and started his work. With the help of Ranganathan, who was fluent in the local language, Nagarajan scouted for and selected a building for housing the office, in a week's time.

When he informed the news of having selected a building to the General Manager over phone, the General Manager said, "Okay. We need to enter into a lease agreement with the owner of the building. Before that, we have to verify the ownership of the building, with the help of our legal adviser. Get the documents relating to the ownership of the building and send them to me. I will get the documents verified by our legal adviser."

"Sir, if you don't mind, this process will take a long time. If you can ask the legal adviser to come here, this job can be got done in two days" said Nagarajan.

The General Manager accepted his suggestion.

"You get things done! First you got me to help you, by requesting the General Manager to send me along with you. Now, you have convinced him to send the legal adviser here, to scrutinize the documents!" said Ranganatham, appreciatively.

"Sir, whatever task we do, we should do it efficiently. If the legal adviser scrutinizes the original documents and approves the title, there won't be any problem in future. We should do things in time and we should do them right, ensuring that there are no mistakes. Now, let us find suitable people for carrying out the internal structures in the office and installing furniture and fixtures" said Nagarajan.  

One week before the office was to be opened, Nagarajan arranged for a banner about the inauguration of the office fixed at the entrance of the building, displaying the message, both in English and in the local language Telugu.

"Why are we fixing the banner now? Will it not suffice, if it is fixed one day before the inauguration of the office?" asked Ranganatham. 

"People walking on the street will look at the banner. It is written 'All are welcome' both in English and in Telugu. Reading it, some people may attend the inauguration function, out of curiosity. Even today, within a few hours of our fixing the banner, a few people came in and enquired about the nature of our business."

"That is fine. But it is written '11:30 - Tea.' Are we going to serve tea to the visitors? Can we afford to spend money for such purposes?"

"I have seen that tea and snacks being served during a function entices people to attend that function. After all, how many people are going to attend the function? The number is not likely to exceed one hundred. I have asked the nearby restaurant to bring coffee and tea for one hundred people. We will also buy one hundred small biscuit packets, costing three rupees each. If we offer biscuit with tea or coffee to the people attending the function, they will be happy. The expenses will be within the budget. Have we not been exercising prudence, while spending money at every stage?" said Nagarajan.  

Though it was Nagarajan who was planning and executing every step, his including Ranganathan, who was mostly playing the role of an interpreter, by using the word 'we' made Rangantham feel proud and gratified.

Nagarajan got five thousand copies of a notice about the inauguration of the branch printed and distributed them in the town. 

Learning that the column 'Today's Events' appearing in a local daily was read by many readers, he arranged, through an ad agency, a paid announcement to be placed under that column in the issue of the paper that would come out the morning of the inauguration day.

When Nagarajan went through the paper the morning of the inauguration day, he was shocked to find that the advertisement had not been published. 

He called up the office of the newspaper and raised the issue. The person who answered the call said nonchalantly that sometimes, some advertisements might have been left out due to lack of space and that the newspaper would refund the charges collected by it. 

"What is the use of their giving us a refund? We were hoping that a lot of people would see the advertisement and attend the function. When the Chairman comes to inaugurate office, if the crowd is very thin, we will be cutting a sorry figure" Nagarajan lamented.

"Leave it, Nagarajan! You did everything with meticulous planning and careful execution. You and I are not responsible for the lapse on the part of the newspaper. We have already spread the message to a number of people. Whatever be the attendance, we have to accept it. What can we do at this stage?" said Ranganatham.

"Now, it is 9 a.m. The Chairman will arrive only after 11 a.m. Fortunately, he is going to his native place and from there, he will be coming here by car. So, we don't have to go to any place to receive him. We still have about two hours. Let us think what we can do to gather more people" said Nagarajan.

"The only thing we can do at this stage is to stand in the middle of the road and solicit people to attend the function!" quipped Ranganatham.

"Wonderful idea!" said Nagarajan, snapping his fingers in excitement. "We still have some copies of the notice printed by us, don't we?"

"Yes. We have about five hundred copies."

"Give them to me. I will stand on the main road, choose prospects that could attend the function from among the people passing by, give the notices to them and request them to attend. At least a few people could attend!"

"What is this, Nagarajan? You are the Branch Manager. You are going to stand on the road and distribute the notices!" asked Ranganaham, with surprise. 

"Sir! First, the branch has to be inaugurated. Only after that, I will be the Branch Manager. Hold the fort for me for some time. I will distribute the notices and come back" said Nagarajan, smiling.

"The inauguration function took place in a grand manner. You did a great job. Your efforts didn't go waste. More than a hundred people attended the function. Our Chairman was very happy about the large turnout. I have no doubt that you will run this branch exceptionally well" said Ranganatham, overwhelmed with pride and joy. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 67
Efficiency in Action

Verse 662 (in Tamil):
URu orAl uRRa pin olgAmai ivviraNdin
ARu enbar Ayndhavar kOL.

Meaning:  

Doing a task flawlessly, and not getting putout if glitches develop, is the path shown by the learned.

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

Verse 663
Verse 661

661. Mr. Dynamic!

Paranthaman, a departmental manager in his firm, was called Mr. Dynamic, by the people working in the firm. His colleagues were amazed by the excitement, enthusiasm and energy, showed by him in carrying it out his tasks. Propelled by his dynamism, people would often unconsciously accept his commands and suggestions.

Kannan, Paranthaman's colleague and a close friend once told him, "If I say something, even my assistant doesn't pay heed. But, in your case, even the General Manager listens to you, as if you were his boss!" 

When a vacancy arose for the position of a Deputy General Manager in the firm, it was to be filled by elevating one of the four departmental managers to that position. 

While, it was widely expected that Patanthaman would be promoted to that position, another departmental manager Ramamurthy was selected to fill in the position. 

Paranthaman was shocked by the development.

"Why did they they choose Ramamurthy over me?" he lamented to Kannan. "Ramamurthy is known to be passive. But they have chosen him over me, a person considered a dynamic executive by everyone in our firm. Our General Manager is known for his fairness and neutrality. Perhaps, he acted as per the wishes of the Chairman." 

"No. This was the decision of the General Manager" said Kannan.

"How do you know?"

"The General Manager himself told me!" said Kannan, reluctantly.

"He told you! When? Why should he talk to you about this?" asked Paranthaman, with surprise.

"Soon after the promotion of Ramamurthy as the Deputy General Manager was announced yesterday, the General Manager called me to his cabin. He said, "Kannan! Paranthaman not getting this promotion could be as much shocking to you as it will be to your friend. The reason for Paranthaman not getting the promotion is his performance, or his lack of performance, to be more precise. Though he appears to be dynamic and enthusiastic, there is a problem about him. He doesn't complete the tasks taken up by him. He will take up an activity with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. But, before completing that task, he will become diverted to some other issue. As a result, many of the tasks taken up by him remain unfinished. From the management's perspective, we will look at the outcomes, not the action. I brought this problem to the notice of Paranthaman, several times. He assured me that he would complete the task, but most often, won't. His attention is diverted towards many things. He lacks focus. Displaying dynamism by taking up a task with enthusiasm and taking quick action serves no purpose, if the task is not taken to its logical conclusion. Ramamurthy is calm and he doesn't appear excited, outwardly. But he concentrates on doing a job and completes it efficiently. So, he has been able to show results in a much better way than Paranthaman. That was the reason for his getting selected for promotion. Paranthaman has not understood his shortcoming, despite my talking to him about it, several times. Since you are his riend, I think he will understand his problem better, if you talk to him about it. If he becomes aware of his fault, corrects himself and learns to complete the tasks undertaken by him, by having his focus on them, he will be able to come up well in his career. He is knowledgeable and talented, no doubt. But, if a person's actions are not efficient, his talents won't help him. Make him understand this. Getting the promotion he missed this time at the next opportunity is in his hands.' This is what the General Manager told me."

After a pause, Kannan added, "After listening to him, it appeared to me that there was some truth in what he said."

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 67
Efficiency in Action

Verse 661 (in Tamil):
vinaith thitpam enbadhu oruvan manath thitpam
maRRaiya ellAm piRa.

Meaning:  

Efficiency in action comes from the determination one has in doing the act. Other factors would rank below this.  

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

Verse 662
Verse 660

161. 'The Best Student' Award

The school had a practice of choosing one student from each class at the end of each academic year and award him the title 'The Best Student.'

The criteria for choosing a student as the best student included not only the student's academic performance, but also other factors like discipline, punctuality, number of days of attendance, remaining calm and peaceful both inside and outside the classroom, respecting the teachers and other students, special talents etc.

After the class teacher selected one student from his class as the best student, the name of the best student would be announced by the headmaster of the school during the prayer assembly. 

As far as 7-B was considered, it was the general expectation of all the students that Sridhar would be chosen for the award. 

Apart from the fact that Sridhar was ahead of other students in all the criteria stipulated for the selection, another factor known to everyone was that the class teacher Gurumurthy had a special liking for Sridhar. The other students were aware that the class teacher developed a special liking towards Sridhar, only because of Sridhar's good qualities. Even other students liked Sridhar. 

But, to the surprise of every one, the head master announced during the prayer assembly that Vadivel was chosen as the best student of
7-B.

Since Sridhar's classmates had been repeatedly telling him that he was sure to be chosen for the award, the announcement came as a disappointment to Sridhar. 

Two days after the award was announced, Gurumurthy, who handled the first period, told Sridhar, after the class was over, "Come and meet me at the Teachers' room during the lunch break."

When Sridhar met Gurumurthy during the lunch break, Gurumurthy asked him, "Are you disappointed that you were not selected the best student of your class?"

"No, sir" said Sridhar and added. "Vadivel is a very good student too."

"Though you say you are not disappointed, I know that you feel hurt that you have not been selected. As everyone expected, I should have chosen you for this award. But, I deliberately chose Vadivel, instead." 

Sridhar looked at his teacher, with a feeling of surprise and disbelief. 

"But, I did so, only for your own good. You have many good traits. But you also have an undesirable quality. I did so only to help you drive out that undesirable quality."

"What is that quality, sir?" asked Sridhar, perplexed.

"Jealousy!" said Gurumurthy. 

"Sir! I am not jealous of anyone" said Sridhar.

"You may think so, but you do have this quality. I have observed it. If some student scores better than you in a subject in a test, you become upset. The feeling of unhappiness will be writ large on your face. Most of the times, you had been the top scorer. You had won many prizes and awards for academic performance. Yet, occasionally, if some other receives an award, you will be put out. Anyone looking at your face will be able to see your face reflecting your discomfort.

"The important trait anyone should possess is being free from jealousy. Jealousy will destroy the good qualities of a person. In life, you may have to face a variety of situations. At any stage in our life, there will always be some people above us on certain aspects. Some of these people may be more deserving than us. But, there will also be times when people who are less intelligent, less educated, less competent or less experienced than us may overtake us, due to luck or some other factors. We should learn to accept these developments. Taking my own example, I may feel that some teachers who are not as good as me have got better recognition than me. I have learnt to accept such situations as realities of life and move on with my own goals for my development and progress.

"Your entire focus should be on your own progress. It is natural for us to be jealous of people who overtake us. But, we should strive to overcome the feeling of jealousy. Just now you said, 'Vadivel is a very good student too.' I know that you said it to show that you were not jealous and that it didn't come from your heart. You should learn to really think like that. This will come by practice. If you start repeating this thought in your mind, soon you will begin to believe it. After all, Vadivel is really good, isn't he?

"The things I am telling you now may not be readily acceptable by you. You may not even understand the meanings of my words fully. But I am saying these with the hope that these ideas will be stored in some part of your mind and will surface and come to your help, at appropriate times in future. Just remember this. If you have jealousy, other good traits possessed by you will be of no use to you. I am confident that you will be able to overcome your quality of jealousy soon and learn to accept results, even if you find them unjust or unfair. Now, you may go to your class" said Gurumurthy. 

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 17
Bearing No Envy

Verse 161 (In Tamil)

ozhukku ARAk koLga oruvan than nenjaththu
azhukkARu ilAdha iyalbu.

Meaning:

One should make not having envy as a righteous way of life.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'siRandha mANavan' by the same author)

Verse 162
Verse 160

660. In the Wink of an Eye

"I had given an advertisement online for selling my car. Someone rang me up on seeing the advertisement. We negotiated over the phone and arrived at a price. He sent me an image to my mobile phone and asked me to scan it with my mobile. He said that it was called the QR code and that if I scanned the code, he would be able to see my bank details and transfer the money to my bank. He said that he would take delivery of the car the next day" said Mahadevan.

The police inspector from cyber crimes who was listening to Mahadevan's complaint laughed and said, "He was telling you the truth! Once you had scanned the code sent by him, he would have known your bank details, including your password. Then he wiped your account clean. How much money did you lose?"

"Twenty eight lakh rupees."

"Why did you keep such a large sum in your account?"

"I would normally keep a few lakh rupees in my account, for the day-to-day expenses of my business. A few days back, a fixed deposit kept by me got matured and about twenty lakh rupees were deposited in my savings account. I had planned to reinvest the sum, in the next few days. But, all the money has gone in the wink of an eye. How did this happen? How was the amount transferred from my account, without my getting an OTP* in my mobile and verifying it. The bank says that the transfer took place, only after verification of the OTP" said Mahadevan.

"This new kind of fraud called QR scam has been hitting people, since recently. We are still investigating how this fraud is being executed. The scammer would have learnt all the details about your bank account, like the name of the bank, account number, balance and your password. He would have transferred the amount from your account to one of his untraceable accounts immediately. In all probability, you would have received an OTP at your mobile phone. You might not have noticed it or you might have ignored it, thinking that it was an error, since you didn't initiate any transaction. The message carrying the OTP would automatically have been forwarded to the scammer's mobile. He would have verified the OTP and completed the transfer" explained the inspector.

"Can you not trace the account to which the money was transferred and recover the money?"

"These scammers would have opened accounts in a number of banks, giving false details supported by forged identity documents. They would transfer the amount to some of their other accounts, immediately after getting the credit. By the time we trace the chain of transfers, the scammer would have moved away and started a new scam. If he is smart, he would stop the activity, after earning some money and destroy all evidences, without leaving any trace. Even if we could catch him, the chances of your getting your money back are extremely low. We keep cautioning people, by bringing these kinds of scams to the notice of people. But, many people like you don't pay attention to our messages and keep getting scammed. By the way, what is the business you are engaged in?"

"I am a commission agent" said Mahadevan, somewhat reluctantly.

"Why are you so reluctant to mention your business? You should feel proud about doing a business, however small and earning money in an honest way, unlike these scammers who make money by cheating others."

'But, I didn't earn money in an honest way. I take residence in a small place, convince some small businessmen that I could procure them loans at low interest, collect a few thousand rupees from them as a retainer and abscond from that place. I then go to some other place and repeat this process. The money I lost to the scammer was earned that way. I had been carrying on this 'business' at various places, emboldened by the belief that people who were cheated by me won't go to the police, since each of them lost only a few thousand rupees. I have shown the money earned by my scheme, as money earned from commission agency. But, what I had accumulated little by little over the years has been entirely swindled from me by a scammer, much bigger and smarter than me" reflected Mahadevan.

*OTP - One Time Password sent to a mobile number for verifying the authenticity of a transaction.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 66
Purity in Action

Verse 658 (in Tamil):
salaththAl poruL seydhE mArththal pasu maN
kalaththuL nIr pey thirI aRRu.

Meaning:

Earning money through deceit and protecting such ill-gotten wealth

is like storing water in a fresh unbaked mud pot.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'vandha vazhiyum senRa vazhiyum' by the same author.) 

Verse 661
Verse 659