604. Father's Ceremony

"It is common for people like me, who are born poor and deprived of education and who can't find means to earn money in an honest way, to indulge in theft, for survival. One should be lucky to carry on, without getting caught. But, I was caught and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. What crime did you committee?" Satya asked Manickam, his co-prisoner.

Manickam did not reply.

"People like him belong to a different category. He is not someone who would be involved in activities like picking pockets, house-breaking etc. He looks like a gentleman" said Sekar, another prisoner. 

Other prisoners laughed, enjoying Sekar's wry humour.

"Did you commit what is called a white collar crime?" asked another prisoner, who was a little educated.

Manickam quietly listened to the chat, keeping his chin down.

Manickam's mother who came to the prison to see him, cried, lamenting, "Why did you bring yourself to this state?"

After conversing with Manickam for a few minutes on some general topics, she said, "Your father's ceremony falls next week. After he had passed away, we have been performing his ceremony every year, following the traditional practice by engaging a purohit* and observing the formalities. We won't be able to perform the ceremony this year."

Manickam thought about his father. What a noble person was he! What great esteem had he commanded among the people of his village!

The goodwill earned by Manickam's father had been a great asset to Manickam. But Manickam did nothing to sustain it or even take advantage of it. For a long time after his father's death, Manickam did not take up any job, due to sheer lethargy. It was only after his family's financial situation became so bad that he had to go for a job and earn an income for survival that he began to look for a job. He was able to get only a job with a modest salary.

Finding that his salary was inadequate to meet the family's needs, Manickam, in a desperate moment, forged the signature of his proprietor and attempted to draw money from the bank. But he was caught, while trying to encash the cheque, arrested and slapped a prison sentence.

Listening to his mother's lament about their not being able to perform his father's annual ceremony, Manickam told himself, 'My inability to perform my father's annual ceremony is not a severe fault, compared to my betraying his legacy through my act of bringing disrepute to his name.

*purohit is a person well-versed in scriptures, who is engaged for performing religious ceremonies. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 604 (in Tamil):
kudi mdindhu kuRRam perugum madi madindhu
mAnDa ujnaRRilavarkku.

Meaning:

If a person yields to laziness and fails to put forth efforts, the reputation of his family will be destroyed and faults will increase.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thadaippattup pOna sadangu' by the same author.) 

Verse 605
Verse 603

603. The Meaning of the Emperor's Words

"Your Majesty! You have  expanded your kingdom to a large extent, outperforming your ancestors. Your name will definitely be engraved in the annals of history" said Minister Mazhavaroyar.

"Minister! History is an ongoing phenomenon. Not only the past, but also the future, will be recorded in history" said King Suryakeerthi.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But, what about it?" 

"Nothing" said Suryakeerthi, staring at a remote spot on the ceiling. 

The Minister looked at the King with the mixed feelings of perplexity and concern.

The Minister observed that despite conquering several kingdoms and establishing himself as an Emperor, King Suryakeerthi, of late, appeared to be concerned about something. The King often revealed his concerns through cryptic remarks.

The Minister was unable to discern the reasons for the King's concerns. He was also reluctant to ask the King what he was concerned about. He hoped that someday, the King himself would share his concerns with him. 

But, that day never arrived. King Suryakeerthi passed away. 

"Your Majesty! Your late father conquered some countries and made them a part of our country. In the case of some other countries, he allowed the kings of those countries to continue to be the rulers, but made them our subjugates. They were required to pay a part of the tax money collected by them to us. They have been doing so. Your father would often visit those countries, meet the people and interact with them. Citizens of those countries loved your father so much that they did not consider him a conqueror, but a benign emperor, having power over their kings. It is my suggestion that like your father, you also visit those countries, meet the people and interact with them. Such visits will ensure that the bond your father ha established with those people remains intact" Mazhavaroyar told the new king Veeraman.

"I don't see any need for such visits, Minister. There are officials at local levels, looking after the administration and fulfilling the needs of people. That is enough" said Veeraman.

Mazhavaroyar thought that he would broach the subject again, after some time. But, when he did, Veeraman gave the same reply.

Veeraman chose to confine himself to the palace and enjoy life, by indulging in exotic food, drinks and the company of women.

"Your Majesty! Some of the kings in our empire have been creating trouble, by being defiant and defaulting on the payments to be made to us. There are also some disturbances in some regions within our country. If you visit those places once, meet the people, listen to their grievances and assure them that their grievances will be looked into, people will give up their protests. In the same way, if you visit the countries whose kings are creating problems and talk to the kings, they will become compliant" said Mazhavaroyar.

"If the king has to personally attend to everything, why do we have the officials? And why do I have you as the Minister?" asked Veeraman nonchalantly and retired to his chamber.

Mazhavaroyar realized that expecting Veeraman to safeguard the country would be foolish. 

'I should make all efforts I could, within my powers and strive to bring things under control. Otherwise, the empire created by Suryamurthy may perish even during the time of his son' thought the Minister.

He recalled the cryptic words of the late King, "Not only the past, but also the future will get recorded in history."

The meaning of the King's words began to unravel in the mind of Mazhavaroyar. Suryamurthy had made that statement, only because he had known about his son's lazy attitude and passive nature. That was why he was concerned.

Suryamurthy made that statement out of his concern that the empire created by him could wither away during the tenure of his son. That was the meaning of his remark that the future developments would also be a part of history. 

The Minister began to worry that Suryamurthy's fears could become true.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 603 (in Tamil):
madi madik kondu ozhugum pEdhai piRandha
kudi madiyum thanninum mundhu.

Meaning:

The fool who lives clutching the fatal indolence,

will see his family’s demise before his own.

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

Verse 604
Verse 602

139. "I Wish Him Well"

"You gave a new lease of life to that urchin, who, orphaned by his parents, was roaming on the streets, by giving him a job and enabled him to earn a decent income and live a dignified life. For the past several years, he had been working for you with sincerity and dedication. Now, he has quit the job, without even telling you and started a business in competition with your business. Are you going to allow him to get away with this treachery?" burst out Sundari, giving vent to her anger and frustration.

Sabhapathy did not say anything.

"For his act of ungratefulness, I want him to..."

"Don't curse him" interrupted Sabhapathy. "May he be happy!" 

"We should at least condemn a person who betrayed us, in strong words. That will give us some satisfaction!" said Sundari.

"The hallmark of a good person is not to use words intending harm to others" said Sabhapathy.

"What do you mean? We may decide not to punish a person who has wronged us. But should we not give vent to our anger? That's what will make us feel better."

"It is a wrong approach."

"What you say is strange. Some people will use abusive words against a person who has wronged them. Dignified people won't use abusive language. But they will curse the traitor, saying things like, 'he will pay the price for this,' 'he will be punished by God for what he did to me' etc. It is natural for people to react this way."

"Using harsh words amounts to punishing ourselves."

"How can it be?"

"In our mythology, there are stories of sages who attained extraordinary powers through long years of penance. But if they cursed someone, their powers would get diminished. This is what we see in several mythological stories. Now, what is cursing? Cursing is using words intending harm to others. Doesn't the sages' suffering loss of power, when they cursed other people, indicate that this resulted from their lack of discipline and propriety? Is this not a punishment the sages inflicted on themselves, by slipping on their discipline and code of propriety?"

Sundari did not answer her husband.

After a few months, there was news of a person running a chit fund having absconded with the money deposited by the subscribers to various chit fund schemes. Sundari had subscribed to a scheme promoted by him and deposited fifty thousand rupees over a period. When she heard the news, she was shocked. The grief resulting from losing a large amount of money made her feel angry towards the person who had cheated her. She began to curse him with the words, "May he suffer from...." But immediately, she changed her thought and murmured "I wish him well."

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 139 (In Tamil)

ozhukkam udaiyavarkku ollAvE thIya
vazhukkiyum vAyAl solal.

Meaning:

Those who practice propriety will not utter harmful words even inadvertently. 

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

Verse 140
Verse 138

602. Nandan's Plans

"What did our MD say?" Sukumar asked General Manager Prabhu, who had just been to the Managing Director's cabin.

Prabhu was designated General Manager of the small firm because of his seniority. But he was nearly at the same level as were the other employees of the firm.

"Everyday he comes out with some new plans. I don't know how he expects them to be implemented. Listening to him, my head reels!" said Prabhu.

"He expects you to carry out his plans, doesn't he?"

"He doesn't say so. I think he wants to share his ideas with someone and makes use of me as a receptacle for his thoughts. But, I am worried."

"Why?"

"I don't have the expertise or competence to carry out his ideas. If he thinks that I am not good enough to bring his ideas into fruition, he may replace me!"

"It won't happen. You have been working in this firm from the time of his father. If you feel insecure, what will be the state of people like me?"

"His father was an achiever. He quit a well-paying job and started this firm. He faced several challenges and obstacles. But he overcame all the obstacles through his dedication, hard work and perseverance and made his firm to grow to the present level. Since the business had been firmly grounded by him, our firm has been functioning smoothly like a lubricated machine. Our business runs almost on auto pilot. Even if we don't do anything, the business will keep running. We just need to execute the orders we keep receiving. And cash will keep flowing in. But, our MD seems to think that he has to make his own contribution to the business."

"If my father had left me a business like this, I would be sitting pretty, collecting the cash that keeps coming and enjoying my life" said Sukumar, with a sigh.

"Mr. Prabhu! I have been talking to you about my ideas for making our business grow further. What do you think of them?" asked Managing Director Nandan.

"Sir, your ideas are amazing. But, I am not sure whether we have the setup to carry out those ideas" said Prabhu. After some hesitation, he added, "Are we not doing well, already?"

"On both counts, you are right. It is true that we have been doing well. My father had built up the business and taken it to such a level that I can just sit tight and watch the business run on its own. But, should we not emulate our parents? I think it is not enough, if we just enjoy what they have left for us. So, I have been thinking of ways to expand our business and sharing my ideas with you."

Prabhu kept quiet, not being sure how to respond to this.

"But, as you rightly said, we don't have the setup to carry out my ideas. We cannot execute my plans with the setup we have. So, I have decided to create a new setup. As the first step, I am going to  appoint a Project Manager."

Prabhu was waiting with bated breath to listen to what the Managing Director was going to say further.

"But the new setup should not disturb the existing setup. So, I propose to create a new division headed by the Project Manager I will be appointing. We will construct a new building adjacent to the existing building. The new division will function from there. That way, the new division will not have any link with the existing division being managed by you. But, I need to make some changes in your division too."

Prabhu began to worry how the changes proposed by the Managing Director would affect him.

"Though you have been designated General Manager, you don't even have a cabin. So, I will create a cabin for you. I will also delegate specific powers to you, to enable you to function independently to carry out your responsibilities. You can suggest creating positions under you that could function as responsibility centres. What do you say?"

"Your vision to take this firm created by your father to higher levels is laudable, sir" said Prabhu.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 602 (in Tamil):
madiyai madiyA ozhugal kudiyaik
kudiyAga vENdubhavar.

Meaning:

Those who you wish to make their clan reputed will kill laziness.

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

Verse 603
Verse 601

601. Library Assistant

"The groom's family has been a wealthy family, since several generations. The family has tremendous goodwill in the village. If you ask anyone in the village about the family, they will say, 'you can't see such nice people anywhere.' We should be lucky to give our daughter in marriage to a boy from that family" said Ayyaswamy.

"Oh, good! What is the groom doing?" asked his wife Lakshmi. 

"The boy is educated. But he is not working. His parents are no more. He has a lot of properties. So, he has been looking after his properties, by residing in the village" replied Ayyaswamy.

He then turned to his daughter Thangam and asked her, "What is your opinion about this match?"

Thangam said, "You know what is good for me, dad."

Three months passed since Thangam married Dhandapani and came to live in his house in the village. She observed that her husband was mostly staying at home.

Thangam asked Dhandapani, "Should you not be going to our fields and supervising the farming operations going on there?"

"There is no need. I have leased out my lands. The tenants will carry out the operations and give us our share in the harvest. Our job is to just to receive the paddy and store it in the bins. In fact, I won't be bringing home our entire share of the paddy. I will bring only the quantity needed by us for our food. The tenant will sell the remaining quantity to paddy merchants and give me the sale proceeds in cash" said Dhandapani, proudly.

'It is like someone peeling the banana and feeding it into your month, saving you even the little labour of peeling!' thought Thangam.

"We own a rice mill. You don't go there either" remarked Thangam.

"We have appointed a person to manage the rice mill. He meets me every evening, gives me the day's account and hands over the amount earned that day. Have you not seen him visiting our house every day?"

"Has this been the practice since your grandfather's time?"

"My grandfather was looking after the lands, but there was no rice mill during his time. My father was not interested in farming activities. So, he leased out the lands. He started the rice mill and looked after that business. Since the rice mill business had stabilized during my father's time, I entrusted running the rice mill to a manager" said Dhandapani, feeling proud about his ingenuity.

"Are you going to start any other business?" asked Thangam.

"No. But, why are you asking this question?"

"Your grandfather was looking after the lands. Your father started a rice mill and was looking after it. But you have not been looking after either. That is why I wondered whether you had a plan to start some other business."

"I have been looking after you. Is it not sufficient?" asked Dhandapani, jocularly. 

After a few days, Thangam told Dhandapani, "You know there is a free library in our village."

"Yes. An old lady has been running it. I have visited the library. But I don't have interest in reading books. So, I have not been using the library. The lady has been running it very well. I have often wondered how she has collected so many books and why she has been lending books to people free of cost, spending her own time and money in doing the service. I salute her for doing this service at this age, exerting herself physically."

"Yes. Running the library has been a difficult task for her. When I was talking to her, she said that it would be helpful if someone assisted her in running the library. I intend to go to the library every day and help her in her task" said Thangam.

"What is the need for you to do this? We are not in need of money. She won't be able to offer you a good salary, either" said Dhandapani, surprised by Thangam's idea.

"I won't be working for a salary. I just want to volunteer my services."

"Why? Sitting at home is boring to you! If you feel bored, you can borrow books from the library and read. You can even buy books and read."

After hesitating for a moment, Thangam said, "Our family has a good reputation among the people in this village. Your grandfather kept himself busy by looking after agriculture. Your father started a rice mill and kept himself busy by running it. But, you are not engaged in either activity. If we live an idle life, without engaging ourselves in any activity, the esteem and goodwill we have among the people will get eroded gradually.  Only if we are involved in some activity, will people respect us. Till the time you take up a job or some activity, I propose to engage myself in such activities, to save our respect and esteem from getting faded."

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 601(in Tamil):
kudiyennum kunRA viLakkam madiyennum
mAsUra mAyndhu kedum.

Meaning:

The inextinguishable flame of distinguished ancestry will be put out,

if the filth of sloth starts blocking it

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

Verse 602
Verse 600

600. Trees Grown By the Father.

"You are twenty five years old. But you have still not got yourself a job!" said Thilakam.

"I have been trying" said her son Natarajan.

"I doubt it. I am not not well-educated. Still, I look for job advertisements in the newspapers and suggest the suitable ones to you. But, you apply only for a few of the opportunities I bring to your notice."

"Only I can decide what kind of a job will suit me. I can't apply for all the jobs advertised in the papers and picked by you as suitable to me."

"Why can't you seek the help of influential people known to us for getting a job through their contacts? I referred you to some people. But, you didn't approach them."

"I cannot meet everyone you want me to and beg for his charity" said Natarajan, showing his irritation. He added, "Are we struggling for survival? Are we not living comfortably?"

"We are surviving, alright. But, we can't continue like this, forever. After you get married and your family expands, won't you need a steady income to run your family? Your father died when you were a boy, leaving the responsibility of bringing you up, to me entirely. You will never understand how much I struggled single-handedly, to bring you up.. But, you have the habit of taking things easy. You didn't concentrate on your studies. I saved money for your college education, by being prudent in spending and cutting down many of my needs. But you were not interested in joining a college. You were happy to stop your studies at the school level. Now, you are not making any effort to take up employment. When I think of your future, I am worried. But you don't have even an iota of concern about your future" lashed out Thilakam, pouring out her feelings of anger and frustration.

Upset by his mother's words, Natarajan walked out of the house.

When Thilakam was engaged in nurturing the plants in the garden at her home, Sivakami, a neighbour came there.

"Did your son get a job?" Sivakami asked Thilakam.

"Not yet. He is still searching for a job" replied Thilakam.

Looking at the plants in the garden, Sivakami pointed to one tree and remarked, "This tree has grown up so tall!"

"All these plants were nurtured by my husband. Now they have grown into tall tress" said Thilakam, feeling both proud and nostalgic.

Seeing her son Natarajan step into the house, 'What is the difference between these plants and my son?' wondered Sivakami.

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 60

Possessing Zeal

Verse 600 (in Tamil):

uram oruvarkku uLLa veRukkai ahdhu illAr
maram makkaLAdhalE vERu.

Meaning:

Abundant zeal is one's strength. People, devoid of this are trees in the form of human beings. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'appA vaLarththa marangaL' by the same author.) 

Verse 601
Verse 599

599. The Man Who Came From Nowhere

Murugan started his campaign in that small village.

He landed at the nearby town and stayed in a small hotel in that town. He travelled by a bus and reached the village.

After alighting from the bus, Murugan went to a tea shop near the bus. Sipping a glass of tea, he began conversing with the people dining at that restaurant.

They listened to his talk with amazement. The owner of the tea shop also listened to him with interest.

While paying for the tea, Murugan spoke a few words to the owner of the tea shop. The tea shop owner listened to him and nodded his head, somewhat reluctantly.

Murugan then got into a bus and went back to the town, where he had taken a hotel room.

When Murugan came to the village again at 6 o' clock in the evening, about twenty people were standing near the bus stop, waiting for his arrival.

Murugan exchanged a few words with them and went along with them. 

They led Murugan to a broad street in that village. About fifty people had assembled there already.

Murugan stood before them and began to address them. A person, sitting on the pial of a house nearby, told him, "Please sit on this pial and speak. Then only, people will be able to look at you."

Accepting his invitation, Murugan sat on the pial and began to speak.

"Good evening! My name is Murugan. I don't belong to this village, but I am a citizen of this country. I have taken the liberty of visiting this village, considering that you are also citizens of this country and that the issues I am about to discuss with you are also issues of concern to you.

"The person who won from this constituency was elected by legislators belonging to his part, to lead this country. He has been holding the top office for the past four and a half years. He has not done any good to people, but has been successfully deceiving people. 

"If someone questions him about his commissions and omissions, he and his supporters pounce on that person like a ton of brick, attack him and spin a web of false allegations against him. The man elected to lead this country uses his authority to imprison his critics on the basis of flimsy or fabricated charges. He has made it a habit to characterize his critics as anti-national elements.

"Whenever he faces strong opposition from people, he creates divisions among people, by spreading hatred through false propaganda. He eventually overcomes such opposition, by diverting people's attention to issues created by his false propaganda.

"The opposition parties, who have the duty to oppose his tyrannical ways, for some reason, act timidly and often waver in their stands. As a result, the leader is becoming stronger and stronger. It is widely believed that he is going to win the next election too!

"Some sections of the media purchased by him and other sections intimidated by him have been covering up his failures and wrongdoings and singing his praise, extolling his imaginary achievements.

"When unjust things happen in a society and we allow such things to continue, great harm will be caused to the society. The society also has to carry the shame for silently suffering the atrocities, without displaying the courage and wisdom to resist them.

"I believe that our society should not suffer such a shame. I am sure that there are many among you, who feel the same way as me. I think it is my duty to make people, who don't feel this way, understand what is happening around them and what its consequences are going to be. Once they understand this, they will also join the ranks of people who want to put an end to this disgraceful situation. 

"This man made an entry into the public sphere quietly like a cat. Today, he has morphed himself into an elephant that has turned rogue The wild elephant is now pushing people around and crushing people who resist its arrogance, under its feet 

"There is an eternal question as to who should bell the cat. Rats not having the courage to bell the cat, foe fear of being caught and killed by the cat is understandable. Bur a lion or tiger should not fear the elephant. Many people amongst us have been living in fear, like rats. We are not rats, we are tigers. We have the strength to take on the rogue elephant.

"In the next election, I am going to contest against the leader, who has been cheating all of us. I am an individual. Since the opposition parties that have the power, the strength and the responsibility to take on the tyrant ruling us are inactive, clueless about how to devise a strategy to fight him, I have begun the effort of subduing the rogue elephant, by mobilizing the power of people.

"Today, I may be a nobody. There are six months for the election. During this period, I will be meeting people, telling them the truth about the state of affairs and mobilizing them against the tyrant. I am confident that I will succeed in my efforts."

"The reason for my stating my campaign in your village, situated in his constituency, is the name of your village, Satyapuri - meaning the abode of Truth. What I am launching is a struggle for justice and truth. It is only appropriate that it begins at the abode of Truth.

"As of now, I am a single person. Swami Vivekananda said, 'Give me hundred young people. I will transform this country.' I also need just hundred people. With their help, I will be able to achieve success in my efforts. If I get one person from this village to work with me, I will consider it a beginning for success."

After Murugan had completed his speech, five people from the crowd raised their hands. 

"You will definitely succeed in your mission, young man" a voice from the crowd proclaimed loudly.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 60

Possessing Zeal

Verse 599 (in Tamil):
pariyadhu kUrngOttadhu Ayinum yAnai
verUm puli thAkkuRin.

Meaning:

It is huge; it has sharp tusks; yet, the tusker

is frightened when the tiger attacks.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'murugan enRu oruvan' by the same author.) 

Verse 600
Verse 598

137. Accusation And Acquittal

"What is happening in our office? I see a flurry of activities near the MD's (Managing Director's) cabin!" asked Govardahanam. 

Govardhanam was a person, who would keep to himself and won't be bothered about things going around him in the office.

"It seems that a fraud has been committed" said Ganesan. He had just been to the section, where the MD's cabin was located and made some inquiries.

"What kind of a fraud?"

"A sum of three lakh rupees that should have been transferred to a supplier's bank account has, instead, been transferred to some other account."

"How is this possible? It is the Chief Accountant, who handles bank transfer transactions!"

"Someone had used his password and transferred the money to some other account. The supplier firm noticed that it did not receive the payment, only a few days after it had received the payment advice from our firm. The firm then took up the matter with us. Our people checked the records and found that the payment had gone to the account of some unknown person. Only after that, the fraud was discovered. Three weeks had passed during the process. Our management had kept the matter secret. Today, two police officers have come to our office, to investigate the matter" explained Ganesan.

"I think they will be able to find the culprit, by tracing the bank account to which the money has been transferred" said Govardhanam.

"They have traced the account. It seems that the account had been opened only recently and that the account holder withdrew the money and wiped the account clean. The identity proof and address proof given by him were found to be fictitious."

"Do they suspect any of the employees?"

Before Ganesan could answer Govardhanam, the office peon came there and told Govardhanam, "Sir! The MD is calling you."

Two police officers were sitting in the MD's room. As soon as Govardhanam had entered the room, the MD asked him, "Mr. Govardhanam! Did you work in a firm called Vinayaka Enterprises, before joining our firm?"

Taken aback by this question, Govardhanam replied reluctantly, "Yes, sir."

"Why didn't you mention that in your job application?" asked the MD.

"How could he mention it? How could he say that he was dismissed from that firm for embezzling five thousand rupees, while working there as a cashier?" quipped one of the two police officers, in a derisive tone. 

The officer then looked into the eyes of Govardhanam and demanded, "Confess to us that it was you who swindled three lakh rupees, through a fraudulent transfer!" in an intimidating tone.

Govardhanam felt a wave of panic sweeping his body, from head to feet. 

Events that took place ten years back flashed in his mind's screen - his incurring gambling debts, embezzling five thousand rupees from his office on an impulse, to safeguard himself from the threats issued by the money lenders, getting caught, selling his mother's jewellery and paying back to the firm the money embezzled by him, the firm dismissing him, yet showing him some mercy, by not preferring a police complaint, considering that he had paid back the money taken by him, and his turning a new leaf, by taking up a new job and living a disciplined life.

"Are you wondering how we came to know of this? After the fraud had happened, we checked the background of each and every employee of this firm. You joined this firm, ten years before. But you had completed your education twelve years back. When you applied for a job here, you led the management of this firm to believe that you had not worked in any other firm earlier. We were intrigued by the gap of two years. When we probed your background, we found out about your previous employment and your embezzlement. Now, tell us, where the money stolen by you is!"

Govardhanam looked at his MD and pleaded with him, "Sir! It is a fact that I had committed a wrong once. But, after that, I have been living with the determination that I shouldn't make even a small mistake. I don't even know how to do online transfer of money from a bank account. Please believe me."

The MD looked at the police officers.

"You are a suspect. We have to arrest you" said the police officr.

Govardhanam desperately looked at his MD.

The MD shifted his gaze in another direction.

Four days after Govardhanam's arrest, the police found out that a former employee of the firm had committed the fraud and arrested him. Subsequently, Govardhanam was released from police custody.

Two days after Govardhanam was released rom prison, Ganesan, Govardhanam's friend in the office, came to Govardhanam's house..

Govardhanam felt ashamed to look at his friend's face. 

"Take it easy. It has now been proved that you didn't commit the fraud" said Ganesan.

"The wrong I committed ten years back is still haunting me. What a humiliation I had to face! I feel ashamed even to look at you, a friend of mine" said Govardhanam.

"Leave it!" said Ganesan.

"It was the wrong that I had committed in the past that made me a suspect in the eyes of the police. I realize how one misdeed of mine brought me such a fall and humiliation! However, I have one regret."

"What is it?"

"I committed a wrong once. Therefore, the police suspected me. But, I have been living an honest life for the past ten years. Doesn't that honesty have any value?"

"Of course, it has a value!" said Ganesan.

"Don't say something just to appease me. What did I get for being a man of integrity?" countered Govardhanam.

"Your integrity has been recognized. I came here to tell you the good news. But you began to talk about the humiliation suffered by you. I thought I would tell you the news, once you calmed down a little.

"What good news?"

"Though it is now known that you committed no wrong, our MD was a bit unhappy that you had concealed your past, while applying for the job. But, realizing that it was not fair to punish a person who had been working hard for the firm for the past ten years, he has reinstated you. A letter has been sent by the firm reinstating you. You will get that letter in a day or two" said Ganesan.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 137 (In Tamil)

ozhukkththin eydhuvar mEnmai izhukkaththin
eydhuvar eydhAp pazhi.

Meaning:

One will attain eminence through propriety of conduct. Violation of propriety will lead to insufferable disgrace.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'paNa mOsadi' by the same author)

Verse 138
Verse 136

598. Post-dated Cheque

"When I was holding a job, I was regularly contributing giving donations to orphanages, old age homes etc. But, I am not able to give such donations now" said Kathiresan.

"Why? Now you are running a business and earning more than what you were, from your job. Why are you not able to donate money now?" asked his wife Kumari.

"That's what I am unable to understand. No doubt, my earnings are more now than they were earlier. All the same, I feel reluctant to make any financial commitment."

"Yes, I have been observing it. Earlier, I was subscribing to jewellery purchase schemes, through regular monthly savings. But, nowadays, I am reluctant to subscribe to such schemes. It will require paying the subscription, within a specified date every month. I am not sure whether you will be able to give me money, when I ask for it. There have been times, when you have pleaded your inability to give me the money I asked for, saying, 'I am expecting a huge order. Only after getting it, my cash flow will be comfortable!'"

Remembering that he had said so on some occasions, Kathiresan remained silent.

Kathiresan went to meet his friend Dhanasekaran at his office. 

Dhanasekaran was also running a business. His business was small, compared to that of Kathiresan. Consequently, his earnings were also smaller than Kathiresan's.

When Kathiresan was sitting in Dhanasekaran's cabin and talking to him, Dhanasekaran had a visitor.

Asking Kathiresan to excuse him for a minute, Dhanasekaran spoke to the visitor. After a brief conversation, he told the visitor, "Please wait outside. I will ask my Manager to give you a cheque."

Dhanasekaran then called his Manager to his cabin.

"As you know, I have been giving a donation to the mass feeding event held during the annual festival of my village temple. A gentleman from our village has come. Prepare a cheque for ten thousand rupees. I will sign it" he told the Manager.

After hesitating for a minute, the Manager told Kathireasan, "Sir! Our funds are very tight at the moment." 

The Manager then went out, brought an accounts ledger and showed it to Kathiresan. 

Dhanasekaran looked at the figures pointed out by the Manager and thought for a few seconds. He then told the Manager, "Just a minute" and went out of his cabin. 

Dhanasekaran returned to his cabin after a few minutes and told the Manager, "I talked to the person. He says it will be okay, if they get the money after ten days. So, give him a post-dated cheque."

After the Manager had left his cabin, Dhanasekaran told Kathiresan, "You may think that my giving a post-dated cheque for the mass-feeding event is like asking a hungry man to come after ten days and get some food! What can I do? I am not a big businessman like you. I seldom have surplus cash. But, I have a mind to contribute to certain good causes. I have been able to contribute what little I could, only by making some adjustments. But, maybe because of the zeal and determination I have for helping the causes dear to me, fortunately, I have been able to get the money needed to keep my commitments, at the right time. I am now giving a post-dated cheque for ten thousand rupees. When the cheque will be presented to my bank after ten days, enough money would have come to my bank account, for getting the cheque passed. It appears amazing to me, but till now, there had never been an occasion when there was not enough money in my bank account when a cheque was presented, resulting in the cheque getting returned unpaid or necessitating my pleading with the bank to pass the cheque."

Dhanasekaran laughed, feeling proud of his track record.

Kathiresan looked at his friend with amazement and admiration. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 60

Possessing Zeal

Verse 598 (in Tamil):

uLLam ilAdhavar eydhAr ulagaththu
vaLLiyam ennum serukku.

Meaning:

Those without zeal, will never attain

the pride of being hailed as generous.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'udhavi seyya virumbiyum' by the same author.) 

Verse 599
Verse 597

597. Embezzlement

"The situation has become so bad. What are you going to do?" Parimala asked her husband Paranthaman..

Paranthaman did not reply.

The business he had been running for the past five years, was running into problems, during the past few months. 

Mahesh, who as the Manager of the firm, was looking after the business, suddenly quit his job, citing his family problems as the reason.

After Mahesh's departure, Paranthaman, who had entrusted the day-to-day running of the business to Mahesh and concentrated on expanding his business, was forced to look after the day-to-day functioning of the business. 

Within a few days of taking over the routine management of the business, Paranthaman discovered a shocking fact.

Taking advantage of the bulk of the transactions in the business being on cash, Mahesh had misappropriated a substantial amount of money, through falsification of records.

Cash payments received from some of the customers of the firm were not recorded. When Paranthaman reminded the customers about the amounts due from them, they told him that they had made the payment already.

Some customers took offense at being treated as defaulters, by being reminded of the payments due from them, while they had made the payment already. 

While Paranthaman was able to pacify some customers, by telling them about the fraud committed by the firm's Manager and apologizing to them, a few customers abruptly terminated their business relationship with Paranthaman's firm, saying that they didn't want to do business with his firm, after the trust had been breached.

Some people, who had supplied goods to the firm, reminded of the payments due to them, while Mahesh had recorded in the books that payments had been made to them already.

There was misappropriation under various heads of expenses too. 

It was recorded that cash advances had been made to some workers, by way of short term loans. But, the workers concerned denied taking such loans.

Paranthaman's efforts to contact Mahesh were not successful. Mahesh had moved from his earlier address. It was clear that Mahesh had executed his fraud, after careful planning, taking all precautions to ensue that his whereabouts couldn't be traced.

"Can you not file a complaint with the police?" asked Parimala.

"Most of the transactions being on cash, I won't be able to prove anything against Mahesh. Even if the police, acting on my complaint, were to trace and arrest Mahesh, he would be released soon. I won't be able to establish his fraud in a court of law. I won't be able to recover even one rupee from him. I will only end up wasting my time and spending a lot of money in the process. It will be like throwing good money after bad money" said Paranthaman.

"But I find that you have been writing a lot. I thought you were writing down the details of his fraud, for filing a case against him!"

"What is the point of writing the details? The money has gone. But, I have realized that the reason for Mahesh's ability to commit such a fraud is the absence of a well-designed system for running my firm. I have to employ another person in place of Mahesh and continue to run my business. Then only I can focus on building up my business, by identifying areas of growth and expanding my business in those areas. But, I have to ensure that such frauds could never be committed by any other person in future. For this, I have to create well-structured systems and procedures for running the business. I am thinking about various measures I have to implement to create such a fool-proof system and writing down my ideas. Very soon, I will complete the process and  bring out a comprehensive blueprint, for creating and implementing a good system of controls for running my firm" said Paranthaman.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 60

Possessing Zeal

Verse 597 (in Tamil):

sidhaividaththu olgAr uravOr pudhaiyam piR
pattuppAdu UnRum kaLiRu.

Meaning:

The zealous won’t flinch in the face of setbacks;

the elephant, even if buried under a barrage of arrows, never relents.. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mahEsh seydha mOsadi' by the same author.) 

Verse 598
Verse 596

1135. Clinking of the Bangles

Vairavan meeting the girl accidentally happened one evening.

Vairavan, who was working in a jewellery shop, was returning home, after completing his day in the shop. 

When he turned the corner at the end of a quiet road, he dashed against the young girl walking from the opposite side.

Vairavan held her, in an attempt to prevent her from falling down. He was surprised to see that she was wearing bangles, covering her hands up to the elbows.  

Saved from falling down, the girl looked at her hands, as if to check whether any bangle had broken.

She then looked at Vairavan, smiled at him and said, "Thank you, for saving my bangles from breaking!"

"I saved you from falling down. But, rather than thanking me for that, you are thanking me for saving your bangles!" exclaimed Vairavan. "Are you so fond of bangles? Covered with bangles, your hands resemble vadaimalai, adorning the idol of Hanuman" he added.

She looked at her hands again, with satisfaction and pride.

"Where do you live?" asked Vairavan. 

"See this cross street here? If you enter that street, my house will be the last on the right hand side. If you ask anyone 'which is Pandit** Valaiyapathi's house?' they will point out the house. Valaiyapathi is my father's name."

"Oh! Vailai in Tamil means bangle. Being the daughter of Valaiyapathi, it is no wonder that you are fascinated by bangles. By the way, I only asked you where you lived. But you have given me your address and your father's name. Is it your desire that I should visit your house, meet your father and ask him to give me your hand in marriage" asked Vairavan, with a smirk.

She looked at him with a smile and said, "Before asking for my father's consent for marrying me, should you not ask my consent? How can I consent to marry you, without meeting you a couple of times and getting to know you better?" 

Excited by an accidental dashing having sown the seeds of an intimate relationship, Vairavan said, joyfully, "In that case, why don't we meet every evening at some place nearby, a place that will provide us some privacy?"

"Of course, we can. But, you should wait for five or six days, for these meetings to happen. We are leaving for a short trip to another place tomorrow."

"When will you be back?"

"We will be back before the Full Moon day. We will meet at this spot on the Full Moon day, the same time in the evening." 

After saying this, she flew away.

'Today is the seventh day aster the New Moon day. When is the Full Moon day?'

Vairavan began to calculate how many days were left for the Full Moon day.

She was waiting for him at the specified spot, the evening of the full Moon day. 

On seeing her, Vairavan gave her the palm leaf manuscripts*** he was holding in his hand.

"What are these?"

"These are the letters written by me, one each day, starting from the next day of our meeting."

"You wrote me letters, when I was away. But you hand them over to me in person, after I have returned home! Are you mad?"

"Yes. I am mad with love. From the time I met you, the evenings have changed for me. I have not been able to think clearly. The clinking sound of your bangles has been constantly ringing in my ears. Every day, I wrote letters to you, pouring out my feelings. Since I couldn't send the letters to you, I kept them with me. I am handing them over to you now!" said Vairavan.

"You are really mad!" she said, laughing. 

"It was you who made my mind go crazy in the evenings. Again it was you, who made me write letters to you, to overcome that craze!" said Vairavan.

*Vadamalai - a garland of vadais, a small dish of circular shape, with a hole at the centre, traditionally offered to the idol of the Hindu God Hanuman. The vadais are then distributed to devotees as prasad (divine offerings). 

**Pandit - a title given to a scholar in a field.

***Palm leaf manuscripts - During ancient times, palm leaves were used for writing on.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 114
Shedding Shyness

Verse 1135 (in Tamil):
thodalaik kuRundhodi thandhAL madalodu
mAlai uzakkum thuyar.

Meaning:

She, with the small garland-like bracelets, has given me the palmyra horse* and the sorrow that is endured at night.

*'Palmyra horse' refers to letters written on palm leaves. 'Horse' is used to convey the desire for the letters to travel fast like a horse and reach the lover.

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

Verse 1136
Verse 1134

596. Sales Targets

"For this year also, our MD (Managing Director) has given us unrealistic sales targets. Let alone achieving the targets, we can't go anywhere near the targets."

"It has been the same story every year. Our MD does not seem to have learnt any lesson from the past!"

"Our Sales Manager should have told him that these targets were unachievable. But, not having the courage to speak against the MD's ideas, he was sitting quietly in the meeting. But he would torment us, by continuously reminding us about the targets!"

This was the conversation among the sales executives of the company, after coming out of the sales budget meeting held by the Managing Director. 

"Sir! I didn't want to say this in the meeting where the sales executives were present. I feel that the targets fixed by you are too high" said Vikraman, the Sales Manager.

"I am happy to hear you saying that the targets are 'too high.' If you had said that the targets were 'somewhat high' or 'a little high,' I would have thought that I could have made them still higher!" said Senthil, the Managing Director, smiling. 

"Sir! Please don't think that I am finding fault with your approach. Every year, we keep fixing the targets at very high levels. But we have been able to achieve only fifty to sixty percent of the targets fixed by us. Will this not discourage the sales executives?"

"We don't sack any sales executive for not achieving the target. We give them good increments every year. They have not been quitting their jobs, frustrated by their failure to achieve the targets. During the past three years, only two sales executives quit their jobs, that too because they got better jobs" said Senthil.

"It is true, sir. Many sales executives have been telling me that you are very graceful and magnanimous. They are loyal to you. But, is there not a principle that targets should not be unrealistic?"

"Yes, there is. But, I follow a different principle. My principle is that our goals should be high!" said Senthil, laughing.

"Is this approach pragmatic?"

'Let me share something with you. I had aimed for several things in my life. But, in most of the cases, what I got was much less than what I had aimed. But, I keep aiming for something big again and again. In the beginning, I was working in a company. I aimed to come to a top position in that company. But I was able to rise only up to some level. Then I started my own business. I had the aim of growing my business into a corporate entity. But, our firm still remains quite small. However, I have not given up my efforts. As you know, our firm is one of the top firms among the small firms in our line of business. I believe that this was made possible by my setting high goals."

"After listening to your explanation, I am able to see the efficacy of your approach. Though our performance has been below our targets, our growth has been above the average growth of firms in our line. I am beginning to understand how your approach of setting high goals has yielded results" said Vikraman.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 60

Possessing Zeal

Verse 596 (in Tamil):

uLLuvadhellAm uyarvuLLal maRRadhu
thaLLinum thaLLAmai nIrththu.

Meaning:

Fervently aspire for the best; even if you fail,

you should not stop aiming high.

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

Verse 597
Verse 595