423. The Expansion Project

The plan for a massive expansion of Sasi Industries was being implemented at a rigorous pace.

The project report for the expansion was prepared by a renowned consultancy firm and the project was being implemented by a high level technical committee comprising senior Engineers of Sasi Industries.

The construction of factory buildings required for the expansion had been completed. Orders had been placed for the machinery. The machines began to arrive and were being installed. The installation of the machines was expected to be completed in a few weeks, after which the factory would be ready to commence production.

Sasisekar, the Managing Director of the company, summoned the Chief Engineer Samuel to his cabin.

"I know we are at the final stage of our project. But a suggestion has come for a small modification in the machinery layout. This modification is expected to make the production line more fine-tuned. I think we should examine this proposal" said Sasisekar.

"Definitely, sir. May I know whose suggestion is this?" asked Samuel.

"Definitely not mine!" said Sasisekar, smiling. He then outlined the proposal.

"I will discuss this proposal with my team, sir!" said Samuel.

The next day, Samuel came to meet Sasisekar. "Sir, Our team had a detailed discussion of this proposal. Our conclusion is that it will not work out. We believe that the present layout is the best."

"Ok" said Sasisekar.

After two days, Sasisekar called Samuel again.

"Mr. Samuel! I asked our consultants about the suggestion I had discussed with you two days back. They feel that it is an excellent suggestion. They say it will provide a definite advantage. In fact, they told me that they felt bad that they had not thought of this! The consultants will prepare a new layout incorporating this suggestion and send it to us in a few days. Wait till then, before proceeding further" said Sasisekar.

"Sorry, sir!" said Samuel, feeling embarrassed.

"There is no need for you to apologize to me. You should apologize to our machine operator Kumaraswamy!"

"What do you mean, sir?" asked Samuel, perplexed.

"Yes. It was Kumaraswamy who gave this suggestion. He had tried to give this suggestion to one of the engineers in your team. But the Engineer didn't even pay heed to the suggestion. So, Kumaraswamy reluctantly came to me and outlined his suggestion to me. It was after this that I asked you to consider this. Perhaps, if I had told you that it was my suggestion, your team could have accepted this suggestion" said Sasisekar, smiling.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 43
Wisdom

Verse 423 (in Tamil):

epporuL yAr yAr vAyk kEtpinum apporuL

meypporuL kANbadhu aRivu.

Meaning:

If we hear some matter from someone, wisdom lies in getting at the truth of the matter, irrespective of how the matter sounds and from whom we have heard the matter

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

Verse 424
Verse 422

94. Morning to Evening

The day didn't start well for Anandan.

When Anandan just got up from bed, his wife Sundari told him, "The milk has turned sour. Will you get one packet of milk from the shop?"

Even before brushing his teeth, Anandan went out to buy the milk packet. 

Milk was not available in the shops nearby. He had to walk some distance to find a shop where milk was available.

When he reached home with the milk packet, Sundari had been waiting impatiently for the milk.

"Why did you take so long to buy a milk packet? Did you step into a restaurant on the way and have your morning cup of coffee there?" she asked, almost grabbing the milk packet from his hand.

"What a pity, this idea didn't strike me!" said Anandan, taking Sndari's insinuation lightly.

After Anandan brushed his teeth and came into the kitchen to pick up the cup of coffee that Sundari had made for him, Sundari asked him, "We have a lot of expenses for the month. But you have not got any job till now," her voice sounding worried.

"A painting contract has almost been finalized. I will receive the advance payment in a couple of days. Don't worry" Anandan assured her.

He heard his cellphone ringing from the next room.

"It should be that person" Anandan told Sundari and went to that room to pick up the call.

He came back into the kitchen after a couple of minutes.

"What did he say? When is he giving the advance?" asked Sundari, anxiously.

"He is not giving the contract now!" said Anandan, pursing his lips.

"Why?"

"He is giving some excuse."

"Did you not fight with him for going back on his promise?"

"Leave it!"

"How can we leave it? We were depending on that contract for meeting this month's expenses."

"Let us see" said Anandan, smiling.

"How can you smile in a situation like this?"

Anandan left home, telling Sundari that he would visit some prospective clients and try to procure some job.

When Anandan returned home, it was 3 pm.

"Did you get any orders?" asked Sundari, as soon he stepped into the house.

Anandan shook his head sideways signaling that he didn't get any.

"Ok. Have your lunch. I had my lunch just now, after waiting for you so long" said Sundari.

Anandan sat on the floor and Sundari began to serve food on the plate laid before him..

At that time, their daughter Arthi, who had returned from the school, came running towards Sundari, yelling "Mom" and tried to hug her.

As Arthi dashed into Sundari, the vessel containing the sambar, which Sundai was holding in her hand, fell down. The entire sambar spilled out on the floor.

Even as Sundari was admonishing her daughter saying, "Why did you come rushing like this?" Anandan got up.

"Why are you getting up?" asked Sundari.

"The sambar has spilled on to the entire hall. You will find it difficult to clean it. I will clean it and then have my lunch" said Anandan. "Don't blame Arthi. She came rushing towards you only because of the love she has for you" he added.

He then patted his daughter on her cheek and told her, "Fortunately, the sambar didn't spill on your school uniform and stain it. Get your dress changed and come."

"My goodness! The entire sambar has spilled out. Today, I have not made rasam either. What will you eat?" said Sundari, regretting.

"No problem. I have the rice, the vegetable curry, the butter milk and the pickle. That is a lot for me" said Anandan.

'Why is God being so unkind to my husband who accepts every obstacle or setback calmly and patiently?' wondered Sundari, looking at Anandan with a mixed feeling of admiration and pity.

After lunch, Anandan was relaxing, by lying down on the bed, closing his eyes.

His cellphone rang.

Sundari, who was sitting on a chair at a little distance from him and reading a magazine, listened to the conversation, hoping that it would be about a job offer from a client.

After listening to the other side, Anandan said, "Ok. I need a loan of ten thousand rupees only. Will you give me?...Oh, you can offer only a minimum of one lakh rupees! Sorry... I understand. Thank you" and ended the conversation.

"I have often observed that when someone calls you offering a loan, you don't say no to their offer, but ask for a loan of ten thousand rupees. Do you really need a loan of ten thousand rupees?" asked Sundari.

"I don't. But if I bluntly say no to their offer, they will feel disappointed. I know that they won't give a loan for small amounts. So I will ask them whether they will give me a loan of ten thousand rupees. They will say, 'Sorry. The minimum amount of loan we offer is one lakh. That way, their disappointment will be mitigated to some extent" said Anandan.

"Should you go out of the way to mitigate their disappointment? Are these calls not a nuisance to us?"

"These calls may be irritating to us. But, for the telecallers, making these calls is their job. I won't be able to help them by becoming a prospect. So, I try to mitigate their frustration!"

"I don't understand your philosophy. As for me, whenever you get a call, I keep hoping that it will be from a client, but keep getting disappointed!"

"Don't worry. What you have been expecting may also happen!" said Anandan.

"Let me hope so!" said Sundari, without feeling hopeful.

In the evening, when Sundari was in the kitchen, she heard Anandan's cellphone ring. She then heard him talking to someone.

'Someone might have called offering a credit card and he might be talking to them patiently, without bluntly saying no and ending the call!' thought Sundari.

After a few minutes, Anandan came into the kitchen and told Sundari, "Do you remember that I did a painting job for an apartment last week? The owner of that apartment called me just now. He is very much satisfied with the quality of my work. So, he is now offering me the job of painting his office. It is a big job. He asked me to come to his office immediately and collect the cheque for the advance payment."

Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 10
Speaking Pleasantly

Verse 94 (In Tamil)

thunbuRUm thuvvAmai illAagum yAr mAttum
inbuRUm insolavarkku.

Meaning:

Tormenting poverty will not befall one who speaks

only pleasant words to everyone.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kAlai mudhal mAlai varai' by the same author)

Verse 95
Verse 93

422. Google Search!

"I have a job interview tomorrow. I need to prepare for it" said Adityan.

"You are not a fresher applying for a job. You have been holding a good position in a reputed company. You are just trying to get a better job. Do you need to prepare for a job interview?" asked his wife Renuka.

"A prospective employer will have only limited expectations from a fresher. The fresher will only be expected to have knowledge of the subject of his study and some general knowledge. But in the case of an experienced person like me, who is applying for a better position, the expectations of the prospective employer will be much higher. I will be expected to be aware of the latest trends in the field of my work. Fortunately, nowadays, we have something called the internet, which has extensive information on any topic!"

"It is ten o' clock in the night. You have an interview at ten o' clock tomorrow in the morning. How long are you going to be browsing the net?"

"I don't know. Internet is a blessing, no doubt. But, on the flip side, if one starts browsing the net, the exercise may go on endlessly. By the time I complete the browsing, it could be about two o' clock in the night  You may go to bed now."

After sending his wife away, Adityan knocked at the doors of Google.

The next day, when Adityan returned home, after attending the interview, Renuka asked him, "How did the interview go?"

"Not so well, I am afraid!" said Adityan, with disappointment.

"You had spent several hours in the night browsing the internet. Didn't that preparation help you?"

Adityan was silent for a couple of minutes. Then he said, "If, while browsing the net, I had disciplined myself, I could have prepared myself well and answered the questions asked in the interview correctly. I might have even got the job!" said Adityan, with a sigh.

"You were not disciplined! What went wrong?" asked Renuka, in surprise.

"When I was reading an article relating to my field, I was distracted by an advertisement that popped up, which was about working from home and earning money. I clicked that advertisement and went through it. Only after reading it, did I realize that that opportunity won't be suitable for me. I resumed reading articles relating to my field, but every now and then, I started looking for information about some other topics that came to my mind. For example, I spent some time finding out suitable colleges for our son, finding offers for a house we have been planning to buy etc. I started with the intention of spending just a few minutes on these topics and then returning to preparing for my interview. But, I ended up spending about two hours on these diversions, without consciously being aware of my doing so. When I realized that I had wasted my time, I cursed myself. After that, my concentration began to fade. Ultimately, I lost the mood to study and went to bed."

"You are highly educated. You have a lot of knowledge and experience. Why did you allow yourself to be distracted?"

"If we allow the mind to wander as per its whim, this is what will happen. Leave it. This is a lesson to me. I will get another opportunity after some time" said Adityan, trying to keep his enthusiasm alive.

"Surprisingly, the film song that is being telecast on the TV appears to relate to your experience. Listen to it!" said Renuka, in an attempt to cheer him up.

"Can the feet blindly follow the eyes?
Can the mind blindly follow the feet?
Can the man blindly follow his mind?"'

As Adityan listened to the song, Renuka asked him "It looks as if the Lyricist Kannadasan wrote this song specifically for you!"

"No, he didn't" said Adityan.

"He didn't?"

"He didn't write this song. Lyricist Vaai wrote this!" said Adityan, smiling at Renuka, signaling that he was paying her back, for her teasing him.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 43
Wisdom

Verse 422 (in Tamil):

senRa idaththAl selavidA thIthorI
nanRin pAl uyppadhu aRivu.

Meaning:
Wisdom bridles the wandering mind, keeps it away from evil and steers it towards the right path.

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

Verse 423
Verse 421

1102. What Ails Gururajan?

"You are looking dull. Are you not feeling well?"

This was the question that several people who happened to see Gururajan had been asking him for the past few days.

"I am fine," was Gururajan's response to every one. However, he had been inwardly sensing a feeling of weakness.

Gururajan consulted a doctor. After examining him, the doctor said, "There is nothing wrong with you. Perhaps, a change of place for a few days may do you good. Sometimes making a short trip to some other place and returning will make you feel refreshed."  

A friend of Gururajan, living in a village had, since long, been asking him to come and stay with him for some time. 

Gururajan went to his friend's place, by way of following the doctor's advice.

The village atmosphere was pleasant. Spending time with his friend made Gururajan happy. But, Gururajan was still feeling some weakness.

Gururajan's friend told him, "You are looking dull. Are you not feeling well? There is an Ayurvedic doctor here. He will be able to diagnose you, just by checking your pulse."

The Auirvedic doctor, after checking Gururajan's pulse, said, "Since you have been used to live in a city, perhaps, the village life has made you feel dull. You will become normal, once you go back to your place!"

Gururajan controlled his urge to laugh.

Even after returning home from the village, Gururajan didn't find any improvement in his health. He began to worry that he might have been afflicted by some severe illness, which the doctors couldn't diagnose.

One night, when Gururajan was rolling in his bed, unable to get sleep, a thought occurred to him. 'Have I been deceiving myself all these days?'

The next morning, he left for his aunt's place, which was not very far from the place he was living.

"What a surprise! Last month, you made a sudden visit here, at a time I was thinking that that you had forgotten this poor aunt, your father's sister! Now, you have come again after a month. It seems you have begun to think of me more often, these days!" said his aunt, welcoming him heartily.

"I had lost my mother in my childhood. After my father also passed away, you remain my only relative" said Gururajan.

"That was my point. It is five years since your father - my brother - passed away. But you began to think of me only recently. Anyway, I am glad you have come."

After the lunch, his aunt went into her room, for taking her afternoon nap.

When Gururajan was sitting alone in the porch of the house, his aunt's daughter Vanaja noiselessly came near him from behind and touched his shoulder.

Electrified by Vanaja's touch, Gururajan turned back and looked at her.

"Vanaja! I came here only to see you. But till now, I couldn't find you in the house!" said Gururajan.

"Did you come to see me? Don't lie to me. You came to see your aunt!" said Vanaja, with a playful smile on her face.

"You ae teasing me, Vanaja. I had seen you as a little girl. When I had come to see my aunt last month, I was thrilled to see you as a grown up girl. I spent quite some time talking to you. Seeing you as a grown up girl and talking to you was an exhilarating experience. From that time, my mind and body have undergone some change. It was as if I was struck by fever. Everyone in my place kept asking me 'what is wrong with you?' I realized that I would become normal, only if I meet you again and exchange a few words with you!"

After that, the two were holding each other's hand and talking to each other, for a long time.

Gururajan regained his vigour and energy, after returning from his aunt's house.

Note: In Tamilnadu, South India, there has been a practice of a young man marrying the daughter of his mother's brother or father's sister. In fact, in ancient Tamilnadu, it was considered that a girl satisfying this relationship was called 'muRaippeN' (the girl who could be rightfully claimed as a bride, by the boy, having the qualifying relationship.) 

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 111
The Joy of Being Together in Love

Verse 1102 (in Tamil):
piNikku marundhu piRaman aNiyizhai
than nOykkuth thAnE marundhu.

Meaning:

Various medicines serve as remedies for various ailments. But, for the ailment caused by this girl wearing jewels, she herself is the remedy.

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

Verse 1103
Verse 1101

421.Live Telecast

Gnanasekaran, started his business in a small way fifty years back, and successfully made it grow big, over the years.

When Gnanasekaran reached the age of seventy five, he announced that he was retiring from the business.

A leading Television channel approached him for an interview.

"I will give you an interview. But you should telecast my interview live!" said Gnanasekaran.

"We don't have the practice of telecasting interviews live" said the official of the Television channel.

"In that case, I can't give you an interview. I am sorry" said Gnanasekaran.

The official told him that he would check with his higher authorities, about Gnanasekaran's condition for giving an interview. But, the top management of the TV channel didn't accept Gnanasekaran's condition. 

The information of a popular Television channel having approached Gnanasekaran for an interview, and his having imposed a condition that the interview should be telecast live, got leaked and several channels became aware of it.

Kumar, the CEO of 'Live News,' a Television channel that had been launched only a few months back, called the senior executives of the channel for a discussion.

"Why don't we telecast an interview with Mr. Gnanasekaran?" asked Kumar.

"Sir, ours is a news channel. Our viewers are interested only in political news. They may not be interested in viewing an interview with a businessman" said a senior executive.

"On the other hand, we may get new audience, interested in business news. That will be good for us" said another executive.

Kumar looked at him with interest.

"We don't know why Mr. Gnanasekaran has been insisting on a live telecast of his interview. What if he says something embarrassing or offensive about someone? That will create a problem for us. It may even lead to litigation, involving serious charges like defamation etc." said another executive.

"That is my concern too!" said Kumar.

"Sir, I have an idea" said Ravi, the Chief Editor.

The announcement that Gnanasekaran's interview would be telecast live in 'Live News' created a lot of sensation, both in the media circles and among the general public. 

The fact that a news channel that has been mostly telecasting news and programs relating to politics and current affairs would be telecasting an interview with a businessman evoked a lot of interest. 

That the interview would be telecast live, as demanded by the businessman giving the interview, added an element of curiosity, stimulating a desire in the minds of a large number of people, to watch the program.

Several minutes after the interview began, Gnanasekaran revealed the reason for his insistence on the interview being telecast live.

"From the time I started my business, till the present time, I have faced a lot of competition. Many of my competitors have followed honest business practices, but a few have resorted to unethical practices, subterfuge and even fraud. There have been several occasions, when a section of the media had predicted that my business would collapse, unable to face the competition. There have been instances, when my company's position became weak, leading to a steep fall in the price of my company's shares. But I have encountered all those problems and emerged victorious. The one factor that ensured my success is..."

Gnanasekara paused at this moment. 

Ravi, the Chief Editor who was conducting the interview, the CEO Kumar, other executives of the channel and the audience watching the interview were all curious to know what factor would be mentioned by Gnanasekaran.

"...the wisdom that I had acquired!" said Gnanasekaran, smiling.

"Sir!" said Ravi, somewhat shocked.

"It is only for the purpose of bringing this to the notice of the public that I wanted this interview to be telecast live! Now, I feel happy that this information will reach every one!"

Kumar, who was watching the interview felt disappointed.

'Is it for singing his own praise that Mr. Gnanasekaran wanted his interview to be telecast live? I have allowed myself to be misled by anticipating that he would say something sensational!'

"Sir, can you elaborate on what you meant by the 'wisdom acquired by you?'" asked Ravi, continuing the interview.

"Definitely. I have come here only for showcasing the wisdom I possess! By the way, a few of my friends are sitting outside the studio. Will you allow them to come inside?" asked Gnanasekaran.

"What for?" asked Ravi, perplexed.

"They are the senior executives of my company. Some of the executives, who joined my company, soon after I had started my company, have retired. Some are not alive now. When I said, 'wisdom acquired by me,' I was referring to my senior executives. From the time I had started my business, I realized that knowledge and wisdom were the tools that would offer the best protection to my business. So, I recruited persons of knowledge and wisdom and kept them with me, not just as employees, but as guides, advisors, troubleshooters, thinkers and innovators. They have not only helped my business to grow, but also protected my business from the strategies of my honourable competitors and the devious tactics of my less honourable competitors and my enemies. They shielded my business by functioning as effective bulwarks against all kinds of obstacles and attacks faced by my business. If you permit me, I will introduce them to the world through your channel and register my gratitude to them. The reason I insisted that my interview be telecast alive was to bring the people who have provided me the knowledge and wisdom to run and safeguard my business all these years, to the limelight" said Gnanasekaran.

"With pleasure!" said Ravi, with enthusiasm, returning to him. 

"Sir! Telecasting Gnanasekaran's interview has given a very good boost to our channel's viewership. In fact, our viewership has doubled. The bold decision taken by you to accept Gnanasekaran's request to telecast his interview live, is the reason for this" said Ravi.

"No, Mr. Ravi. The reason for this success is executives like you providing me the wisdom, the way Gnanasekaran's executives provided him. I am not saying this just to make you feel good. When I was bogged down by the question about the repercussions, in case Mr. Gnanasekaran said anything offensive about someone, you came out with the idea that by making use of technology, we could telecast the interview with an one minute lag, so, if he said anything objectionable, we would be able to block the objectionable part, before it would be telecast. It was based on this brilliant idea of yours that I agreed to telecast the interview live. So, it was your knowledge and wisdom that made this success possible!" said Kumar, in atone of genuine appreciation.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 43
Wisdom

Verse 421 (in Tamil):

aRivu aRRam kAkkum karuvi seRuvArkkum
uLL azhikkaLagA araN.

Meaning:

Wisdom is the shield against ruination. It is a fortress,

impregnable to and indestructible by the enemies.

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

Verse 422
Verse 420

93. "People Don't Listen to Me!"

Madhavan had been having a concern since long. It was that when he was speaking, no one listened to him. 

He was the leader of a team in his company. There were six members in his team, including him. He had to speak to the team members quite often about work, sometimes individually and sometimes addressing them as a group. 

When he was talking to the group, some in the group would talk among themselves. Sometimes, someone would interject him or raise some point not relevant to the discussion. 

Madhavan knew that he couldn't mend them using his authority.

Sometimes, someone in his team would do a task given by him in a way different from the way in which he had asked that person to. If Madhavan questioned that person, he or she would say, "Did you say like that? I didn't get it right. I am sorry!"

Unable to overcome the communication problem, Madhavan started giving instructions to the team members, through email. He found it irksome that he had to communicate through email with a person sitting at a hearing distance from him. But he was helpless.

After that, if he gave any oral instruction to his team members, some of them would say, "Why don't you send me an email?"

Such replies made him even more irritated.

Learning that an Advisor who had joined his company recently gave solutions to communication problems, Madhavan approached him and explained his problem.

Even as Madhavan was narrating his problem, the Advisor intercepted him saying, "Mr. Madhavan! I can see what your problem is. Why do you wear such a serious look on your face."

"That is how my face expression is!" said Madhavan, trying to smile.

"You are smiling now. Practice having a smiling face always."

"How do I practice it?"

The Advisor taught him some exercises. "Practice these exercises for one month. After that, you will find that your team members listen to you, with attention."

After two months, Madhavan met the Advisor, again.

"How are things now?" asked the Advisor.

"My team members listen to me more attentively than they did earlier. But I find that after some time, their attention gets shifted."

"Let us check what the problem is" said the Advisor.

He called four of his assistants. He then told Madhavan, "Assume that these are your team members. Explain a task that they have to perform."

Madhavan spoke to them, the way he would talk to his team members. 

The Advisor observed him talking. After fifteen minutes, the Advisor said, "That's enough." 

He then sent his assistants back to their seats.

"Mr. Madhavan! I am giving my assessment based on my observation. You are particular about doing things in the proper way. So, when you find that others don't understand what you say correctly, you get angry. Your anger is reflected in your words" said the Advisor.

"Sir! I didn't talk to your assistants angrily!" said Madhavan.

"You don't show your anger deliberately. But your anger gets expressed in your tone and in the words you use. Those who listen to you will feel hurt by the tone and the words used by you. After that, they will unconsciously stop listening to you. Even if they try to listen to you, your words won't get registered in their minds."

"What should I do?"

"When you came to me for the first time, I should have conducted a mock session like this and made a complete diagnosis of the problem faced by you. It was my mistake to have hastily seen one change you needed to make, advised you on that and sent you away, without realizing that you had another problem that needed to be addressed!"

"Sir! You are holding such a high office in our company but you talk to me, who is lower to you in rank, about your mistake!" said Madhavan, genuinely moved by the Advisor's humility. 

"If we learn to speak in a pleasant way, humility will automatically become our second nature. Or, if we cultivate humility, we will start speaking pleasantly, even without consciously attempting to do so."

"Great, sir!"

"Have you understood what you have to do?"

"Yes, sir. The two things mentioned by you. One, I should keep a smiling face. I have already cultivated this habit. Two, I should speak in a pleasant way. I will practice this also. Thank you, very much!"

"Good. I am sure you will succeed. If your problem is still not solved, you may come to me again, after a month."

After a month. Madhavan came to meet the Advisor. But this time, he came to thank the Advisor.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 10
Speaking Pleasantly

Verse 93 (In Tamil)

mugaththAn amarndhu inidhu nOkki agaththAnAm
insol inidhE aRam.

Meaning:

To look at someone with kindness, to smile at them

and to say pleasant words, is being virtuous.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mellap pEsungaL' by the same author)

Verse 94
Verse 92

420. "I don't remember!"

"There is a music concert at Jayalakshmi Sabha tomorrow. I have got two tickets. Are you coming?" asked Sethupathy, over phone.

"Sorry. I can't. I will be attending a religious discourse tomorrow" said Padmanabhan.

"I didn't know that you were interested in religion and spirituality" said Sethupathy, surprised.

"We need to listen to good things at least to some extent."

"Ok. See you later."

After a few days, Sethupathy came to Padmanabhan's house. The two friends were conversing about various things.

Sethupathy recalled his conversation with Padmanabhan a few days back and asked him, "Last week, you attended a religious discourse. How was it?"

"It was good" said Padmanabhan.

"Who was the speaker?"

Padmanabhan thought for a moment and said, "I am unable to recall his name."

"When I invited you to a music concert, you declined my invitation and went to that discourse. Now you say you can't even recall the speaker's name!" said Padmanabhan, laughing.

"Santakumar" said Padmanabhan's wife Dharini, speaking from the kitchen.

"Oh! He is a popular speaker. How did you forget his name?" asked Sethupathy.

"Well. I have not attended any religious discourse earlier. Maybe, that is why his name was not registered in my mind"

"What was the subject he spoke on?"

"Something relating to Ramayana, I think!"

"Santakumar speaks only about the Gita!"

"Whether it was Gita or Sita, it was about spirituality. that's all" said Padmanabhan, in exasperation.

After Sethupathy had left, Dharinin asked him, "You have listened to the discourse for two hours. But you remember neither the name of the speaker, nor the topic he spoke on. What is wrong with you?"

"I have heard that the sweet pongal they had been offering at the end of the discourse as prasad, is very delicious. That is why, when you suggested that I attend that discourse, I came along with you. I didn't pay attention to his talk. My mind was on the sweet pongal I would be getting at the end of the discourse, as prasad. I was playing with my mobile phone for some time. Then I became drowsy. I had a nap sitting in the chair. I woke up only at the end of the speech. I felt fresh. I enjoyed the taste of the sweet pongal they distributed, after the speech got over!" said Padmanabhan. 

"You could have as well gone to the music concert with your friend. After all, you have some interest in music. There is a canteen at the concert hall too!"

"I could have. I would prefer to go to the canteen first, relish my favourite dishes and then enter the concert hall. But Sethupathy won't allow me to go to the canteen till the concert got over. That's why I didn't like to go to the concert with him!" said Padmanabhan.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 42
Learning through Listening

Verse 420 (in Tamil):

seviyin suvai uNarA vAyuNarvin mAkkaL
aviyinum vAzhinum en?

Meaning:

People who are interested only in the taste relished by the tongue, but are unaware of the enjoyment the ears could get through listening (to words of wisdom) make no difference whether they are alive or dead.

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

Verse 421
Verse 419