1131. Times Are Changing , But...

Year: 1721

Respected lover!

Salutations from the one, who is blessed to be the object of your love.

I am writing this message to you on a palm leaf, after setting my feminine quality of restraint aside, for a while.

I am sending this letter through my close friend Mekala, who is visiting Thanjavur, where you are stationed, considering this an opportunity bestowed on me by God to communicate with you.

Mekala has a relative in Thanjavur, who is a merchant. Mekala has assured me that she would be able to locate you through him and hand over this letter to you.

How interested she is in helping me communicate with my lover!

You are a handsome lad, bestowed with intelligence and wisdom. I have often wondered why you chose to shower your love on this poor girl.

After conveying your love to me, which I was only too glad to accept, you met me alone several times and enthralled me with your sweet words. I often recall, how, when we two were alone in a secluded place, you hugged me and... (I feel shy to describe how you made me experience your love!)

Even as I am writing this letter, my mind is getting overwhelmed with both the pleasant memories of your company and the agony of  my separation from you.

After making me submerge in the soothing waters of love, you suddenly left this place, saying that you were leaving for Thanjavur for doing trade. Since that time, I find myself having been pushed into an ocean of grief.

Neither being able to swim, nor having the mind to to get drowned, I am struggling in this ocean of grief. The purpose of writing this letter is to apprise you of my situation.

After receiving this letter, rush here, pull me out from this ocean of grief and take me ashore.

I am waiting for you desperately like the Sataka* bird waiting for the rain drops to fall in its mouth and quench its thirst.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Your  Cherishing Lover

                                                               the desperate Mathivadhani 

* Sataka is a bird mentioned in Hindu mythology. This bird would drink only the rain water. It would remain thirsty till the rain drops fall.                                                                                          

Year: 1921

Dear lover!

This is Parvathy, the poor girl, in whose heart you have ever been dwelling. I am submitting this letter to you, after prostrating at your feet a thousand times.

If you think that my writing a letter to you is inappropriate, please pardon this ignoramus.

I am sending this letter by registered post so that it will be delivered to you in person. To pay for the postal charges, I got money from my mother, by lying to her that I needed money to buy face powder  If she asks me about the face powder tin bought by me, I will have to show her the old face powder tin and manage!

You met me in a temple, took a liking for me, followed me, conveyed your love to me and won over me.

After that, we met several times in secluded places and became intimate.

One day, you suddenly left this place, saying that your father was not feeling well. It has been a month, since you left me. There has been no communication from you. I pray to God that your father recover from his illness and regain his normal health.

I can understand that you didn't write to me, fearing that your letter might be seen by my parents 

I am writing to you, being unable to suffer my separation from you. I hope that you will return to this place soon and reunite with me.

My pining will be over, only when you look at my face with love and hold my hand with affection.

Please write to me at the address of my friend I have given below. Her parents cannot read or write. If they ask her about the letter, she will say something and manage them. She will hand over the letter to me.

Please reply immediately.                                                                                                                                                      Yours lovingly                                                                    Parvathy  

Year: 2021

 WhatsApp message sent by Shailu to Viswas 

Hey!

You met me in a restaurant and said you loved me. We both spent time together, visiting malls, watching movies and having fun. You suddenly left for Mumbai on office work, telling me that you'd be back in four days. 

There has been no call or message from you even after one week. I didn't call you or text you, thinking that you'd be busy with your office work. But your silence is making me mad.

You may not have feelings, but I do. That's why I'm texting you, without standing on prestige. 

I want you to make a video call to me this evening. If you don't, then you'll see the ugly side of me!

Your Love

Shailu                                                                                

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 114
Shedding Shyness

Verse 1131 (in Tamil):
kAmam uzhandhu varundhinArkku Emam
madal alladhu illai vali.

Meaning:

For those suffering from the pangs of love, there is no other source of strength than writing a letter. 

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

Verse 1132
Verse 1130

538. The Saint's Questions

"Swamiji! I can't say I don't have faith in spirituality, but in my busy life, I have not allocated time for it" said Pachaiyappan.

"Why did you have me stay in your house, then?" asked Saint Arutchelvam.

"It was my friend Manickam who made this arrangement. My house is the biggest in this village. I have earmarked the entire first floor for you. You have this room with all facilities. The space outside can be used for your devotees to sit and listen to your talk. There is no other place in this village that has such large space and facilities for your comfortable stay for three days and for your devotees to come here to see you, listen to you and interact with you" said Pachaiyappan, proudly.

"Tell me something about your background."

"I started my business in a small way, by buying old goods from households and selling them to dealers. Today, I have a steel roll mill and a factory making cooking vessels" began Pachaiyappan. He then narrated his struggles, the challenges faced by him and his achievements.

"Oh, very good! I hope you are taking good care of your family."

"Of course, I am. I am giving a large sum as monthly allowance to my wife and my two sons. They can use that money to buy things, go to places and otherwise spend it the way want."

"Do you go on tours with your family members?"

"I don't have time for such things. After all, I give them a liberal allowance. They can travel to the places they like."

"What about going to films or other programs with them?"

"I have told them that they they could go wherever they want, but that they should not ask me to come along. I am always occupied with my business. I don't even watch TV with them, sitting at home!"

"Do you visit temples?"

"Swamini! As I had  told you already, I have not turned my mind to topics like religion, God, spirituality etc. I have not even pondered over the question whether there is a God."

"Are your parents alive?"

"No. They passed away several years back."

"Do you perform annual ceremonies for them?"

"After performing the funeral rites for them, I have not performed any other rite. I don't even consciously think of their death anniversaries. Sometimes, I may remember the anniversary on the particular date. I will think, 'Oh, today is 17th August. My father passed away this day.' But I would stop with that thought and pursue my normal activities."

"Do you contribute to charities, or help the poor in some way?"

"Swamiji! I believe that everyone has to take care of himself. I find the very idea of helping others repulsive."

Arutchelvam closed his eyes for a few seconds. He then told Pachaiyappan. "Ask Manickam to come here."

"Why, Swamiji? If you need something, I will get it done" said Pachaiyappan.

"Pachaiyappan! You have not been following any of the duties prescribed by noble men. You are not even being affectionate towards your family members. I don't feel right about staying in your house. I will ask Manickam to find some other place for me to stay. Siting under a tree will also be fine" said the Saint.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 54

Avoiding Forgetfulness and Complacency

Verse 538 (in Tamil):

pugazhndhavai pORRIch cheyal vENdum seyyAdhu
igazhndhArkku ezhumaiyum il.

Meaning:

Deeds that have been extolled by the wise and noble men should be done diligently. Those who belittle these deeds and neglect to perform them will not find happiness in any of their seven births.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thuRaviyudan oru uraiyAdal' by the same author.)

Verse 539
Verse 537

537. Tuesdays and Wednesdays

"Ask Mr. Muthuswamy to come to my cabin" Raghavan, Proprietor of Raghav Enterprises told the peon.

When Muthuswamy stepped into his cabin, Raghavan asked him to sit down and asked him, "You met Marimuthu, the builder, last week, When did he ask you to come again?"

"He asked me to come on Wednesday" said Muthuswamy. Immediately realizing that it was Wednesday, "Today" he added in a subdued tone.

"Did you go and meet him today?"

"No, sir. I will go now" said Muthuswamy, getting up from his seat.

"Sit down" said Raghav. "Marimuthu will be available only during the mornings. Why didn't you go in the morning? Did you forget?"

Muthuswamy, silently nodded his head, feeling embarrassed about his lapse.

Raghavan was silent for a few seconds. Then, he asked Muthuswamy, "What do you think is the reason behind my being a successful businessman today?"

Perplexed by this question, Muthuswamy said, "Your dedication and hard work."

"Perhaps. But I always consider one person to be behind my success."

"Who? Your father?"

Raghavan smiled and said, "It could be customary or even fashionable to say so. Many a successful person will attribute his success to his parents, perhaps with the expectation that such a declaration will raise his esteem in the minds of people, by creating an impression in their minds that he has great respect for and gratitude towards his parents. Of course, parents have an important role in the growth of all of us. It goes without saying that the contribution of parents is an important factor behind the success of any person. But often, a particular person would have impacted the life of a person in a significant way and contributed to his success directly or indirectly. I was referring to such a person. His name is Dhandapani. In my younger days, when I was struggling to get a job, I went to see him, using the reference of a person known to me."

"So, he was the one who gave you your first job?"

"No. He didn't give me a job. That is why I have to mention him. When I met him for the first time, he got the details about me and asked me to meet him the next Tuesday, just as Marimuthu asked you to meet him the next Wednesday.

"But, I didn't go on Tuesday, because I completely forgot about it. I remembered it just before I went to bed Tuesday night. I went to him the next morning. He asked me, 'I asked you to come on Tuesday. When did Wednesday become Tuesday?' I apologized to him admitting that I forgot about the appointment. He sent me away saying, 'I am sorry. I don't condone forgetfulness.'

"If I had met him on Tuesday as asked by him, he might have given me a job and my life would have been different. I felt very sorry about losing that opportunity due to my negligence and forgetfulness. Only I know the intensity of the agony I felt at that time, a period when getting a job was so difficult for me. From that day, That experience has remained fresh in my memory. The lesson I learnt from that experience was that I should never omit to do what I have to, due to indifference or forgetfulness. I consider Mr. Dhandapani a guide, for having taught me this valuable lesson.

"I am sharing my experience with you, for a reason. This is a small office. Most of the people who work here are young. You are the only person endowed with the advantage of age and experience. If I were to share my experience with the young people working in our office and advise them to make use of the lesson I have learnt, they would listen to me out of respect for my position, but may not take my advice seriously. But if you, a person who has been working with them closely, advise them, they would be inclined to think about your advice. Please cultivate in the minds of our employees the habit of doing things at the right time, without giving room for indifference, negligence or forgetfulness. If they adopt this habit, it will help them in their life more than their improved performance may help the firm. Based on my own experience, I can say with confidence that they would reap rich benefits in their lives, by adopting this approach. 

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 54

Avoiding Forgetfulness and Complacency

Verse 537 (in Tamil):

ariya enRu AgAdha illai pochchAvAk
karuviyAl pORRich cheyin.

Meaning:

The impossible doesn’t exist, when you do the task

diligently, with an alert, incomplacent mind.

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

Verse 538
Verse 536

536. The Chief Minister's Diary

"The Chief Minister's morning programs are over. During the afternoon, he will take rest in the government guest house. In the evening, he will address a public meeting. From there, he will proceed to the airport. This is his schedule" said Shanmugam, the personal assistant of the Chief Minister. 

The Chief Minister's security officer nodded his head and said, "That means we will have a break for two hours in the afternoon!" and smiled.

"Working under a Chief Minister, who works without taking a break, we too seldom get a break" said Shanmugam.

But they didn't get the break they had expected to get. After lunch, the Chief Minister set out to meet an old friend of him. 

Since the security officer had no prior information about the locality to be visited by the Chief Minister, he hurriedly sent a couple of security guards to the locality to make an assessment of the place and make appropriate arrangements for providing security to the Chief Minister during his visit to that area.

Having not expected a visit from the Chief Minister, the Chief Minister's childhood friend was overwhelmed by his friend's gesture. The Chief Minister chatted with him for a few minutes and then took leave of him.

When Shanmugam got a chance to be alone with the Chief Minister in the guest house, he asked the Chief Minister, "Sir, may I know about your friend you visited today?"

"I had my first job in this town. I got a job in a small firm situated here. I found it difficult to find a place to stay. This friend, Karunakaran, was working in that firm. Seeing my plight, he asked me to stay in his house, till I got a suitable accommodation. It was a noble gesture from him, considering that I was a total stranger to him. It was only after two months that I got a place to stay and till that time, I had stayed in his house. Even at that time, I had decided that once I came to a good position in life, I would do something to Karunakaran, in return for his help. I got such an opportunity only now. I ascertained from him what help he needed. I will do whatever is possible as per rules" said the Chief Minister.

 "I have noticed that you met some people in other places you visited also."

"They are also my benefactors. I have been trying to meet all those who had helped me in someway and trying to render them whatever help I could."

"It is surprising that you remember people who helped you some time in the past and show your gratitude to them and render them the help they need now."

"If I relied only on my memory, some people would be left out. Therefore, whenever someone helped me, I would make a note of it in this notebook. I go through the notebook quite often. When I get an opportunity to help them, I will. When I visit the place where they are residing, I meet them, find out what their needs are and fulfill them to the extent I can."

The Chief Minister took out a notebook from his handbag and showed it to Shanmugam.

"Sir! I have seen you handling this notebook quite often. But I thought it was your diary" said the assistant.

The Chief Minister laughed aloud and said, "It is not surprising that you thought so. A few years back, income tax officials conducted a raid at my house. You were not working with me at that time, so you wouldn't be aware of it. They didn't get anything worthwhile. But, they found this notebook. Suspecting that it was a secret diary of mine, in which I would have entered details that would incriminate me, they took it away. After going through it and realizing that it didn't contain anything of value to them, they returned it to me after a few days!".

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 54

Avoiding Forgetfulness and Complacency

Verse 536 (in Tamil):

izhukkAmai yAr mAttum enRum vazhukkAmai
vAyin adhu oppadhu il.

Meaning:

Never be complacent about any task or deride anyone : nothing is better than following this unswervingly.

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

Verse 537
Verse 535

535. Effluent Treatment Plant

"For a chemical industry, effluent treatment is very important. Both the liquid and gaseous effluents will pose a problem. In your factory, there are no gaseous effluents. But you have liquid effluents. Therefore, it is essential that you set up a full-fledged effluent treatment plant" said the consultant.

"What will be the investment required for it?" asked Udhayakumar, the proprietor.

After hearing the amount mentioned by the consultant, Udhayakumar asked "Do I have to invest such a large sum? In addition to my investment for the manufacturing unit, do I have to invest money in this unproductive equipment? Is there a way out of this?"

After hesitating for a while, the consultant said, "You can treat the effluents by installing a low cost effluent treatment plant. But that plant won't function effectively for a long period. Its efficiency will come down after two or three years. After that, the percentage of impurities in the treated effluent will begin to increase gradually. At that time, you will have to upgrade that plant. But, if you set up a full-fledged plant by investing more in the beginning itself, it will function well for a long time."

"I don't want to invest a big amount for the effluent treatment plant, now. I will go for the alternative mentioned by you. I will set up a plant at a low cost. After two or three years, I can upgrade it, using the profit generated by the unit" said Udhayakumar.

Udhayakumar went through the letter received by him by registered post. It was a notice sent by the Pollution Control Department stating that during the inspection of his factory by the officials of the department, it was found that the percentage of impurities in the effluent released by his factory was more than the permitted level and directing him to shut down his factory within fifteen days of the receipt of the notice.

Udhayakumar cursed himself for his negligence and lethargy that led to his failure to upgrade the effluent treatment plant two years after starting his factory, as advised by the consultant.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 54

Avoiding Forgetfulness and Complacency

Verse 535 (in Tamil):

munnuRak kAvAdhu izhukkiyAn than pizhai
pinnURu irangi vidum.

Meaning:

One who is complacent and derisive, and doesn’t safeguard himself against the repercussions, by failing to anticipate them, will resent his lapses later.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kaZhivu nIr suththikarippu nilaiyam' by the same author.)

Verse 536
Verse 534

534. The Two Brothers

"You spend half of your salary in buying unwanted products and doing wasteful things" said Bhargavi.

"Is keeping the mosquito repellent switched on a wasteful expenditure?" countered Manohar.

"It would be fine if you used just the mosquito repellent to drive out mosquitoes. But you have also covered all the windows with net and blocked the entry of fresh air into the room. And, you sleep inside a mosquito net. In addition to all these measures, you apply mosquito repellent cream on your body, before going to bed. Should you be scared of the mosquitoes so much?" asked Bhargavi. 'Of course, you are scared of every thing!' she whispered in a tone Manohar couldn't hear.

"What can I do? Even after my taking all these precautionary measures, the mosquitoes still bite me. I think a couple of mosquitoes somehow sneak into my net and bite me, undeterred by the cream that should repel them. Perhaps, I should light a couple of mosquito coils also every night."

"I have heard that in ancient times, sages will sit in a place, surrounded by fire on all the sides and do penance. You can also try that approach. The house may get burnt but you can be free from mosquito bite!" said Bhargavi, in a mocking tone.

"Now that you had mentioned about fire, I was reminded of something I wanted to tell you. I have ordered a fire extinguisher. We will be getting it tomorrow."

"Is it an appliance like the one they keep in offices, movie theatres etc?"

"Yes. But it will be small. They also manufacture the appliances suitable for homes."

"Why wouldn't they? When there are people like you, being scared of everything, manufacturers of such products will have a roaring business. You have been spending a considerable part of your salary for buying these kinds of safety equipment. Look at your elder brother! How he has come up in life! He has built a second house already and invited us for the house-warming ceremony being performed next week" aid Bhagavi, with a sigh. 

Soon after returning home, after attending the house-warming ceremony of Manohar's elder brother Dayanidhi, Bhargavi told Manohar, "I thought that your brother being financially well off, he and his wife would be happy. But it appears that they are not."

"Possible. I also noticed that Daya was a little down in spirits. He told me that he was disappointed by the poor turnout for the function and regretted that the surplus food was going to be wasted. 

"After having, for a long time, ignored people who had helped him, if your brother invited them for the function to showcase his wealth, would the people have interest to attend the function?" commented Bhargavi.

"How do you say this? You don't know about my brother's affairs."

"I don't. I am telling you what your brother's wife told me. She said that many people had helped your brother to rise up to this stage in his life. But your brother didn't bother to be in touch with them, even for the sake of courtesy. If she mentioned to your brother about any of his benefactors, he would say, 'Oh, he? Yes, he helped me a bit at some point of time. But, should I be thinking about it for the rest of my life? I remember him only after you mentioned him.' She said that because of this attitude of your brother, no one was close to them and expressed her anguish at not having intimate friends made her life hollow."

"It is five o' clock. It's time to close the windows. If I don't do this, mosquitoes would enter the house" said Manohar, rushing towards one of the windows.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 54

Avoiding Forgetfulness and Complacency

Verse 534 (in Tamil):

achcham udaiyArkku araN illai Angillai
pochchAppu udaiyArkku nangu.

Meaning:

No fortress is good enough for those who have fear;

no good can occur to those who are smug, slack or derisive.

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

Verse 535
Verse 533

533. A conversation Between Two Journalists

"This happened a few years back. There was a leader in a political party, who had come up from the ranks, through his dedication and hard work. After the demise of the President of the party, he became the party President. At that time, that party was not in power. But, it was widely expected that that party would win the next elections and come to power. He was expected to become the Chief Minister. The party won the elections, as expected. But he couldn't become the Chief Minister."

"Why?"

"He was defeated in the election. He lost by a huge margin."

"What happened after that?"

"His political career came to an end."

"Interesting. I won't ask you why he lost the election. I know the reason for his defeat."

"How could you know the reason? You don't even know who the person I talked about is. I didn't even mention in which state this had happened. Moreover, you have no interest in politics and you have not been following the political developments in various states of our country!"

"I don't know the person you talked about. But I will tell you the reason for his defeat, as per my assessment. Tell me whether I am right. Many people would have helped him in his growth in politics at various stages. But after coming up in the ladder of the hierarchy in his party, he would have forgotten those people and the help rendered by them. That was why, when he contested the election, his partymen did not work enthusiastically for his victory. Am I right?"

"You are on dot! We political journalists spend a lot of time in the field, gather information from various sources, like a bee gathering honey and then arrive at conclusions and make assessments. But you are stating the facts, as if you have witnessed the happenings from close quarters. How did you do this?"

"After all, I am also a journalist like you. While you focus on political developments, I concentrate on commerce and industry. A similar experience happened to an industrialist. He started his business in a small way and grew up to be a big industrialist. A lot of people helped him end encouraged him from the very beginning in various ways, from giving him orders and supplying goods on credit to helping him get a loan from a bank.  But, with success having gone to his head, he forgot the help done by various people. He was not only not grateful to those who had helped him, but didn't bother to be in touch with them as well.  He deluded himself that he attained success because of his intelligence and hard work. When he was at the pinnacle of success, he was lonely, with no friends or well-wishers. When, after a few years, the tide had turned and he began to face problems in his business, he couldn't seek help from anyone, since he had distanced himself from his benefactors. As it happens in the snakes and ladders game, he had a steep fall from the top and he could never rise again. It is by recalling this incident that I guessed what could have happened in the case of the leader mentioned by you."

"It is surprising that similar events have happened in two different fields!"

"If we check with people studying other fields, we may find similar stories. After all, facts of life should apply to all fields."

"From being a journalist, you seem to be evolving into a philosopher!"

Both laughed.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 54

Avoiding Forgetfulness and Complacency

Verse 533 (in Tamil):

pochchAppARkku illai pugazhmai adhu ulagaththu
eppAl nUlOrkkum thuNivu.

Meaning:

There is no fame for those who are smug, lax or derisive:

scholars of all walks and beliefs concur on this.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kaNdu pidiththadhu eppadi' by the same author.)

Verse 534
Verse 532