610. Rajendra Chola

"Your Majesty! Your late father had conquered several small countries, expanded his empire and handed it over to you. It is your responsibility to preserve this empire" said the Minister.

"You say my father conquered several small countries. Did he not try to conquer any large country?" asked King Ilavazhagan. He had ascended the throne only recently, after the demise of his father.

The Minister looked at the King, with surprise.

"Your Majesty! Conquering a large country is not easy. If we lose the war, we will lose our country too. That was why your father wisely focused on conquering small countries and expanding our empire. Some emperors, after conquering small countries, would allow the kings of those countries to continue to rule, with the condition that pay an annual tax to the emperor, by way of acknowledging that the emperor is the ultimate ruler of their countries. But your father didn't follow that practice. He merged the conquered countries with our country" said the Minister. 

"So, if we conquer big countries and merge them with our country, we can make our country the largest in the world!" said the King, with excitement.

"Your Majesty! Fighting large countries is not easy. You have ascended the throne just now. It is not advisable for you to engage in a war, even at the beginning of your tenure as the king. I would suggest that you enjoy a leisurely life as the King for a couple of years, before considering the possibility of expanding our empire, by conquering other countries. This is my humble suggestion" said the Minister.

"Minister! I am not suggesting that we go to war with a big country immediately. If we have to fight big countries and conquer them, we need to devise an extensive plan. We should strengthen our forces. We should gather intelligence about the strengths and weaknesses of the countries we want to conquer. I am aware that planning and preparations will take a couple of years. But should we not start preparations for these steps, even now? I want you to think and make a plan for the steps we need to take. I am not interested in taking leisure. I am ready to actively involve myself in the preparatory activities, starting from today!" said Ilavazhagan.

"Your Majesty! In expanding our empire, you have outperformed your father. Within a short time, you have conquered four big countries and hoisted our country's flag in distant regions. Your achievement is unparalleled." 

"The wisdom and experience of a person like you who had worked with my father, the strategies devised by our Army Chief and the support extended by our people to our efforts, by willingly foregoing some comforts and suffering some inconveniences are the factors that enabled this victory" said the King.

"Your Majesty! Like your commitment, dedication and perseverance, your humility is also laudable. Just as Vamana, an avatar of Lord Vishnu covered the entire world with his foot, you also conquered large landscapes. I have never ceased wondering how you got the stimulus for achieving this feat."

"You were the one, who provided the stimulus, Minister" said the King, smiling.

"Me? What did I do?" asked the Minister, perplexed.

During my carnation, you blessed me saying that just as King Rajendra Chola had attained a glory equivalent to that of his father Rajaraja Chola, I should also emulate my father and attain a glory matching his. Inspired by your words, I read the life history of Rajendra Chola. While Rajaraja Chola conquered Lanka, a country situated near to the Chola kingdom, Rajendra Chola conquered Kadaram, a country situated far from his country, beyond the seas. He also expanded his empire by conquering the countries situated  on the banks of the river Ganga, in the northern part of our continent and earned the title, 'Conqueror of the Ganga.' Learning these facts gave me the impetus to expand our empire" said Ilavazhagan.

"I might have provided you the stimulus. But it was your relentless efforts that made this achievement possible" said the Minister. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 610 (in Tamil):
madiyilA mannavan eydhum adi aLandhAn
thAyadhu ellAm orungu.

Meaning:

The ruler who has no sloth will attain all that was attained by

the one who measured the world with his foot*.

*This is a reference to the mythological story of Vamana, an incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu, who covered the entire earth by his one foot.

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

Verse 611
Verse 609

609. The Boy's Question

"Dad! The dads of my classmates have been going for jobs. Why is it that you are not going for any job?"

Thangappan was not surprised, but irritated, by the question posed by his son, studying in the fifth grade.

"My mom had asked me this question. After that, your mom asked me the same question. Now, it seems to be your turn!" replied Thangappan, showing his annoyance at being asked the question.

"Why are you directing your anger at our son? It is not just our son; everyone known to us has been commenting about your not going for a job!" said his wife Sumangali.

"I have ancestral properties and I am getting income from them. Why should I go for a job?"

"Your father had ancestral properties too. But, he was not sitting at home. He went to the fields and managed the agricultural operations in lands owned by him. Even during the time he was at home, he was engaged in gardening at home. He worked hard, earned well, multiplied his properties and left them to you."

"He enjoyed working. I don't. I like sitting at home and enjoying life!" said Thangappan.

"I also come from a wealthy family. If I choose not to do cooking or other household chores and sit idle like you, how will you like it?" asked Sumangali, angrily.

"I will have no problem with your not doing household chores. We can afford to have a cook and a maid" said Thangappan, laughing.

"In the school, my teachers and classmates ask me 'what is your father?' What answer should I give them?" asked the boy, sticking to his point.

"You can tell them that your dad provides jobs for other people!" said Thangappan. 

"You think this is a joke. But when I hear people comparing you with your father and commenting that while your father was a hardworking person, despite being wealthy, you are the opposite of him, I feel ashamed" said Sumangali, frustrated by the realization that her husband won't change his ways.

"For the past few days, you have been going out and returning home quite late. What is the matter?" asked Sumangali.

"I am going to start a business!" said Thangappan, beaming.

"Business! What business?" asked Sumangali, with astonishment.

"I am going to be a paddy merchant. I will procure paddy from the farmers of our village and of other nearby villages and sell it to the big merchants in the nearby towns. For doing this business, I have been looking out for labourers to work and arranging for bullock carts to transport the paddy. This was what I had been doing, during the last few days. I am going to start the business this Friday, after performing a puja*" said Thangappan, with excitement.

"Reallly? How did you make the decision to start a business, all of a sudden?" asked Sumangali, elated by her husband's plan. 

"All these years, my mother and you have been pleading with me to take up a job or some activity. Somehow, I didn't feel motivated to act on your suggestions. But I was pricked by our son's question why I didn't go for a job, while the dads of his classmates did. The embarrassment felt by him to answer the question from his friends about what I was doing also made me feel bad about myself. I suggested to him that he could tell his friends that his father was providing jobs to others. It was a response that occurred to me at the spur of the moment. But, when I kept thinking of my answer, a thought occurred to me 'what if I could really do it?' After reflecting on this thought for sometime, I conceived the idea of taking up the paddy business, a business which I could do, using the knowledge and resources I have. Then I began to take steps to implement my idea. I thought I would tell you about my plan, after making all the arrangements to launch the business."

"I feel proud of you!" said Sumangali.

"But, there is one problem" said Thangappan.

"What is it?"

"Paddy procurement being a seasonal business, I will be working only for four or five months in a year. I don't know how to keep myself busy, during the remaining months."

"Oh! This may not be a problem at all. Once you have decided to be active and launched the business, you won't be able to remain idle even for a short period. You will find a way to engage yourself in some activity. Hereafter, no one will be able to say that in spite of being born in a good family, you remain idle. That will be enough for me" said Sumangali, with a sense of satisfaction.

*puja - a prayer ritual

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 609 (in Tamil):
kudiyANmaiyuL vandha kuRRam oruvan
madiyANmai mARRak kedum.

Meaning:

When a man puts away idleness, the reproach which has come upon himself and his family will disappear.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'magan kEtta kELvi' by the same author.) 

Verse 610
Verse 608

608. Born Noble

"Velmurugan! I asked you to go to Selvam Enterprises and collect the amount due from them. Have you collected the money?" Gopalaswamy, the Proprietor of the firm, asked Velmurugan, in a tone of rebuke.

"Not yet, sir. I have been going to their office everyday. Every time, they ask me to come on a particular day and when I go there on that day, they ask me to come some other day" replied Velmurugan, in a feeble tone.

"You are a lazy pig, after all! You would not have gone there on the day specified by them. The pay day is just four days away. If you don't collect the dues from them before the pay day, you won't get your salary" warned Gopalaswamy. 

As Velmurugan came out of the Proprietor's cabin, wiping the sweat on his face with his kerchief, Gunaseelan, the Accountant looked at him with sympathy.

After a few minutes, Velmurugan left the office, to collect the dues from the customers.

After he had left, Gunaseelan told his colleague, Sabhapathy, who was sitting next to him, "It is pathetic that this man, born in respectable family, has to eke out his living by putting up with such insults!"

"Does he hail from a noble family?" asked Sabhapathy, surprised by the information. 

"Yes. Velmurugan's father was a rich and respectable man in his village. Velmurugan is his only son. After his father's demise, Velmurugan was sitting at home, without going for a job. Subsequently, his mother also passed away and there was no one to advise him. He was living on the assets left by his parents, not feeling the need to take up a job and earn an income. It was only after getting married and begetting children that Velmurugan realized that he was left with very little money and that he could not run his family unless he took up a job."

"You said he had assets left by his parents!" asked Sabhapathy.

"Only a person, who earns no income, but feeds on his assets will know how fast the assets get depleted. Don't ask me whether I have experienced it! I have seen a lot of people undergo this experience" said Gunaseelan.

"So, what happened eventually" asked Sabhapathy, like a person listening to a story becoming curious about how the story develops and ends.

"Realizing his situation, Velmurugan began to search for a job. He couldn't get a good job. Somehow, he landed at our firm. The unfortunate fact is that our Proprietor's father had lived in the same village as Velmurugan and had some enmity with Velmurugan's father. Our Proprietor gave a job to Velmurugan, acting magnanimous, by helping a person whose father was an enemy of his father. But he has been treating Velmurugan like a slave. I feel pained to see our Proprietor treating Velmurugan with disrespect, without considering the fact that  Velmurugan is elder to our Proprietor in age and and constantly insulting and belittling Velmurugan in various ways" said Gunaseelan, gravely. 

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 608 (in Tamil):
madimai kudimaikkaN thangin than onnArkku
adimai puguththi vidum.

Meaning:

If idleness takes up its abode in a man of high birth, it will make him a slave of his enemies.

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

Verse 609
Verse 607

607. Hunting For A Job At the Age of Forty

"You are forty years old. Did you not go for any job till now?" Shanmugam, the Manager of the firm, asked Kesavan, who had appeared for the interview, for a job in the firm.

"No, sir" said Kesavan.

"Why?"

"Family circumstances."

"That means?"

"My father was ill. He was bed-ridden. My mother was also weak. She was unable to take up any physical activity. So, I had to stay home, do the chores and look after my parents too."

"What about your siblings?"

"My elder brother has been working in another town. My sister got married and went to live with her husband."

"So, the entire burden was on your shoulders" said Shanmugam, feeling sympathetic. "But, you don't even have a good education. You didn't study even up to tenth grade!" he remarked.

"Yes, sir. I have been looking after my parents, even from my school days" said Kesavan.

"How do you know our Proprietor?"

"One of my father's friends had told your Proprietor about me and requested him to give me a job in his firm. I met the Proprietor in his house. He asked me to go to the office and meet you."

"Mr. Kesavan! This is a small organization. There is a vacancy only for the post of a peon. The salary won't be high" said Shanmugam, reluctantly.

"Any job is good enough for me, sir."

"As a peon, you will have to do various tasks, ranging from running errands to getting coffee and tea to the employees from the nearby restaurants. The job will be hectic and you will have to run around a lot. Usually, we recruit only young people for this job. They will have the inclination and the energy to move about a lot. You are not young..."

"That won't be a problem, sir" said Kesavan.

"Ok" said Shanmugam. Hearing some sounds of movement in the Proprietor's cabin, which was close by, he told Kesavan, "Our Proprietor seems to have come to the office. I will put in a word to him about you and come back."

Shanmugam then got up from his seat and went into the Proprietor's cabin.

Kesavan was able to hear the conversation Shanmugam had with the Proprietor in the latter's cabin. 

Shanmugam spoke in a subdued voice, taking care to ensure that Kesavan wouldn't hear him. But the Proprietor, who had a stentorian voice, didn't make any attempt to lower his voice. 

After hearing what Shanmugam had said, the Proprietor laughed out loud.

"Oh, that's what he said! It has been several years since his parents passed away. All these years, he had been idling at home or roaming about the town aimlessly, without doing anything useful. After squandering all the money and properties left to him by his parents and reaching a state, where he needs to earn money for his survival, he is seeking a job, at the age of forty. He is married and has a child too. His wife had been urging him to go for a job for the past several years, but, he didn't listen to her. As a boy, he didn't bother to study well. But, you say he is blaming his parents for his lack of education! My friend, a friend of his father, told me these facts. He had also repeatedly advised Kesavan to take up a job, but to no avail. It was only out of sympathy for Kesavan's wife and child, that my friend recommended him to me. By nature, Kesavan is lazy. He is likely to be sluggish in his work. Be strict with him" the Proprietor told Shanmugam.

The Proprietor's words entered Kesavan's mind through his ears and pierced it like arrows. His body shrank in humiliation, caused by his plight of having to listen to such demeaning words from strangers.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 607 (in Tamil):
idi purindhu eLLum sol kEtpar madi purindhu
mANda ujnaRRu ilavar.

Meaning:

Those who, out of indolence, do not engage themselves in dignified exertion, may have to listen to rebukes and insulting remarks.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'nARpadhu vayadhil oru vElai' by the same author.) 

Verse 608
Verse 606

138. An Evening That Changed the Life

When I came to know that my friend Murugesh had been admitted in a hospital in Madurai, for treatment of malfunctioning of his lever, I wanted to go to Madurai immediately and meet him. But, I could not take leave, since I had some important work to attend to, at my office in Mumbai. 

When I went to Madurai after a week, Murugesh had been discharged from the hospital. 

I visited him at his home. 

I was shocked to see the skeleton-like figure lying on the cot.

'Is this Murugesh?' was the question that instinctively arose in my mind. Though it had been some years since I had met him, I could not believe that he would have changed so much in appearance.

I first met Murugesh in a training program organized by my company for new recruits like me, at its head office in Delhi. Within a few minutes of getting acquainted with each other, we became intimate.

On the last day of the training, the company hosted a dinner for the trainees in a high class hotel. Liquor was served before dinner. Those who had already been exposed to drinks partook the drinks, with excitement and joy. 

Some of us, including Murugesh, who were not accustomed to drinking liquor, stood aside . 

"Have the drinks and enjoy, boys! You won't get such high quality liquor at other places. Nothing wrong in taking a peg or two occasionally. I don't drink regularly, but I never miss my drinks in parties like this. Should we not enjoy life?" said our Training Officer.

Prodded by his talk, some people began to taste liquor. Murugesh was one among them. That was the starting point for Murugesh's addiction to drinking. 

Murugesh and I had been working at different places. So, we were not able to meet often. However, we were in touch.

Over the years, I got several promotions and rose to the position of a Deputy General Manager. Murugesh, however, remained a junior officer in the company.

The drinking habit, acquired by Murugesh at the hotel in Delhi on the last day of our training, had gripped him tightly. His addiction led him to such a state that he could not refrain from taking liquor even for a day.

During the times I met him, I had been urging him to give up his addiction to drinks. After his marriage, his wife had also been pleading with him to give up drinking. But, he was unable to come out of the drinking habit.

As could only be expected, excessive drinking resulted in causing a serious damage to his liver. He had to be admitted to a hospital for treatment.

"You have become so emaciated" I said.

I heard the sound of sobbing from behind. It was from Murugesh's wife Bhanumathy.

"He didn't listen to you, me or to any of the other well-wishers, who had repeatedly pleaded with him to come out of this destructive habit. Now, he has got his health ruined and become bed-ridden" she told me, in between sobs.

"Give up this habit, at least now!" I told Murugesh.

Murugesh nodded his head.

"The doctor told us that if he drank again, his life would be at risk. Please advise your friend to keep away from liquor, hereafter" Bhanumathy told me.

"I won't touch liquor, hereafter" said Murugesh, firmly.

"Will you be able to do it?" Bhanumathy asked Murugesh, not convinced by his declaration.

She then turned to me and said, "In a way, not having children is a blessing to us. I have been struggling to run our family with the money he gives me, after spending a major portion of his salary on drinks. If we had children, it would be even more difficult for me to manage our family. While feeding the children would itself be a challenge, spending money for their education would be unthinkable. But, from another perspective, the presence of children at home would offer me some solace."

I told Murugesh, "Murugesh! Take leave for three months. Come and stay with me at Mumbai, with your wife. It will be a change. If you are with me for some time, you will also be able to give up your drinking habit."  

I couldn't think of anything more that I could do in that situation, to help my friend Murugesh.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 139 (In Tamil)

nanRikku vththAgum nal ozhukkam thI ozhukkam
enRum idumbai tharum.

Meaning:

Good conduct becomes the seed for good developments.

Bad habits will invariably lead to agony.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'payiRchiyil thuvangiya pazhakkam' by the same author.)

Verse 140 (Soon)
Verse 138

606. Murugan's Classmate

"You are not looking for a job. You have been sitting at home, whiling away your time. After having a good sleep in the night, you sleep during daytime too. Now and then, you sit on the pial of our house, invite people walking on the street for a chat and chat with them. If this is going to be your way of life, how will you come up in life?" Muthulakshmi asked her son Murugan.

"Dad has left me properties of considerable value. Why should I go for a job?" countered Murugan.

There is a proverb, 'If one has no earnings and keeps consumes his assets, even a mountain of assets will be reduced to a plateau, through.'"

"It will take a long time for a mountain to be exhausted. Let me see, after the mountain is reduced to a plateau."

Murugan did not pay heed to his mother's repeated pleas. After he got married, his wife Uma also echoed his mother's views. But, Murugan didn't make any attempt to change his ways.

One day, a fleet of cars entered the street in which Murugan's house was located. The cars halted in front of Murugan's house. With a number of cars arriving at the street and stopping, a screeching sound was heard over the street, making many residents come out of their houses, to find outwhat was happening.

Hearing the sound made by the cars, Uma also came out of her house, driven by a sense of curiosity and anxiety.

Two police officers got down from the cars in the front. Someone opened the rear door of the third car. 

Uma was dumbstruck seeing the person, who got down from the third car. 

It was the Chief Minister of the state.

The Chie Minister greeted Uma, by folding his palms and showing his respect to her and asked her, "Is this Murugan's house? Is he there?"

"Yes, he is. Please come in, sir" said Uma, unable to believe what was happening before her eyes. 

As Uma entered her house, the Chief Minister and two police officers followed her into the house.

Murugan, who came out from his room, hearing the voices, looked at the Chief Minister and exclaimed in astonishment, "Hey, Selvam! You are visiting me!"

"Yes, Murugan. How are you?" inquired Chief Minister Selvam and hugged him.

The Chief Minister then looked at Uma and said, "Murugan and I studied together in the primary school in a nearby village. Subsequently, his family moved to this place. Your husband would have told you about me. We were close friends in the school. We are, even now."

He then looked at Murugan and asked him, smiling "Aren't we?"

"Of course, we are!" said Murugan.

The Chief Minister conversed with Murugan for a few minutes and then departed. 

While taking leave, Selvam told Murugan, "Contact me for any help you need. I will tell my personal secretary that whenever I get a call from you, he should connect the call to me."

He then looked at Uma and said, "I came to Kumbakonam, to attend a function. I remembered that the place where Murugan has been living is nearby. I decided to visit him and came down here. My visiting your home with no prior intimation may have caused you inconvenience. The coffee you gave me was very delicious. Best Wishes. I take leave." 

After Selvam had left, Uma asked Murugan, "You didn't tell me that the Chief Minister was your classmate!"

"I didn't think it was important" said Murugan, tersely.

Uma reflected on the Chief Minister's words, 'Contact me, for any help you need.'

If Murugan were to start a business, he can get help from the government. Even if he weren't, the fact that the Chief Minister was a classmate of Murugan, which was just made known to people living in the village, would enhance Murugan's esteem and create a favourable impact about him on others.

But Uma knew that the prospects of Murugan making use of such a favourable image and impression, by working towards taking his family forward in the path of progress were not very bright.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 606 (in Tamil):
padi udaiyAr paRRu amaindhak kaNNum madi udaiyAr
mAN payan eydhal aridhu.

Meaning:

The lazy man will not be able to gain any benefit, even if he gets the acquaintance of the ruler of his country. 

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

Verse 607
Verse 605

605. The Price of Procrastination

"You have completed your studies. Should you not be trying for a job?" Arunachalam asked his son Viswanathan.

"Don't you know that I have been trying?" shot back Viswanathan. 

"I wonder! After your examinations were over, I asked you to look for job advertisements in the newspapers and apply for jobs suitable for you. But you didn't."

"Dad! I can apply, only after the exam results are released."

"There are many advertisements that say that candidates awaiting results can also apply. I have shown such advertisements to you and asked you to apply for those jobs. But, you responded only to a couple of such ads."

"After the examination I wanted to relax for a few days!"

"Isn't getting a job an important step in your life? You could relax, after getting a job. Look at your friend Raghu. From the very next day of completing his examinations, he started sifting through 'situations vacant' pages of the daily newspapers and applying for each and every job, for which he was eligible to apply. Now he has been called for interview by a good company."

"Dad! Raghu is a book-worm. When he was studying in the college, he was immersed in text-books. Now, he immersed himself in newspaper ads. Even if he gets a job, he will keep reading the job ads in the newspapers, looking for more lucrative jobs. He will keep doing this, even after his retirement. I can't be like him."

"You don't have to be like him. You have relaxed enough, by being carefree for two months, after writing your examinations. You have been roaming about the city and sleeping till ten o' clock in the morning. Now, the exam results have come. You have also received your score card. If you are serious about getting a job, you should be spending some time every day, going through the job ads in the newspapers. But, I find that you have been reading only magazines filled with entertainment stuff. Instead, if you read journals that have content relating to general knowledge and aptitude development, it will be of some help in writing aptitude tests or facing interviews. But, the point is, you have not been going through job ads. If I go through the ads, select the ones suitable to you and ask you to apply, you don't apply to them!"

"Dad! I have been applying to all the ads you ask me to."

"No, you are not. If I show you ten ads, you apply for two or three, that too, only after repeated reminders from me. Sometimes, you say you forgot. By the time, you remember and set out to apply, the last date gets over. It has been five months since you completed your studies. Seven or eight of your classmates have landed a job already. The number could be more. After all, I don't know all of your classmates. You get up at ten in the morning. After that, you just while away the time, without doing anything worthwhile. You neglect to do the things you have to do, in time, and just say you forgot! I am worried how your future is going to be, if you  continue with your ways!"

Arunachalam spoke his mind, conveying his concern and sorrow.

"I will mend my ways, daddy. Hereafter, I will be earnest and brisk and do things promptly" said Viswanathan.

However, Viswanathan did not make any effort to change himself.

It has been eighteen months, since Viswanathan completed his studies. He had still not got a job.

Arunachalam stopped the practice of going through job ads and pointing out the relevant ones to his son, after getting fatigued and frustrated by the attitude of his son.

Viswanathan's friend Kumar told him, "A new industrial unit is coming up in the public sector. It is going to recruit a large number of people for various positions. The ad has come in today's paper. There is a good chance of our getting a job in this firm. It is a very good firm. The salary is good. The career prospects are also bright. If we get a job in this firm, we can settle down in our life. I am going to apply for this today. You may also apply."

"I will" said Viswanathan.

Viswanathan decided that immediately after going home, he would look for ad and apply.

When he reached home, his father was there. Since Viswanathan wanted to avoid any question from his father about the job he was applying for, he postponed looking for the ad. If his father came to know about the opportunity, he would pressurize him to apply immediately, making a lot of fuss, in the process.

Since the last date to apply was about fifteen days away, Viswanathan was complacent for the next couple of days, 

Some relatives visited his home and stayed for a couple of days. Viswanathan's attention was diverted. By the time the relatives departed, Viswanathan had forgotten about applying for the job.

He remembered the matter, after two days, but he didn't remember the date on which the ad for the job was published in the newspaper. He took out the papers for the last fifteen days and searched for the ad. He couldn't find it.

Kumar would be having the cutting of the ad. But he was not in town. 

Viswanathan concluded that he had not searched for the ad meticulously. He decided to search for the ad more thoroughly, the next day.

When he searched again the next day, he was able to find the ad.

Viswanathan felt relieved.

But when he read the ad, he saw a problem.

The application process was not simple. First, he had to request for the application form, by writing to the head office of the firm at Delhi, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. After receiving the application form from the firm, he should fill it up and send it to the Delhi office, along with copies of his certificates and a postal order for ten rupees.

The last date for receipt of the applications was only five days away. It would take four days to receive the application form from Delhi, even if he were to send the request for the form that day. Even if he could post the completed application the same day he received the form, it would take at least two days for it to reach Delhi. There was a Sunday in between. Therefore, the completed application would reach Delhi, only after the last date.

After the bitter realization that it was impossible for him to apply for that job. he put the newspaper away, in disgust.

The feeling of regret that he could have applied for that job in time, if only he had been a little less lethargic, created a pain in his mind. 

Arunachalam, who had entered the house just then, saw his son going through several newspapers and felt, 'Not bad. At least now, he has become responsible.'

After three months, Kumar received an appointment order from the public sector firm.

"You are better than me, in all aspects. So, if you had applied for the job, you would have definitely got it. Why did you miss applying for the job?" asked Kumar.

Viswanathan cursed himself for losing a good opportunity, due to his lethargy and sluggishness.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 605 (in Tamil):
nedunIr maRavi madi thuyil nAngum
kedu nIrAr kAmak kalan.

Meaning:

Procrastination, neglect, sloth and slumber; these four are the ship that are lovingly boarded by people destined to lose.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'visvanAdhA vElai thEdu' by the same author.) 

Verse 606
Verse 604