Righteousness

என்பி லதனை வெயில்போலக் காயுமே
அன்பி லதனை அறம். (77)

enpi ladhanai veyilpoalak kaayumae
anpi ladhanai aRam.

A life without love will be stung by the righteous conscience
like a body without bones that is burnt by the sun. [Couplet 77]

This is one of the oft-quoted couplet. The usual explanation to this goes as given in the English version.

But I have recently heard a better explanation to this couplet on its nuance. And I just wanted to share it here for I loved the explanation.

The righteous virtue burns away the soul of the loveless people. But why is it compared to that of the Sun burning the boneless? Because, it has a special unique feature.

The Sun burns the boneless only when the creature attempts to stay in the Scorching sun. As Sun never goes in search of boneless to burn them..

Similarly, Righteousness doesn’t burn the loveless as long as they stay confined within their solitude.. It starts punishing only when the loveless people come out to stay in the society without having the least compassion for the society.

So being Loveless is not a crime by itself to deserve the punishment of righteousness.

Share your love and let the World be a better place to live upon.

Failure isn’t always a failure!

The joy of ticking off a to-do list,
The joy of scoring out a pending task,
The happiness of achieving some target,
The happiness of getting appreciated for timely completion,
The happiness of shelving a project after completion,
And every other joy of accomplishment,
Takes up the level of self-confidence a bit ahead!

And that little more confidence helps you to achieve even more..
And there is another kind of confidence that helps us to accomplish things, which we might otherwise find beyond our capability..

The confidence that you have nothing to lose, but could gain anything to everything..
Also, there is the confidence that comes with the knowledge of having every possibility a success!

Is there ever a possibility of having every try a success??

Yes!
Though the success from each chance is not the same, some failures are worth more than the success and hence, the failure can’t be classified as failure!

Wondering how failure is better than success?
Here’s the formula as told in Thirukkural by Thiruvalluvar..

கான முயலெய்த அம்பினில் யானை
பிழைத்தவேல் ஏந்தல் இனிது. 772

kaana muyal_eydha ampinil yaanai
pizhaitha_vael aendhdhal inidhu

Better to bear the spear that missed the tusker
than the arrow that got the rabbit. [Couplet 772]

This couplet says that it is better to hold the spear that missed the target of a massive elephant, which symbolises a not easy target, than to hold the victorious arrow, which pierced the aimed, easier target of, rabbit!

So is that really a failure, when you have a not-so-easy target, give your best efforts and yet not achieve the target?

And when you are sure that there is no way to fail, won’t you be tapping more and more success?

Be carefree for there is no failure and win more laurels as you are carefree and content with what you do!!

Will you judge a friend?

Did you think no?

Well that’s interesting.. Let us see whether you stick to the no at the end of this post.. 😉

But did you think yes? I might think you are mean at some level, but as long as the judgements are reserved for few certain things, you have already earned my respect!

Judging is necessary! As long as it is within limits of necessity..

So what is necessity and what is not?

Not every other person you talk to daily is a friend and Not because you haven’t talked to a person in ages, remove that person from your friend list. They might even have a permanent place in the inner most circle and nothing, yes, nothing could shake them off from that place..

Now, letting someone have such a place requires judging..

Don’t be shocked that I am saying to judge your best of best friends.. That is what I am saying.. Judge them..

When and For what?

Before letting someone hold the detonator to your bomb or the key to your darkest dungeon stashed with secrets, hitherto known only to you and the ever persistent almighty or that superior force, by whatever name you would call that.

Yes, it is not love and you are not giving them the strings to shatter and hoping against hope to not be shattered by them..

It is something more..

There is a hearsay custom amidst the folks of people diving underwater for pearls. They will tie a rope around them and hand over the other end of the rope to a person, who should pull out this guy, as and when he receives a signal to pull out. Any delay or any slip would cost the life of the diver.

Letting someone be the best of best friend requires the level of trust between the diver and the holder.

Is it too dramatic?

Maybe. And you might also argue that not letting someone be close could cost your life.

Please do read on..

The dear friend is shaping your future even without your conscience. A thought by a random stranger might be brushed off inspite of the richness of that idea. But even a silly thought from a dear friend goes a long way and has the power to change your future.

Many success stories of the start-ups has a crazy conversation with a friend. That is when the idea is actually implanted in your thoughts that might even change  the world. Even if many of us do not acknowledge the fact of the same, it is still having a good chance.

And now you could argue the same could fit to a random conversation with an acquaintance.. Accepted without buts.

So where are we.. I started saying you must judge and went on to ramble about the sparkle of idea from randomness.. Let us get back on track to the judging part.

Here is a hypothetical situation.

You have achieved a very big thing or crossed a remarkable milestone in your life. You are so filled with happiness and the euphoria of achievement that you start blabbering the tales to everyone who would listen. Still you know that one particular person / group to whom you want to share it first.. Is that not judging?!

Another scenario:

You are in middle of disaster / life-crisis and you need a partner to get you out of it. Out of the hundreds of contacts on our address books, only one name pops up at that moment. You call them up and you are out of the disaster in no time at all.. Now do you mean to say that none other could have done the job? Still why that particular one? That is what I meant by judging!

Fine, there is the possibility, that ‘one’ did not turn up and let you go down another layer of the crisis. Now you would have a doubt and yet call up another and might get out of the trouble. But, would you be calling that ‘one’ as your friend still? That is what I meant by judging!

Know the worth of your friendship by seeing which one turns up during the depth of crisis and rescues you! They do deserve a special place in our hearts.

I am summing up with the quote “Friend in need is a friend indeed” along with another quote from Thirukkural.

கேட்டினும் உண்டோர் உறுதி கிளைஞரை
 நீட்டி அளப்பதோர் கோல். [796]

kaettinum uNdoar uRudhi kiLainjarai
neetti aLappadhoar koal.

There is a gain in grief: it is a tool
 to stretch and gauge a friend. [Couplet 796]

Keep going!

Do or Do not, There is no try, said Yoda.

But is that always possible to be either in the black or white? There are many areas that lie in the intersecting area and leaving you in a constant doubt like the cat on the wall. You never know till you reach the end, that you have reached it successfully.

So just going ahead without pausing must lead to success right? Of course yes!

The problem is for the weak hearted ones. A word of appreciation is always a good motivating factor, as much as the self confidence.

Everyone must have at least one thing to reassure them, despite all the what-ifs and buts, it is okay to move forward and the  way ahead is the only way to go.

Out of the few, this one is my favourite boost to put my heart and soul to what I do.

தெய்வத்தான் ஆகா தெனினும் முயற்சிதன்
மெய்வருத்தக் கூலி தரும் (619)

Theyvaththaan Aakaa Theninum Muyarsidhan
Meyvaruththak Kooli Tharum  (619)

Even if fate or God doesn’t aid, perseverance will pay
the wages for one’s efforts. [Couplet 619]

So what is your motivator quote?

Are you Listening?!

The invent of Internet is a boon and is ensuring the betterment of lives, in so many ways to numerous people. Though, the Internet is not ‘the best’ invention of the humankind, but definitely one of the most important invention which touches many people’s daily living in an unfathomable manner.

There is a tiny drop of goodness, even in the worst evil, and as well, there is a tiny drop of evil, even in the best invention.

So what is the evil hiding in this?
To know the evil, take a closer look at the goodness it brought to us.

Sitting in an inconspicuous surrounding, I could talk about anything and everything.
I could speak up and create my own platform, when every other door seems to be closing.
I could write up and reach people across the world, when the recognition in the local arena is an impossibility.
I could find the niche people, who have quirky taste as mine, indulge and take the insanity, a notch higher.
I could publish documentation on some cruelty happening in this corner.
I could learn what happens in another little corner of the world.
This has brought the world to your fingertips.
Gives an illusion that anything and everything is possible, with just few gadgets and clicks / touches.

(Though, I still believe, it could ever bring, only a part of the world, and not the whole, for, the real life is still happening, without the nuances and nuisances  of the mighty internet, and it sure looks beautiful, heart-warming and content.)

Now, what created such an illusion?
Though, the recipients of the information is on the hike, the main reason is the possibility of giving away, information, to whomsoever, it may concern.

The freedom of speech!

Though you can comment on the gibberish I post, you can’t stop me from posting the gibberish (Of course, unless, you have certain special forces on your side!)

You started reading it and now you can’t unread it.

Now, since you have been with the post for this long, you would continue reading the rest of this too.. If you plan to stop reading, right here, just be warned that the rest of this post is especially for people who think like you!

Good, you are still here. So what was I saying about?
The Gibberish.. No no.. That’s over. Here’s the continuation..

If you have come here from the reader or social networks, the excerpt just challenged you to read the post till the end.
The post started with the accolades of the internet.
Then took a turn and you were listening to some gibberish (Hope, you are not skimming the post)
Now, there is a warning, that the rest is going to reveal something more.

Here is that ‘more’!

You are still here, but just assume, that you stopped reading this after the first part or somewhere after that.
Then, You would have never known that, this post is not just about praising the uses of internet, or my personal ramble to you or even about reading contents just for a challenge in the excerpt.

This is to show a live example, that the success of Internet will never be with the sender, unless there is a receiver for the message sent.
This is also to explain that, What you see from certain parts, is never the whole story.
This is to tell you that, in spite of reading this post till now, please don’t take the words as is and rather get to the meaning behind it, than the silly rambles.
This is to remind you or have the privilege of introducing this wonderful couplet to you.

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினு மப்பொருள்
மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு. (423)

epporuL yaaryaarvaayk kaetpinum apporuL
meypporuL kaaNpa thaRivu. (423)

Whatever whoever may say, wisdom is to
comprehend the true meaning of it. [Couplet 423]

In the world, where the speakers has increased, now it is in the wisdom of the reader / receiver to distinguish gibberish and gems.

Stop spreading the gibberish and share the gems. For there are many unexplored treasures lurking in every corner of this vast world. And we could have a better day without listening to stupid, defaming, derogatory gibberish and rather enjoy the gems and spread smiles across the world.

Life is even more beautiful, when the garbage is thrown out of our surroundings, as well as our heart and mind.

Be wise! Live Happily!! And Don’t forget to share the smiles and your views in the comments!!!

Are you a good boss?

The bosses are the none villains to most of the working people. Blessed are those, who have a good boss and it is becoming a rarity to appreciate the good boss, they are blessed with. Since too many talks are going on about bosses, let us shift our focus to the employees now.

Not every one working under, is the best junior is again a very common thing from the boss’s side. But he can’t put that blame entirely on the team member. No, I am not against the boss, for I am one of the few endangered species who appreciate the good boss they have.

So what makes a boss better than the ordinary?
For that, we must first understand who is a good boss.

When will anyone be called as good boss?
The employee will have to feel good working under the boss, to appreciate him as a good boss.

When will the employee appreciate a boss as good?
When the employee relishes working for the boss and doesn’t feel burdened by the work done.

Is that even possible?
When you are following your passion, there is not a hint of burden even in the herculean task.

Okay, So?
A good employee feels no pain in following the passion.
A good employer is one who assigns that job to that person.

?!
Not a big concept..
Just the understanding of who is good at what and how well each person can do their work. When a boss understands that and uses it to allocate the job to that person, the job is done in the most passionate way without any hitch to anyone involved.

இதனை யிதனா லிவன்முடிக்கு மென்றாய்ந்
ததனை யவன்கண் விடல். [517]

ithanai ithanaal ivanmudikkum endRaaindhu
adhanai avankaN viDal

Assess and determine that he can do this task, using these resources,
and empower him to do the task. [Couplet 517]

So the mere allocation of a job doesn’t make one a good boss. It is the understanding behind these questions:

• What is the job to be done
• What is the best way to do a job
• What are the resources required for that job
• Who possesses the technical expertise and knowledge to complete the job
• Who is capable of doing the job efficiently and effectively
• What are the powers needed to do the job
• What are the resources to be helped with for the job

If one answers all of them, he would eventually find the right person to the right job and thus becomes a good boss!

The free advice!

The one thing that you could get free, anytime, without a doubt is, advice. You could be a small kid wandering around, enjoying the beauty of life or a person with more days to his age than knowledge. Fear not, you would get at least a handful of them for sure.

Being on the receiving end of advice is the most hated job universally, while dishing them out seems to be the easiest and most preferred job for the majority of population.

Whenever I get myself lost in pondering over the concept of advising, this little story pops up somewhere in the process. Here’s that story.

Once a mother approached a person, considered as some sort of inspiring leader or guru, with her child. She asked him to tell her kid to reduce the sweets intake of the kid. The guru simply asked her to come and visit after a week. Though perplexed, she left silently and met him after a week.

He said to the kid, “Dear one, listen to your mom and don’t eat too much sweets. It is not good for your health” The mother wondered why he needed a week to say this. He could have said the same past week itself, is what she thought.

The guru answered the unasked question clear in her face. “Till last week, I too was eating way too many sweets and I hadn’t controlled myself on that simple desire. During this week, I reduced the sweets I eat and now I know, it is possible to control the desire. That is why I needed a week to know, what I’m going to advice is actually practical.”

This story eventually reminds me of this couplet.

சொல்லுதல் யார்க்கும் எளிய அரியவாம்
சொல்லிய வண்ணம் செயல். (664)

Transliteration:
solludhal yaarkkum eLiya ariyavaam
solliya vaNNam seyal

Translation:
Easy it is, to say; rare it is,
the ability to do what one says.
[Couplet 664]

After all that is said above, I’m not advising, but just wondering, How beautiful and peaceful the world would be, If everyone started following their own advices. There would be lot lesser absurd advices and lots more of near perfect people.

Still I could and mostly I would zip up my mouth when one of those free advice tries to spill out, when I can’t live through them myself. That is for two reasons. One, it’s not my place to say them without walking in your shoes. Two, I’ve got holes to be mended in my shoes and I’ll go attend to them, pronto.

Nothing is impossible!

Have you ever felt so lazy to do even some basic necessities, then you get reminded out of the blue about something and get the full energy to complete that something?

Have you ever realised how you get tired of doing some tasks, even if it is very important? But, how even the prospect of a particular work, (which might not even be called so) keeps you going forward and doing them feels as easy and effortless as an average person’s breathing..

Have you also recognised that a task which is so easy for you, is indeed a Herculean task for someone else?

So why is there so much difference in doing even the same task?

Because we all are unique and have varied capabilities. It depends on our age, experience, education, knowledge level, smartness, presence of mind and so many other factors.

All these differences eventually lead to expertise by few. And not everyone is cut out for every job.

Hence, the logical way to success is:

• Find out what you are good at,
• Develop that into your expertise,
• Take a job requiring that skill,
• Be on track without getting diverted
• Then the task is completed in the best way possible!

Summing it up in seven words in Tamil:
ஒல்வ தறிவ தறிந்ததன் கண்தங்கிச்
செல்வார்க்குச் செல்லாத தில்

Transliteration
olva tharivadhu arindhadhan kandhangich
chelvaarkkuch chellaadhadhu il

Translation
Anticipate outcomes, learn what needs to be learnt,
and stay focussed: nothing is impossible. [Couplet 472]

The Friend in Need!

A friend in need is a friend indeed. This is what we know for ages and there are times we have been that friend or had help from such a friend.

The help of a dear friend during such a need is not always so smooth and in a non-embarrassing way. Only when the help received fulfils certain criteria, we are at ease in totality with that dear friend. Yup, even the help needs to fulfil certain criterion.

 உடுக்கை இழந்தவன் கைபோல ஆங்கே
இடுக்கண் களைவதாம் நட்பு.

Udukkai izhanthavan kaipole aange
Idukkan kalaivathaam natpu

Like the hand that moves reflexively when the dress slips,
a friend reacts swiftly to remove a woe. [Couplet 788]

 

What are the points to be noted in those little lines?

• The trust one has on the dress they wear is absolute and not expected to fail you at any time.
• Such trust was betrayed and in the act of losing the cloth, you would end up losing your dignity and much more.
• At that time, the hand reflexively holds it up to save the situation.
• You won’t even realise that the dress was slipping, a command was sent from brain to hand, the issue was over within few seconds.
• Such that should be the help of a friend.
  •  The friend notices you are slipping up
  • The friend comes to act without explicit calling for.
  • The friend resolves the slip and covers up.
  • So quick and unfailingly.

THAT, is the perfect example of friendship and if you have got such a friend, be assured you are as rich as a human could be and in case, you don’t have such a friend, be that friend and make someone richer today..

What prevents a plan’s success?

What is success?
The GoogleLord says, “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”

What is the aim or purpose?
Of course, it differs from person-to-person as well as from task-to-task.

So could we generalise it?
Let’s try, Mostly, we start doing a task either voluntarily with all our heart or just out of compulsion of various factors.

Yet, irrespective of the cause, we have a compelling desire to succeed with the task we do. We rarely set to work with the notion to fail, unless you are competing against a kid.. Still there you are succeeding by letting the kid win, which is the purpose of competing with the kid..

So, did you notice that two people doing the task of playing together have completely different motives and hence it is a win-win for both involved?

Fine, let us move on to complicated things now..
Complication is again a matter of perspective and depends on the person’s level of expertise on that matter.. Yup, it doesn’t depend on age, education but experience and the knowledge of using it effectively with the need of the hour.

Anyway, moving on to things which need expertise of some level..

What do we do, if it is a task we take up voluntarily?
We put our heart and soul into it and work tirelessly till we get satisfied with the outcome or till we are torn apart from it by various factors..
Fine, that is the best way to do anything and there is no more to discuss upon it right now..

Then are we wrapping up?
Not yet.. 😛

Right, You got a task to do and are committed to it..
So, are we on to success right away?
Still No..

Why is that?
Simply because there are too many factors affecting us due to us being social animals and every other non monumental and trivial reasons affecting a plan for your success..

Now let us stop saying lies to ourselves and answer this..
Are they the real reasons preventing us from success?
Are you sure that they are not silly excuses?
Are they all always that hard to break through?
If we put little more, just a little more effort, can’t we achieve it??
Just one more try?

Isn’t there a tiny voice inside your head murmuring, atleast a maybe, even if it is not a loud Yes?

So what really stops us, from going that extra mile?
Brace yourself and accept this!
YOU and Your Thoughts!!

Have we not done almost miracles, just because we really wanted it?
That is what I am repeating..

Here is a quote to justify this big ramble..

வினைத்திட்பம் என்ப தொருவன் மனத்திட்பம்
மற்றைய எல்லாம் பிற. [திருக்குறள் 661]

Transliteration: 
Vinaiththitpam Enpadhu Oruvan Manaththitpam
Matraiya Ellaam Pira

Translation:
Execution focus lies in the resolve of the mind;
all else is secondary. [Couplet 661]

Hope the translation says it all!

 

 

What makes friends closer?

We meet people either physically or virtually.
Few are strangers even after we have been seeing them for the past decade.
But there are strangers, who become our friends, just within hours or just a few posts..
Here are few awesome people I could proudly call as friends though I have not meet them in person or even know how they look.
For friendship is not in the number of meets and chats we have with the person.
It is a mutual feeling, like-mindedness and the respect for the other person.
The time, distance, gender, age, generation, country, religion or whatever becomes just a background noise for the friendship is between the minds and hearts and nothing else matters.
Also, the closeness we feel with the friend is not tainted by these background noise.

There are 134 words explaining that closeness is related only with feeling, and no other factor plays any role. The same is explained in seven words as

புணர்ச்சி பழகுதல் வேண்டா உணர்ச்சிதான்
நட்பாங் கிழமை தரும். (785)

Translation (Source):

Not association constant, not affection’s token bind;
‘Tis the unison of feeling friends unites of kindred mind.

This is the one couplet that flashes my mind every time I think of my friends from blogosphere. Hence, this one is dedicated to my dear friends I came across through blogging.. 🙂