A Stitch In Time Saves Nine

On the surface, the proverb says that a thing that needs mending ought to be mended before it assumes serious proportions.

Take for example a cloth that is a little torn. It can be easily mended with a single stitch. But if it is neglected, it requires more stitches. Further neglect may also make it useless.

By extension, the proverb means that timely action helps us in overcoming problems. Prompt action at an early stage prevents serious trouble in future.

Take for instance, the breach in a dam in Gujarat. It was not repaired in the early stages. This resulted in the bursting of the dam. A water sheet of twenty feet high ran across the village and thousands of people died in Marui, a beautiful city, in three minutes. It is case of delay and ‘delays are dangerous’.

Same is the case of a student who falls into the habit of procrastination. He must read his lessons regularly. He must not postpone them. If he neglects to study in time he will have to strain before the examinations. He will have to ‘burn the midnight oil’. It may spoil his health and in addition there is every danger of forgetting whatever he has read. He becomes a victim of tension and fear.

The popular story of the grandmother who shielded her grandson illustrates this maxim. A boy stole a pencil from a classmate and showed it to his grandmother. Instead of questioning him about it she kept quiet. The boy’s thefts went unchecked until one day he was arrested. Of only the boy had been corrected in time, he would not have become a thief. Timely action would have prevented him from falling into wrong ways.

Neglecting to replace a nail in a horse’s shoe may lose a kingdom itself. As it is said:

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;
For want a horse, the rider was lost;
For want of a rider, the battle was lost;
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.

Thus the saying advises us to take timely action for ” a small hole, if neglected, will sink a big ship”.

A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

The proverb stands as a touchstone of true friendship.

It states that only that person who helps us when we are in need or difficulty is a true friend.

In our daily life we come across people who over a period of time become close to us. But we cannot be sure if they are true friends or just fair-weather friends. Many people develop contacts with influential people for their benefit. It will be a great mistake if one considers these apparently close people as friends. The test of true friendship is in time of difficulties.On the other hand, the fair-weather friends disappear in times of trails. They find excuses to distance themselves from us.

But a true friend will always stick to a person when if that person is in deep trouble. He will be concerned about the welfare of a person when he considers as a friend. If need be, he will make every effort to help his friend overcome the difficult situation, instead of running away from him. As the saying goes, ‘prosperity makes friends and adversity tries them’.

Take for example the friendship of Antonio and Bassanio in the Shakespearean play ‘The Merchant of Venice’. Antonio helps Bassanio even at the cost of losing his life- a pound of flesh.

The Epics of India showcase timeless illustrations of true friendship. In the Ramayana, it is between Rama and Sugreva. In the Mahabharata, it is between Krishna and Kuchela; between Duryodhana and Karna. Such friendship stands the test of time. Such friends are life’s greatest blessing. Friendship with people like these last a lifetime.

Thus the proverb not only shows the nature of a true friend but also offers a method of choosing good friends. It also cautions us of ‘fair-weather’ friends.

Rome Was Not Built In A Day

Rome in the proverb stands for any great achievement.

Romulus and Remus built the ancient city of Rome. It took many years and thousands of workers to construct the magnificent city of its time. Huge amounts of energy, resources and expenditure and time were involved in erecting the city that became the envy of the world.

Similarly any great task in life does not happen overnight like Jack’s beanstalk. It requires time and effort. It grows out slowly after years and sometimes even after centuries of careful and painstakingly patient work.

Take for example the great wonders of the world. We often admire their greatness but are apt to forget the tremendous amount of money and material, human labour and time that have gone into their making.

The Taj Mahal, a marvel of architectural workmanship tool seventeen tears to complete. The huge pyramids of Giza took several generations of Pharaohs to attain their overpowering magnitude and staggering height. The Great Wall of China is another case in point. These random examples are enough to prove the truth of the saying.

People in our country are impatient of the slow pace if our progress to prosperity. They often contrast our poverty with the affluence of the USA without bothering their heads with the facts that it took even the Western capital coupled with technical skill and the virgin soil of America about a hundred and fifty years to make the USA the rich and prosperous country that we admire. We cannot eradicate the poverty of centuries within a few decades. It will take time for Rome was not built in a day.

Similarly a student who desires top the class has to devote most of his time in studying hard. He has to put in time and effort. He has to plan his schedule in a proper way from day one. Students who study at the nick of time end up getting bad scores.

Nothing can be achieved in a single day. There is nothing called instant success. Therefore one should be patient throughout his journey to reach his goal.

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Honesty Is the Best Policy

The key word in the proverb is ‘Policy’. According to the dictionary, a ‘policy’ is a plan or a course of action or a guiding principle that influences our actions. Looking at the proverb with this insight, we understand that ‘honesty is the best plan or course of action or guiding principle’.

It is not because the wise said that honesty is best policy, but because it makes sense to be honest. An honest person is upright and has no fear of guilt. He or she has a clear conscience.Over and above all he or she has the priceless treasure of peace of mind.

In addition, dishonestly causes undue and unnecessary stress. Research shows that dishonesty weakens the immune system. This results in a host of physical illnesses.

On the emotional plane, honesty strengthens our self-image where as dishonesty damages our self-esteem.

Looking at it whichever way we will, honesty is the best plan of action. It keeps our body healthy, our relationships strong, our mind calm and composed and our  spirit unruffled.

Thus honesty is the best policy. As the Mundaka Upanishad says:’Satymeva Jayate‘, Truth Alone Triumps.’

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

The work of a farmer depends almost entirely on the weather. But this a very uncertain factor and he has to make the most of his opportunities. Hay making requires right sunshine. It is ruined by exposure to rain or mist. Hence the farmer has to be quick in getting his hay while weather is favourable.

In an extended sense, the difficulties of the farmer are the difficulties of all human beings, no matter what their sphere of action may be. Life like the weather is uncertain. No man can tell how soon or in what form death may overtake him. Nor are our faculties equally vigorous always. Much depends on the state of our health.

As youth comes but once so opportunities never repeat themselves. Even if they do, the circumstances are not so favourable to use them fully. It is therefore necessary to make the best of those that come our way.

Like the careful farmer, we should always be on the alert to make the sunshine of opportunities serve our needs. Those who take things easily, those who are always putting off till tomorrow, those who do not strike while the iron is hot, will soon find themselves in the state of the farmer who does not make hay while the sun shines.

Therefore those who wish to make their mark in life must move with the time and do things in the right moment. The key to success lies in proper and timely action. The lives of all successful men reveal the truth of this maxim.

In Shakespeare’s words, ‘there is a tide in the affairs of men, which when taken at the flood leads on to fortune’.

Sweet Are the Uses of Adversity

This famous maxim is from Shakespeare’s classic play ” As you like it “. They are spoken by the duke senior in the forest of Arden.

This statement contains a profound truth – adversity or difficulty brings the best in man as he learns to cope with his trials. Man’s real worth is put to test in adversity. It develops fortitude and courage in him.

Difficulties are in fact gifts bestowed by god upon man. It during these times that he realizes what he has missed by keeping himself confined to the life of comfort. He learns the value of life.

A student who gives up simple pleasures to focus on his studies comes out in flying colours. The little joys he has sacrificed yield him abundant happiness. In times of adversity people discover their true friends as the saying goes ” Prosperity makes friends and adversity tries them “.

Adversity trains us to appreciate the lessons of the life. It brings out the innate qualities of one’s personality, of which one is ignorant. The hardships endured by Harischandra and Lord Rama brought out the noble qualities in them.

Thus, adversity does not always symbolize pain or difficulty. If one looks at the brighter side it actually serves to strengthen character and will power. It brings to the fore the dormant wisdom of man, for, as the saying goes ‘adversity is a blessing in disguise’.

A Clumsy Workman Blames His Tools

Human nature is such that none is prepared to accept his own deficiency, drawbacks and blemishes. A typist who often commits mistakes would blame the quality of he typewriters. Similarly an inefficient mechanic condemns the entire automobile industry. This is because we are used to finding fault with everyone and everything else except ourselves.

On the other hand, a piece of work can be thoroughly accomplished only when the person carrying it out is true to his job. If the workman does not concentrate on his task, he makes a shoddy job of it, but he is not willing to take responsibility of his failure and calls his tools imperfect. Thus instead of improving himself, a clumsy workman looks for scapegoats to thrust his faults on.

This is perhaps most evident in a student who does not fare well in his examinations. Instead of looking for reasons within himself, he looks outside for someone or something to blame such as a difficult question paper, a leaky pen or a wrathful examiner. Similarly a dancer who fails to perform well a particular event attributes his poor performance to the incompetent musicians, accompanists or to the poor stage management.

A farmer who does not tend his crops blames his poor produce on everything and everyone other than his negligence. An employee who fails to get promoted is a common example of this proverb. Instead of self-analysis, he accuses his superior of favouritism and his promoted colleagues of sycophancy. He fails to realize that reward is proportional to input.

Therefore it is important for people to accept the existence of their faults, if any, and correct them. This is the only way up the ladder of success. The proverb aptly reflects normal human behaviour.

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child

In the olden days, it was a widely accepted fact that the only way to discipline a child was to mete out some harsh punishment to him, usually physical. “Spare the rod, spoil the child” is an adage apt to those times. It says that whenever a child shows any signs of bad behaviour, it should be curbed through physical punishment. Sparing the rod would only amount to indulgence and acceptance of mischief on the parents’ part.

Whipping or beating up a child for even a minor offence was not uncommon in the days gone by. Corporal punishment was an accepted evil in schools. In fact, it was regarded a necessity to rein in the little boys and keep them from mischief. Brutal physical torture often had a negative impact on the young minds, giving rise to a morbid fear of adults and schoolmasters.

William Blake, in his poem ‘ The school boy’ describes perfectly the predicament of a boy who hates going to school, for fear of having to face his stern teacher, who gives him nightmares.

Physical punishment has adverse psychological effects, for children live in constant terror of the adults around them. This may have an impact on their social lives as well. Problem of juvenile delinquency arise when young people look towards evil habits to give them solace from their fright.

Sometimes, a child may not realize that his parents, despite their stern exterior, do love him. Katherine Mansfield exemplifies this in her story ‘ The little girl’, where the child, Kezia, is always scared of her father, and wishes he was like other fathers, demonstrative and caring. When her father beats her for tearing up his speech, he appears to her in her dream in the form of a butcher. It is only another incident later on that makes her aware of her father’s concern for her.

Parents need to realize that it is not physical punishment that succeeds, but strict yet affectionate guidance. A young person can be disciplined through a firm explanation of his flaws, and what is expected of him.

Silence can also be a means of expressing disapproval. ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ might literally apply to a very few extreme cases, but in view of the damage caused by corporal punishment to a child’s self esteem and psychology, the “rod” should be modified to firm yet kind discipline.

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

The term ‘rolling stone’ commonly refers to a person who is frequently changing his work or profession. Just as a stone that is continually rolling doesn’t gather any moss on it, similarly a person who is constantly changing his occupation doesn’t succeed in any achievement.

Acquisition of wealth or learning or experience requires time and steady prolonged application of energy to some task. On the other hand one who is constantly chopping and changing will never become wealthy or learned or experienced. He will merely be dissipating his energies and will get nowhere.

The popular fable of the farmer who dug many shallow wells in his farm in search of water is a fine illustration. Had he dug deep at one place, he would have definitely found water.

By being ‘a rolling stone’ few people accomplish their goals. In today’s world of breakneck competition, migratory birds stand absolutely no chance. It is by working at a place, putting in constant labour that one earns a reputation and recognition.

A student who is desultory in his studies fails to achieve good grades. He loses valuable time ‘rolling’ from subject to subject, thereby mastering none. Similarly an entrepreneur, who gives up his projects halfway, wastes his efforts and money. On the contrary, a wise businessman, who sticks to the chosen venture despite the teething problems, gathers profits.

Hence it is important to do one thing at a time. If we try to do two things at once, we will be able to do neither. If a hunter pursues two hares, he is sure to miss both. We must therefore concentrate on one thing or the other. If we have several bits of work to do, we should finish one and then proceed to another. We cannot succeed if we attempt to do more than one job at the same time.

But like any other proverb, the present maxim is not without exceptions. The word ‘moss’ in the proverb has a negative shade. It refers to stagnation. In a world where change is synonymous to progress, immobility at times means being obsolete and out dated. Immobility also breeds monotony and boredom.

The Misery of the Miser

Verses of Vemana – 40

dhanamu kudabetti dharmambuseyaka
tanu tinaka lessa dachugaka
tenetiga gurchi teruvari kiyyada
viswadhabhi rama vinura vema

Commentary:This verse of Vemana is a mirror image of verse 15, chapter III of the Uddhava Gita.

The miser hoards a large quantity of money with great struggle and pain. He neither shares it with others nor enjoys it himself. No matter how carefully he hides his hard-earned wealth or tries to protect it, in time it will fall into the hands of others[1].

The greedy man is like the bee that labours to gather a large quantity of honey[2] without even relishing it. It eventually falls into the hands of the honey-gatherer.

Vemana presents the misery of the miser graphically.

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[1] The poet Bhartrihari says that wealth can be spent in three ways: by oneself, in charity or be stolen by robbers!

[2] Bees may travel as far as 55,000 miles and visit more than two million flowers to gather enough nectar to make just a pound of honey.