Kannadasan
This morning, on Raj TV News, during the segment ‘The Wonderful Hint from History,’ they shared an interesting anecdote that I would like to pass along.
Kannadasan, one of the greatest Tamil poets, wrote more than 30,000 songs for films and penned many other poems, books, and articles. He is one of my favorite poets. On one occasion, he was invited to speak at a student program. Before his final address, several students read their poems. After the last student finished reading, Kannadasan recited a poem. The audience responded with great applause.
Then Kannadasan spoke, saying: “The poem I just recited is the same one the last student read. He read his poem, yet none of you applauded him. But when I recited the same poem, you all appreciated it. This shows that we often value the person more than the work itself.”
This reminded me of a Tamil proverb: “Only if water is poured from the shall does it become teertham (holy water)” [சங்கிலிருந்து விழுந்தால்தான் தீர்த்தம்].
Db, May 11, 2014, Mathigiri
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