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Sumathi Satakam - Lessons for Modern Management

“Erakumi Kasugayala Durakumi bandhujanula doshamu summi Parakumi ranamuna Meerakumi guruvunagna medina Sumathi”   The English translation is something like this Do not collect unripe fruits Do not point out errors of relatives Do not run away from battle Do not go above the order given by your teacher   This is a simple poem taught to the young students in Andhra giving them four important principles in life.   The first line asks the students not to collect unripe fruits when collecting the fruits for immediate consumption. Many types of unripe fruits taste different from the ripe one. For example a ripe mango tastes totally different from a raw mango. By collecting the unripe fruits one will be wasting the resources as they may not be useful and may be thrown away.   The second line talks about not pointing out the errors of relatives as this will alienate them. By alienating the relatives we may not be able to expect any help from the
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Sumathi Sataka - Its relevance to modern living (12)

“ Udakamu travedu hayamunu Madamuna nupponguchundu mattebhambun Modavukadanunna vrushabham Jaduvani aneechu kadaku janakura Sumathi ” This can be translated as “ one should not go near A horse drinking water A young wild elephant A bull mating with a cow An uncouth illiterate plebeian / reprobate ” This poem basically elucidates the situations which should be avoided. If one approaches a horse which is drinking water, that person will be approaching from behind. The horse may fear that it is getting disturbed and strikes with its hind legs. A young wild elephant will be moving without any rhyme and reason and control. It is fatal to go near such an elephant. Similarly a bull in heat mating with a cow will turn wild if interrupted. In the same way an illiterate, uncouth plebeian does not know how to behave and talk. He may behave in such a way which may be insulting to a normal person. It is advised to avoid such a person as far as possible.
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Sumathi Sataka - Its relevance to modern living (11)

“ Uttama gunamulu neechuna Ketteraguna galuga nerchu; neyyedalam daa Nethichchi karugabosina Nithhadi bangaramagune ilalo Sumathi ” This can be translated as “ How can a villain Learn good deeds Like the metals knowingly mixed to make brass Cannot result in gold ” The above poem is akin to a modern saying “ A Leopard cannot change his spots” or “A tiger cannot change his stripes”. This can also be an old idiom “old habits die hard” of “Appearances are often deceptive”. The meaning of these idioms or the first two lines of the above poem (written around 800 years ago) is the same. One cannot change his basic nature easily and quickly. A person with a bad bent of mind may appear to have reformed by behavior due to a lack of opportunity but the person’s basic nature remains unchanged. We can have several examples of such villains in our movies. In some of the movies, the villain initially tries to bulldoze his way with bad behavior. Find it difficult he po
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Sumathi Sataka - Its relevance to modern living (10)

“ Udumudade nurendlunu Badiundade bermi baamu padinurendlun Maduvuna gokkera undade Kadu nila burushardhaparudu kaavale Sumathi ” This can be translated as “ A monitor lizard lives for a hundred years A snake lives for a thousand years like a heron in water waiting for its food An individual should be for attaining the supreme being ” This poem talks about the importance of patience as a virtue. A monitor lizard can live for a hundred years in the same habitat where it lives. These lizards were earlier used by armies as a part of their campaigns. These lizards have a habit of attaching itself to a surface. It is very difficult to dislodge it once it attaches to a surface. A solider used to attach a rope to its tail and make to crawl up the fort wall and attach itself to the wall. A soldier used to go up the wall using the rope and make way for others. The lizard despite being in pain due to the heavy weight of the solider will not get itself detached from
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Sumathi Sataka - Its relevance to modern living (9)

“ Immuga chadavani norunu Amma ani bilchi annamadugani norun Dammula biluvani norunu Gummari manu dravvinatti guntara Sumathi ” This can be translated as follows “ A mouth which cannot read properly (clearly) A mouth which cannot ask mother for food properly A mouth which cannot call the younger siblings Is nothing but a mud pit ” This poem though looks plain has immense meaning. This poem talks about the importance of talking properly and maintaining relations. A person who cannot read and write properly is an illiterate. Such a person will not be talking properly and will face social discrimination apart from getting deceived by unscrupulous persons. Such an illiterate may not be knowing the sophistication and may behave in a way which is socially not acceptable. Similarly if a person cannot call his mother as mother and ask for food properly then one cannot expect much sophistication from such person. The third line talks about not calling th
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Sumathi Sataka - Its relevance to modern living (8)

“ Aakati udagani kadupunu Vekatiyagu lanja padupu viduvani brathukun Brakonna nuuti udakamu Mekala padiyunu rota medini Sumathi ” This can be translated as “A gluttonous person A pregnant prostitute still continuing with her prostitution Water from a well full of algae Milk from goats are bad” The literal meaning of the first line says a stomach for which hunger never stops. That is the owner of such a stomach goes on eating food never saying no. Such a situation is called gluttony or binge eating. Such kind of a person is like an animal who goes on eating unabated and is never satiated. The food habits of such a person appear bad to others. There is a story which signifies a similar situation in Sinbad’s Travels. In one of the travels, as usual Sindbad is shipwrecked and ends up in a particular island along with some other shipmates. The inhabitants were very kind give them some medicine. However Sinbad gets suspicious and did not take the medicine while his m
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Sumathi Sataka - Its relevance to modern living (7)

“ Ichchunade vidya, ranamuna jochhunade magatanambu, sukaviswarulun mechhunade nerpu, vaduku vachhunade keedu vasudhanu Sumathi ” In this world " Knowledge is to be imparted going into war fearlessly is valour Expertise is recognized by the top experts A bad thing to happen hunts the person (to whom it happen) " On the face of it this looks a simple and straight forward poem. It is a well known thing that Knowledge needs to be imparted to others. Such imparted knowledge increases the quest for knowledge further and adds further to the mankind's knowledge. If one has knowledge but did not impart / teach it to others then such knowledge ends with that person and will not be of much help to anyone. Valour of a person can be gauged by the fearlessness with which the person gets into a war. The war may be an actual war or any situation which is like a war. In other words it is like an situation threatening existence (existential crises). At such tim
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