Keep your passion, career entwined

“Aswasya

lakhshanam vegam

Madhumatagnya

lakhshanam

Chaaturya lakshanam naaryo

Udyogam purusha

lakshanam.”

Thus goes a Sanskrit saying of olden times, the 3560th sloka of the work ‘Mahasubhashita Sangraha’, a 4,660 volume of wise sayings. It means that while speed is the feature of a horse, and arrogance that of an elephant, skill is that of a woman and a job, or a career, that of a man.

While the distinction, as between men and women, no longer holds in the modern context, the need to pursue a calling, not only as a means of livelihood, but also as a measure of making full use of one’s faculties, is the fuel that drives the engine of life.

There are various methods of carving out a livelihood, including starting a trade or business of one’s own or working for a salary or remuneration, for another individual, or institution. Or being employed in the private sector, or government, or pursuing a professional career, such as being a lawyer, a doctor, a chartered accountant, a scientist or a teacher.

The prestige, attached to a particular avocation, as perceived in the public eye, and the income and other perquisites that come with it, however, vary from activity to activity, and from one person to another.

The practice of medicine, for example, is regarded, all over the world, as a noble calling. It not only provides immense satisfaction, but is also extremely remunerative. There are many doctors who treat it as an opportunity for providing service to the suffering and make a name for themselves. For instance, my father-in-law, Dr C P Somayajulu, who was popularly known as Dr Gandhi, practised in Ramachandrapuram town in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh. He attached great importance to the service aspect, treating poor people free, and only accepting from others, what they could afford, and give willingly. I have known of many such examples. On the other hand, many have left India’s shores, in search of greener pastures, and set up lucrative practices in other countries.

A funny story that is often told about doctors, is about the saying, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away”, extolling the virtues of sensible eating habits in preference to seeking medical help. Apparently a dentist and a physician were sharing an office accommodation, and a pretty receptionist. The dentist, while going away on a vacation for 15 days, presented 15 apples to the receptionist, in the hope that that would keep his colleague away from her!

The practice of law, likewise, offers both professional satisfaction and monetary reward. Many of the most well-known leaders, of the Indian Independence movement, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Rajendra Prasad, to name just a few, were all lawyers in the beginning. Having made a name and, ensured financial security for their family, they joined politics. I know many lawyer friends of mine, who are content with leading simple lives, and devote themselves to solving the problems being faced by poor and under privileged people. And all of us know of extremely successful advocates, practising in the High Courts of states and in the Supreme Court, who charge astronomical fees, sometimes running into lakhs of rupees, for each hour they spend working on the case of a client. Top lawyers, especially those practising in the Supreme Court, are known to charge lakhs of rupees for each appearance they make the Supreme Court.

A popular story about the legal profession relates to a young law graduate, seeking a place in the office of a senior lawyer, as an apprentice. The elderly practitioner counselled the youngster saying that the practice of law is fraught with all sorts of disappointments, in the initial periods. Poor income, long hours, irritable clients, argumentative judges, and cut-throat competition from unscrupulous rivals, all come with the turf. Wide eyed, the aspiring lawyer asked what would happen thereafter, hoping to be given a reassuring answer. But all that the senior told him was, “you will get used to it in due course!”

Military service has long been a way for young people to develop discipline, gain valuable skills, and find direction, a structured environment and a clear path forward in their lives. Members of the military get to see the world and areas of our own country they may not otherwise have a chance to visit and discover new places and cultures. Some join for honor and some for a challenge. And there are those who prefer the career for more concrete reasons. Men in uniform, it is widely perceived, are often seen as attractive by women, because they are perceived as symbols of authority and responsibility, which can be appealing! Additionally, their well-groomed appearance and attention to detail in their uniforms can be a turn-on!

Among other popular career alternatives are chartered accountancy, architecture, or engineering. While the element of service may not be very prominent in those fields, engineering, in particular, has proved attractive for people seeking lucrative careers, particularly in countries such as the USA and UK, especially in the field of computer software.

Students decide on a career sometime towards the end of their high school years. Joining the Mathematics or the Biology streams offer the usual choice, as they are expected to lead either to the engineering, architecture, and commerce fields, or to medicine and veterinary sciences. Any choice is acceptable if one wants to become a lawyer, an entrepreneur, a trader, a businessman, an employee in institutions such as banks and insurance companies, teacher or a government official. Strangely enough, the teaching profession, once known, according to a Telugu saying, as the last resort of a person merely wanting to avoid starvation, now offers a heady mixture of professional satisfaction and extremely attractive emoluments.

Politics is also a career, in a manner of speaking. There is no known and accepted method of preparing for it, either in school or college. But the circumstances relating to one’s family background, the ambience in the academic institutions one goes to, and the events relating to the times of one’s adolescence and youth, certainly influence choosing politics as a career. Abraham Lincoln, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Winston Churchill were all politicians, but, then, so were Hitler or Mussolini, in their own way. Little wonder, then, that in a typically tongue in cheek, manner, Bernard Shaw described politics as “the last resort of a scoundrel!”

There are people who can address the demands of the most taxing occupations in the most relaxed manner while there are those who will complain of being overworked even in the latest of jobs. It is all in the mind, really. Which is probably why, when someone was asked how many people worked in his office, his reply was, “Oh, about half of them!”

(The writer was formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)