In Praise of Common Sense

(What follows is a rough take off from chapter 43 of Tirukural.
The chapter heading in Tamil is Arivudaimai. I am calling it Common Sense.)


Common Sense is the certain shield of protection,
a firewall against malefic, virulent forces.
Intellect is lost in lanes, byways, no-entries,
is stymied in a morass of its own making
while Common Sense drives straight where it wants to go-
Common Sense is not the same as Cleverness.

Common Sense enquires to understand, listens to all,
and is not enamoured with authority,
it values truth, not the status of its source.
Common Sense expresses itself with simplicity,
it sees through the empty garb of majestic words.

Common Sense is friendly with the ways of world,
it is not made happy or burdened with what happens.
The state of wider world does not faze Common Sense,
it accepts life, what it brings, and then moves forward.

Common Sense knows causes have their consequences,
to ignore Common Sense is to have no sense at all.
It is Common Sense to avoid, give the go by,
for evil choices need the courage of fools.

Common Sense is alert, aware action,
the unexpected does not throw it off.
Those with Common Sense, have all they need,
Those without, can have all, yet are nothing.