Question

Expand the given two ideas in about 80-100 words
(i) Cleanliness is Godliness
(ii) A stitch in time saves nine.

Answer 1

1. cleanliness is next to godliness'

The expression emphasises the importance of cleanliness-clean dress and clean habits. Cleanliness means the habit if keeping oneself physically and mentally clean. Godliness means being near to god by loving and obeying him. Cleanliness is very important for a good, healthy and moral life. A well-dressed person with clean habits impresses others. He may be in possession of a good character too. A person’s character can be assessed by his dress and manners. Cleanliness of body is also necessary for self-respect. But even more important than cleanliness of body is cleanliness of mind. Cleanliness of heart is the beginning of godliness. God is considered to be the most sacred and the purest being. A person who is pure and clean in body and mind is considered to be next to god. Men of good character stick to certain principles in life. They are pious and god-fearing. Their minds are free from hatred and jealousy. They do not keep any grudge against others in their hearts. Only a person who possesses a clean heart can become pious. Godliness is to be pious and religious. The character of a person is based on his external appearance, purity of thought, word and deed. A person who is outwardly clean and inwardly poisonous is very dangerous. Cleanliness gives us mental peace and happiness. Only clean-hearted persons can enjoy the bliss of god. Thus the proverb teaches us that cleanliness of body and mind is the way to reach god. If we are clean in mind and body, we are next to God.

2. Its meaning: The proverb ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ means that timely action in any matter saves him from a lot of troubles, loss, and waste. A person should do his duties in proper time. A person may suffer if he is lazy and leaves his work for tomorrow.’

This phrase means that it is better to act sooner rather than later. Taking action to deal with a potential problem as soon as possible prevents larger problems from cropping up later.

Expansion: When a small hole appears in a piece of cloth, it can be easily repaired with a single stitch. On the other hand, if it is not sewed in time, it will widen more and more, and many stitches will be required to mend the cloth.

A neglect of this simple duty, at the start, will turn the cloth into a useless scrap. Similarly, all difficulties of this kind can easily be prevented by taking timely action to remove them.

Man has many duties to perform and his life on earth is short. In the brief span of his life, he has not a minute to waste. He must, therefore take time by the forelock. Once it has passed, it can never be recalled. Whatever a man has to do, he must do it immediately.