In plain words
To look at his circumstances, they were very pitiful. The examination was the next day, and he sat studying before the street lamp, but sleep came. ‘Ah, today I meant to study without sleeping, but sleep has come,’ he thought, and he would have drunk a tea or a coffee at least, but there was no coin in his hand. A cup of coffee was not one rupee or two rupees, as it is today. In those days it was one paisa. Even that paisa he did not have. He went to the tap. He drank some water. He wiped his face. He came back to the street lamp and sat down. Toiling in this way, he passed his examination well. But his good thought, for its part, kept coming back to his mind at every moment, so that he never forgot it in the least. Joining some small lawyers, going to court himself, learning from them all he needed to learn: in this way he spent some time. Now, he had great faith in God. ‘Whether hardships come to me or joys, whatever comes, God gives it for my good’: this feeling ran deep in him. Whenever any of his friends saw his plight: ‘Alas, what is this misfortune that has seized you! Has God no compassion?’ when they said this, he would answer, ‘God does everything for our good’. With such faith, and through that good thought, his life came to a great change. As soon as independence came, they appointed him Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. The authorities came to recognise his conduct and his true morality and integrity. He was Muttusvāmi Ayyar. What were this Muttusvāmi's circumstances at first? His appointment as Chief Justice of the High Court, beyond all expectation, by the power of these good thoughts and by his faith in God, is like news in a dream. In this way, when there is Bhakti and good thought along with it, we become fit to achieve anything at all, however great.
In the same way, in foreign countries too, people who polished boots in the bazaars, sold newspapers and washed plates in hostels became great writers through their thoughts, through developing good thoughts in themselves. They became highly educated people too. They made the whole of their lives worthwhile through good conduct and good deeds. In England there was a man who made his living writing addresses on envelopes for people.