The source of the proverb is the Bible: “What so ever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” The religious meaning of the proverb is that one will be rewarded or punished according to the kind of life one leads a virtuous or a sinful. Accordingly, happiness or misery in our life is the result of our own deeds. In an extended sense, the proverb suggests that we are responsible for the consequences of our actions. Every action of ours has a result. Good actions produce good results where as bad actions produce bad results. The results are proportionate to the efforts men put in.

A person who sins throughout life one cannot expect salvation. A student who wanders throughout the year cannot think of cracking NEET examination. In much the same way, a farmer’s hard labour under the hot sun is returned to him in the form of rich yield of his crops. The output of the farmer is dependent on the quality of the seeds and the manner of the sowing. Every discipline has its own character and demands and until one fulfils them he cannot reach anywhere.

Rise and success in life demand labour, industry, toil and effort. A good result is a manifestation of intense efforts that have gone into its making. Florence Nightingale’s name we lovingly recall because of the love and care with which she nursed the wounded soldiers. Hitler creates terror in our hearts and is abhorred to this day. in a nutshell, one cannot achieve fair ends by using foul means. Even if one does, it is short-lived. Lasting peace cannot be brought about by violent means. Thus, it becomes clear that ‘as you sow, so shall you reap’.