Tuesday 25 September 2012

To day's Subhashit.

अधिगम्य गुरौ: ज्ञानं छात्रेभ्यो वितरन्तिये ,
 विद्या वात्सल्य निधियः शिक्षकाः मम दैवतं.

Adhigamya Gurouh Gyaanam Chaatrebhyo vitaranti ye,
Vidyaa vastalya nidhiyah shikshakaah mama daivatam.

i.e.   Those Teachers, who freely distribute the knowledge acquired by them from their own Teachers to other Students, are like Gods to me, because they bestow the treasure of 'Vidya' on their student like a mother's affection towards her children.

Adhigamya = acquired.    Gurouh (plural of Guru) = teachers.      Gyaanam = knowledge, learning.
Chaatrebhyo = to Students.        Vitaranti =  distribute.         Ye = who.      
 Vidya = learning, knowledge.      Nidhi = treasure          Shikshakaah = teachers.
Vaatsalya = love and affection, especially by a mother towards her children. (Here the author equates the students as children and the teachers as a mother. Just as a mother loves her children so also a teacher loves his students.)

Sanskrit and Hindi literature is very rich in Subhashits extolling the the Guru by equating him to God. However, a Guru who does not conform to the high standards of probity and benevolence, has also been severely criticised. Here is a quotation from 'Ramcharit Manas' by Goswami Tulsidas - "हरई   शिष्य धन शोक न हरई  , सो गुरु घोर नरक महुँ परई."- Harai shishya dhan shok na harai, so guru ghor narak mah parai - i.e. a teacher who robs a student of his money and does not remove his sorrow (ignorance), is ultimately consigned to Hell by the Providence.

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