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Four
Noble Fours for Complete Education
Dr. Ch.
Durga Prasada Rao,
Reader in
Sanskrit (Retd)
3/106,
Premnagar,
Dayalbagh,
AGRA
09897959425.
Introduction:
From time immemorial education has been given a very
important place not only in our country but also elsewhere. Education
is said to be of two kinds – ‘Para’ and ‘Apara’. ‘Para’
may be defined as extra – mundane, transcendental, while the
opposite, i. e., Apara is mundane, pertaining to the world. The
scriptures enjoin that both are equally worthy of acquisition, the
supreme function of them being relief from worldly entanglements,
that shrouds the vision of the Truth. Paravidya is said to lead to
the realization of Atman while Aparavidya can enable one to acquire
knowledge of the physical world. Our culture went to the extent of
saying that man with no education is a beast. विद्याविहीन:
पशु:
- Education: A four pillared edifice:
The
entire education system is a four pillared edifice of which parent,
student, teacher and the government constitute the pillars. Hence the
system becomes effective provided all the four pillars are strong. It
is a collective responsibility.
1.
Parent:
The role of parent is very important in providing
education. So they should always try to educate their children in the
best possible way. Our ancient treatise, Panchatantra, emphatically
says that the mother is a foe and the father is an enemy by whom
children are not educated.
'माता
शत्रु :
पिता
वैरी येन बालो न पाठित :
न
शोभते सभा मध्ये हंसमध्ये
बको यथा ¨
The Upanishads have given higher place to parents among
teachers by saying “मातृमान्पितृमानाचार्यवान्पुरुषो
वेद¨
means that one will attain knowledge through mother,
father and guru. In this modern age parents are so busy that they are
not able to spend even the minimum required time with their
children. In some cases parents admit their wards even without
considering the likes and dislikes of them.
Most
of the parents are of the opinion that admitting their children in
schools is the end of their responsibility. But it is not the end
but beginning only. They should take proper care for integral
development of their children before and after schooling.
2.
Student:
The students play a key role in education. They always
try to acquire knowledge to the best of their ability. In addition to
the study of prescribed syllabus, they should participate in
curricular, co - curricular and extra – curricular activities. It
is observed that the standards of education have terribly fallen
down. Of all the reasons of down fall, learning by rote [without any
thought for the meaning] is said to be the main. Hence Students are
expected to know the meaning of what they study. Most of the students
are scoring marks by mere rote.
Veda while severely criticising the person who recites
(Veda) by rote appreciates him who studies and gets by heart with the
knowledge of it.
उत
त्व:
पश्यन्न
ददर्श वाचं
उतत्व
श्रुण्वन्न् श्रुणॊत्यॆनां
उतॊत्वस्मै
तन्वं विसश्रे
ज्यॆव
पत्यु:
उशती
सुवासा:
He,
who sees not even though he is seeing; listens not even though he is
listening, but to him (who studies with meaning) Saraswathi
unfolds herself without any reservation). So, one should read every
thing thoroughly. There fore, instead of reading hundred books it is
initially better to read a book for hundred times. Instead of reading
hundred pages it is better to read one page for hundred times and
instead of reading hundred lines it is better to read one line for
hundred times. Because, an ounce of intensive reading is better than
a ton of extensive reading. And after the study a particular topic
one must be in a position to explain it to a common man. Here Albert
Einstein states thus:
You
do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your
grandmother. ------Albert Einstein
Regarding
the techniques of acquiring knowledge Kalidasa states that one gets
knowledge by assiduously and systematically learning things right
from the fundamentals and the study must be continuous till the
subject is mastered. And to acquire knowledge there is no alternative
except hard work and deep study.
3.
Teacher:
Though teacher appears one among four pillars he plays a
vital role. He is said to be a teacher who practises good manners
(आचरति
इति आचार्य:),
who teaches good behaviour to his students (आचारं
ग्राहयति इति आचार्य:)
and who goes on collecting material pertaining to knowledge (आचिनॊति
अर्थान् इति आचार्य:).
All these three qualities are integral in an ideal teacher.
And a teacher becomes great not merely by possessing
knowledge but by expertly transmitting it. Regarding the teaching
technique Kalidasa says that acquisition of knowledge is some thing
and the transmission of the same to others is another. A person who
has both qualities in abundance is considered to be the best among
teachers.
श्लिष्टा
क्रिया कस्यचिदात्म संस्था
संक्रान्तिरन्यस्य
विशॆष युक्ता
यस्यॊभयं
साधु स सज्जनानां
धुरि
प्रतिष्ठापयितव्य एव
(Malavikagnimitram
I/16)
And
a teacher is always expected to have fore sight far sight as well as
insight.
4.
Government:
In Vedic age education used to be imparted free of cost
in gurukulas and the gurukulas are patronized by the kings and
philanthropists. In Raghuvamsa the author Kalidasa while describing
the administration of Dilipa states that the king Dilipa was like
father to the people as he was educating , protecting and maintaining
them. Thus he made the parents as mere agents of the birth of people.
प्राजानां
विनयाधानाद्रक्षणाद्भरणादपि
स
पिता पितरस्तासां कॆवलं
जन्महॆतव:(
I-24)
It is also evident that in the days of yore in India
there were many universities such as Nalanda, Takshasila, Vikramsila
where Higher Education was imparted even to foreign students at no
cost irrespective of caste, creed, religion, sex and nationality.
But
unfortunately in recent times, government is relinquishing the
responsibility of providing funds for education in general and
higher education in particular, treating it to be a wasteful
investment. A father should not think of returns immediately after
sending his ward for education. Because, the fruit of investing money
on education, will be attained only after the completion of
education, and not immediately. Similarly the investment made on a
particular generation can yield fruits in the next generation but not
immediately. So the government is expected to be liberal but not
short sighted in the allocation of funds for education.
II.
Four types of education:
As
already mentioned earlier, teacher is expected to be the main pillar
of the edifice of education. So it is his bounden duty and sublime
obligation to set the things right. He should impart knowledge which
develops an integral personality of the students and makes them
strong physically, mentally, intellectually and spiritually. The
teacher alone can impart value based education and ethical conduct
more effectively than others.
III.
Four sources of acquisition of knowledge:
According to the Indian tradition, student receives one
fourth of knowledge from his teacher, one fourth by using his
intellect, .one fourth from his class mates and still one fourth
through experience.
आचार्यात्पादमादत्तॆ
पादं शिष्य:
स्वमॆधया
पादम्
सब्रह्मचारिभ्य:
पादं
कालक्रमॆण च.
So
a student is not expected to confine himself to the information he
receives from his teacher. He should exercise his own intellect to
analyse and discuss with classmates to improve it. And in course of
time he understands it comprehensively through experience. Regarding
the mechanics of acquiring knowledge Kalidasa suggests that one gets
knowledge by assiduously and systematically learn things right from
the fundamentals. He also suggests that the study must be continuous
till the subject is mastered. As Thomas Alva Edison succinctly avers,
genius is one percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.
And to acquire knowledge there is no alternative except hard work and
deep study.
IV.
Four phases of education:
According
to our Indian tradition, education has four phases. They are Adhiti
(study), Bodha
(teaching), Acharana
(practising the values of education) and Prachara(
propagation of education).
Mere acquisition of knowledge is not of much use. It
should be distributed to others. Similarly, knowledge without
morality is not only use less but also dangerous. Here Bhartrihari,
the greatest poet cum philosopher states thus:
दुर्जन:
परिहर्तव्य:
विद्ययालंकृतोपि
सन्
मणिना
भूषित:
सर्प:
किमसौ
न भयंकर:?
(Niti satakam)
(A
man of bad character is to be abandoned even though he is educated.
Is not a serpent dangerous though it has a precious jewel on its
head?)
If
an educated person is immoral he can do more harm than the other as
aptly pointed out by Oscar wild thus: society produces rogues and
education will make one rogue wiser than the other. So knowledge,
acquired by one should be put in to practice distributed to one and
gradually to all to the uplift of the society. The method viz., ‘Each
one teach one’ should be implemented in this regard
.
Conclusion:
Among
all the religions of the world, the religion of saints i.e.,
Santmat realizes
the all round development of the individual. And unlike other
religions, it is ever fresh and dynamic, suitable to the needs of the
day to day world. More over the leaders of this religion take care
of both worldly as well as other worldly requirements of the
individual and society. It is a universal experience that the
education the Dayalbagh institutions impart help develop the
physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual facets of the individual
– a unique distinction of Dayalbagh. One hopes that other
educational institutions study the educational system of this great
institution and emulate it for the integral development of education.
***************
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