Subhashithaani-Quotable quotes

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15. Na chorahaaryam na cha raajahaaryam

Na braathrbhajyam na cha bhaarakaaree

Vyaye krthe varDhatha eva nithyam

VidhyaaDhanam sarvadDhanaah praDhaanam

 

Learning is the best among the riches because, it cannot be stolen by thieves, nor by the king. It cannot be portioned between brothers like property. It does not add to the burden and when spent it grows ever.

 

16. harthuH na gocharam yaathi dhatthaa bhavathi visthrthaa

kalpaanthe api na yaa naSyeth kim anyath vidhyayaa

samam

 

Learning does not become stolen, and spreads when it is given. It is not lost even at the end of aeon, is there anything equal to learning?

 

The wealth of learning is extolled in the above two slokas. Once acquired it cannot be taken away by anyone, or divided between brothers as a birthright. When spent, it grows and when given to others it broadens its scope. It is not lost forever, meaning that, the knowledge alone comes with man for several births. Beauty, wealth and power are not permanent even for one life. But the knowledge gained comes for several births until the real knowledge, jnana dawns when the cycle of birth and death ceases. This fact is proved when we see the child prodigies.

 

Kalidasa illustrates this in his description of Parvathi in Kumarasambhava.

 

thaam hamsamaalaaH Saradhi iva gangaam

mahoushaDhim nakham iva aathmabhaasah

sThiropadheSaam upadheSa kale

prapedhire praakthanjanmavidhyaa (kum.I- 30)

 

All the learning came to Parvathi naturally at the proper time. She did not learn from the teaching of a guru but when the guru started giving upadesa all the learning of her previous birth came to her of its own accord. Kalidasa being what he was could now resist from giving appropriate examples which earned him the name `upamaa kaalidasasya.' He cites the example of the swans flying to the manasa lake in the autumn and the lustre of the healing herbs during the night. When autumn comes no one instructs the swans to fly to Mansarover and when the night comes the natural lustre is emitted by the herbs.

 

The same idea can be seen in the 6th chapter of the Gita where the Lord says that one gets the knowledge which was acquired in the previous birth so that he starts from where he left.

 

Poorvaabhyaasena thenaivahriyathe hyavaSopi saH

Aneka janmasamsidDhaH .'(BG.6-45)

 

 

The idea that vidhyaa grows with giving inspired me to write the following sloka.

 

Vidhyaa priyam cha dhaanena

 

varDhathe na thu Dhanam

 

Dhanam deeyathaam yaThaaSakthi

 

vidhyaa priyam cha sarvadhaa

 

knowledge and love grows by giving but not wealth. Let gifts of money and things be given when ever possible but knowledge and love should be given always.

One lesson however to be learnt from the fact that learning follows one even after death is that one should not have arrogance about knowledge, vidhyagarva, which is worse than the arrogance about power, beauty or wealth. When the power wealth and beauty are gone, the arrogance also vanishes but the vidhyagarva continues even after death!