| HUMILITY
- THE CREST JEWEL OF TRUE LEARNING |
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| The
ancient Gurukula system of education in India was so well-planned and organised
that by the time a pupil completed his education, he would have developed all
the good qualities and virtued which would enable him to become a true citizen
of the country. One of the most important traits which he acquired during his
tutelage was a sense of humility - a trait which was considered the crest jewel
of true education by the ancient Indians. Bhartruhari, the famous sanskrit poet
of the 7th century A.D., therefore said that a man without such an
education(which combined humility) was a brute -
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| The principal
goal of education, according to Sanatana Dharma, is to realise the truth of
God. With a view to assisting a person to realise this, the Gurukula system of
education laid stress both on devotion (Bhakti) as well as humility (Vinaya).
Learning started when one was quite young - as well as five years old - and
teacher (Guru) taught the students without charging any fees (unlike the modern
days). As the teacher's main occupation and concern was teaching, he was not
supposed to waste his time in search of his daily food. On the other hand.
pupil would go arround collecting food from household both for himself as well
as for the teacher's family calling out at each house ( Bhavati Bhilksham Dehi)
or May you give me some alms - the request being made to the
lady of the house. This kind of life, begging for food, induced a sense of
humility in the student even at an impressionable age. It is the spirit that
lies behind the Mother - Bhiksha (Matri - Bhiksha) ceremony in the
Upanayanam Samskara when the Brahmachari seeks food from the mothers by
uttering "Bhavati Bhiksham Dehi" thrice. |
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| From
times immemorial all the great philosophers, poets, reformers and religious
teachers of the land have always exhibited a deep sense of humility. The great
Sankara Bhagavatpada, considered by many as a Divine incarnation, set the trend
of humility in all his works. Even though he out-shone his Guru, Govinda
Bhagavatpada, in learning as well as in achievement, he refers to himself
in all his works as only the discipline of Govinda Bhagavatpada (alluding that
his greatness was not his own, but results of the grace of his Guru), when he
concluded his works with the following words : |
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| Soundaryalahari
is one of the greatest compositions of Sri Sankaracharya which
celebrates the beauty ineffable of the Supreme Mother. At the end of Soundaryalahari,
in the hundredth Sloka, Sri Sankaracharya makes a confession which is
extra-ordinary in its humility. |
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| I
have only offered this Stotra with the gift of your own words - you are the
mother of words. |
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| This
is similar to waving the light of camphor to the all-bright Sun, offering
"Arghya" to the moon from the water oozing out of the Moon-stone. |
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| Kalidasa,
recknoned as one of the fore-most poets in world literature, was no less
humble. His sense of humility was amply reflected in the opening verses of his
epic poem Raghuvamsam when he says - |
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| Where
is the race sprung from the Sun ? And where is my poor intellectual equipment?
Me thinks from sheer folly I am bent upon crossing the ocean, though difficult
to do so, by the help of a small boat. |
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| Incompetant
as I am, I should make myself the butt of ridicule were I to covet the fame of
a poet, like a dwarf (who could be laughed at) greedily stretching his hand to
pluck a fruit that can be reached only by a tall man. |
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| Sanatana
Dharma always believes that whenever someone accomplishes a meritorious task in
any field whatsoever, recognition is bound to come to him, sooner or later,
without his boasting about it. This fact is particularly emphasised in the Mahanarayana
Upanishad when it declares- |
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| Just
as the fragrance of a tree fully covered with flowers is wafted by the wind
even from a distant place, so too, the fragrance of meritorious deeds - the
good name that occurs from them - spreads to a great distance, even without the
doer proclaiming it himself. |
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| No
wonder, one of Kautilya's aphorisms (Chankya Sutra) says :
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| Learning
accompanied by humility is the ornament of all ornaments. |
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