grain and chaff

ग्रन्थानभ्यस्य मेधावी ज्ञानविज्ञान तत्परः।

पलालमिव धान्यार्थी त्यजेत् सर्वमशेषतः॥

महाभारते

granthānabhyasya medhāvī jñānavijñāna tatparaḥ|

palālamiva dhānyārthī tyajet sarvamaśeṣataḥ||

mahābhārate

A very significant quote from the epic Mahabharatam

A man who is interested in gaining knowledge and expertise in any field should, after learning those from books, should retain only the core ideas and the meaning just as a person who is desirous of winning grain that gas grown as a crop in the field should discard husk and straw coming along with the grain thoroughly and completely..

The knowledge available in the books and in the open world is huge..

We acquire such knowledge by reading and intelligent observation, or even from the lessons life gives us..

But the core knowledge is significant, because that can make our lives richer..

Memorizing books or remembering and crying over past scars and hurts would be of little use.. Our memory and life span both are limited.. So we should not clutter them with fluffs..

I cannot help laughing aloud seeing scholars fighting over bibliography and authenticity of sources for quotes.. But then scholars are just scholars..

ज्ञानविज्ञान तत्परः who is interested in, who is keen about knowledge and expertiseमेधावी (नरः) intelligent manग्रन्थान् अभ्यस्य after learning from booksधान्यार्थी one who wants grainपलालं इव like husk, straw( अर्थात् अन्यं ) apart from meaning, core ideaसर्वं everythingअशेषतः without leaving any traceत्यजेत् should give up, should discard ( from memory)