musings 176

For a seeker of knowledge there is no place for too much of self assuredness and for a presumption that the subject he is learning is very simple, and that he is too bright..

This is all the more important in study of the great classical language Sanskrit..

We tend to forget our limitations and never fail to make very patronizing comments especially in social media about the shortcomings of others, fully knowing that we are mostly empty drums..

In the traditional system of education the disciple never dared to question his preceptor..

Vain and excessive self assuredness was absent in our great predecessors..

Kalidasa, while introducing Raghuvamsa Mahakavyam says..

मन्दः कवियशः प्रार्थी गमिष्याम्युपहास्यताम्।

प्रांशुलभ्य् फले लोभात् उद्बाहुरिव वामनः॥

mandaḥ kaviyaśaḥ prārthī gamiṣyāmyupahāsyatām|

prāṁśulabhy phale lobhāt udbāhuriva vāmanaḥ||

"An ignoramus as I am (Kalidasa calls himself so), and seeking the glory to be praised as a poet, I am exposing myself to the ridicule of the learned people (by trying my hands in creating a history of the great Raghuvamsam). My position is nothing different from that of a dwarf who stands under a tall tree laden with fruits and jumping up with hands held upwards,, but the fruits could be had only by really tall people. "

Again in the Masterly Creation, the poet's Magnum Opurs Abhijnaana Shakuntalam, Kalidaasa says..

आ परितोषाद् विदुषां न साधु मन्ये प्रयोगविज्ञानं।

बलवदपि शिक्षितानां आत्मन्यप्रत्ययं चेतः॥

ā paritoṣād viduṣāṁ na sādhu manye prayogavijñānaṁ|

balavadapi śikṣitānāṁ ātmanyapratyayaṁ cetaḥ||

"I do not consider my capacity to write and present a drama as anything good unless the learned men are completely happy after watching such presentation..

Even for the most learned men, their minds are not very confident when it comes to the level to which they have been equipped as scholars.."

My thoughts were triggered when I was just going through the celebrated text" Laghupaanineeyam" by Shri A R Rajaraja Varma..

This book is a standard text on Sanskrit Grammar and other essential aspects, a standard text followed in Sanskrit Departments of many great temples of knowledge, for more than 130 years..

He says, in the preface of the book, while seeking the pardon of the readers for the many errors in ideas, spellings, printing, and so on..

अत्यूर्जितं वस्तु चलं च चित्तमतः प्रमादः सुलभः प्रणेतुः॥

प्रमादिनौ लेखकमुद्रकौ च क्वात्यन्तिकी पुस्तक ते विशुद्धिः।

atyūrjitaṁ vastu calaṁ ca cittamataḥ pramādaḥ sulabhaḥ praṇetuḥ||

pramādinau lekhakamudrakau ca kvātyantikī pustaka te viśuddhiḥ|

"The subject matter is very powerful and deep, the mind is fickle, the author is capable of forgetfulness and unintentional errors, the editor, copywriter, typesetter and the printer are also capable of committing such errors, so, my dear book, how can there be absolute purity for you.?"

The greatness of the really great people lies in the fact that they admit their limitations even better than flaunting their erudition..