Qualities of students

I read a very amazing Sanskrit verse once, which spoke about five qualities that student must have, In fact each one of us is a student in our life, and this is why we should possess and try to cultivate these five qualities.

काक: चेष्टा बकोध्यानं स्वान निन्द्रा तथैव च |

अल्पाहारी गृह्त्यागी विध्यार्थी पञ्च लक्षणम् ||

• Vidhyarthi, vidhya means knowledge and arthi means one who desires knowledge. All of us, should possess pancha lakshanam, these five characteristics features and qualities.

The first one, Kaka chesta – Kaka means a crow and a chestha means effort, Kaka chestha means the effort of a crow. All of us in our childhood read the story of a crow, who was

• extremely thirsty and was flying around looking for some water. The crow found pitcher of water.

As the crow landed itself on the rim of the pitcher and looked inside at the contents, the found there was water, but the water was very bottom of the pitcher and there was no way the crow could drink water by putting its beak inside. The crow started thinking what should be done and it came across a brilliant idea. It started looking around and started picking up its beak tiny pebbles and putting them inside the pitcher. Pebble by pebble the crow kept working hard until the level of the water rose way up to the rim of the pitcher and the crow quenched its thirst. Kaka chestha refers to the patience, hardwork and the effort of the crow. If we have to work on our lives, If we have to truly bring out what is within outside, we have to through some painful sharpening of kaka chestha, hardwork, and don’t they say that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary, that is because ‘s’ comes before ‘w’.

• The second quality of student is Bako Dhyanam. Bako dhyanam means intense focus of a crane. When one looks at the crane standing on one leg completely focused into the waters, the crane with one pointed attention is looking at the waters as the fishes are swimming inside the waters.

The crane allow the tiny, the small fish to swim around and not be satisfied with them. The crane will focus and wait for the big fish to crane. If the crane satisfys with the small fish, it will lose the big fish and the crane wants the big fish, it has to allow the small fish to pass by and go around. Similarly in life, when to focus what is important , we should allow the small things to pass it. We should be distracted by the little things, sometimes there will be interpersonal issues and conflicts, sometimes there will be health crisis, sometimes there might be a financial crisis, so many things keep happening in life, let the small things pass by and focus on what’s important.

• The third quality of a student is Shwan Nidra. Shwan means dog and nidra means sleep. Shwan nindra means sleep of a dog, or to be more precise the alertness of the dog. All of us seen actually, when a dog is sleeping although the eyes are closed, the dog is very alert to the surroundings around it. Even if there is a little sound or even if someone walks very slowly, the dog will immediately open its eyes. All those who want knowledge in their lives and want to pursue that meaningful in life have to practice the quality of alertness. We shouldn’t miss out to be alert to the world around us.

• The fourth quality that a student must possess is Alpahari. In Sanskrit Ahar means food and alpa means less.

So literally, alpahari means that a vidhyarthi , one seeking knowledge should eat less. Now a this is not what is implied by this word though, we have varieties of ahar, like for example, for our tongue we have food, that’s ahar. For our ears, we have sound, that’s the ahar, music, talks. For our eyes, sights, people, beautiful panoramic scenery is the ahar. So each of our senses there is ahar. Because whatever inputs we give to our senses actually go and make a very deep indelible impression on our psyche, on our inner systems; in Sanskrit that is called sanskara. I tell you, we give so many inputs through our senses and they leave a very indelible mark, sometimes underasable mark on our consciousness and our mind. Therefore, when we talk about alpahari, it means we should be

very careful to choose those sensory inputs which are of value and those things that we want our mind space to be filled with. Do not subject yourself to unwanted things in the world around us, which will go and occupy your precious mind space, which should not be taken by unwanted less valuable and less priority things. Your mind space is meant and reserved for the most important and valuable things.

• The fifth thing or the fifth quality that a student must possess is Grihtyagi. Griha means home and tyagi means give up, leave. In the ancient eastern world of India, students leave their home at an early age and go to study

under the teachers or gurus in the school which called gurukul. Grihtyagi means leaving home, to go in pursuit of knowledge. In its real implied sense grihtyagi doesn't mean leaving home, it means leaving our comfort zone. If we leaving in our comfort zone our home represents comfort zone. Therefore grihtyagi refers to coming out to our comfort zone, which is we what no pains no gains means.

Thus, these five qualities of the students. The educators of GAJERA VIDHYABHAVAN SACHIN are trying best to develop these five qualities in the students .

• So the learners put their efforts to achieve their goals and dreams. Through these five qualities, they can boost their concentration power, alertness which helpful in the study.

Kaka chestha - efforts of crow

Baki dhyanam - the focus of a crane

Swan nidra - alertness of the dog

Alpahari - giving the right inputs to our senses

Grihtyagi - leaving out to our comfort zone.