I read a very amazing Sanskrit verse once which spokes about the 5 qualities that a student must have. In fact, each of one of us a student in our life and this is why we should possess and cultivate these qualities.
“Kak chesta bako dhyanam, shwan nidra tathaiwa cha alpahari grihtyaagi Vidhyarthi pancha lakshnam”.
Vidhyarthi – Vidhya means knowledge and arthi means one who desires knowledge. All of us should possess panch lakshnam, these five characteristic features, and qualities.
1. Kak chesta (The efforts of a Crow)
All of us in our childhood have read the story of the crow who was extremely thirsty and was flying around and looking for the water. The crow found a pitcher of water. As the crow landed itself on the rim of the pitcher and looked inside at the content he found there was water but the water was at the very bottom of the pitcher and there was no way that the crow cold drink water by putting its beak inside. The crow started thinking what should be done and he comes across a brilliant idea. It started looking around and started picking up in its beak tinny pebbles and putting them inside the pitcher. Pebble by 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.
Kak chesta referred to the patience, hard work and the efforts of the crow. If we have to work on our lives. If we have to truly bring what is within outside. We have to go to some painful sharpening of kak chesta (hard work) and don’t they say “The only place where success comes before work is the dictionary” that is because ‘S’ comes before ‘W’.
2. Bako dhyanam (The focus of a Crane)
The intense fouse of the crane. When one looks at the crane standing on one leg completely focused on the water. The crane with one-pointed attention is looking at the water. As the fishes pass inside the water. The crane will allow the tiny the small fishes to swim around and not to be satisfied with them. It will allow the small fishes to go around and swim around. The crane will focus and wait for the big fish to come. If the crane settles with the small fish it will lose the big fish. And if the crane wants the big fish it will have to pass by the small fish. Similarly in life when you want to focus on what is important we should allow the small things to pass by.
We shouldn’t be distracted by the little things. Sometimes there will be some interpersonal issues and conflicts, sometimes there will be some health crises. Sometimes there might be financial crises. So many things keep happening in life. Let the small things pass by. And focus on what is important.
3. Shwan nidra (The alertness of a Dog)
Shwan means dog and nidra means sleep. The shwannidra means the sleep of a dog. To be more precise the alertness of a dog. All of us have seen actually when a dog is sleeping although the eyes of the dog are close, the dog is very alert. The surroundings around it even if there is little sound and even if someone walks very very slowly the dog will immediately open its eyes. All those who want knowledge in life and wants to pursue something meaningful in life have to practice quality of alertness. Although we may be eyes closed doing not literally but doing what we are doing in life we shouldn’t miss out to be alert to the world around us. There is a lot to learn from the peoples, objects, from situations and from surrounding and we will only learn when we are alert.
4. Alpahari ( Inputs we give to our senses )
Ahar means food and alpa means less. So literally alpahari means that a vidhyarthi or one seeking knowledge should less. Now, this isn’t which is implied in this world. We have a lot of ahar . For example for our tongue we have food, for our ears, we have the sound that’s the ahar , music, talks. For our eyes, sights, people, beautiful scenes are the ahar so for ears of our senses, there is ahar.
When this verse says that a vidhayrthi should be alpahari it means that we should be very careful of what inputs we give to our senses. Because whatever input we give to our sense actually go and make a deep indelible impression on our psyche, on our inner system. In Sanskrit, it is called sanskara. Sanskara means that indelible impression that sensory inputs leave on our minds.
We give you so many inputs to our sense. And they leave a very indelible mark and sometime unerasable mark on our minds. Therefore when we talk about alpa ahari, therefore, we should be very careful to choose those sensory inputs which are of value and the things that you want the mind space to be filled with. Do not subject yourself to the unwanted things in the world around which will go and occupy the precious mind space which should not be taken by unwanted less valuable and fewer priority things. Your mindspace is meant and reserved for the most important and valuable thing.
5. Grahtyagi (leaving your comfort zone)
Grah means home tyagi means to give up. In the ancient times in India, students would leave their homes at an early age and go to study under their teachers and gurus in the school called gurukul. Grahtyagi means leaving home to go in pursuit of knowledge in its real implied sense. Grah tyagi doesn’t mean leaving home. It means leaving your comfort zone. If we are leaving in our comfort zone or grah then there is no question of pursuing that which is of true value. Therefore grahtyagi means coming out of our comfort zone.
Thus these 5 qualities -Kak chesta, means the effort of crow. Bako dhyanam , means the focus of the Crane. Shwan nidra the alertness of a dog. Alpahari giving right inputs to our senses. Grah tyagi coming out of the comfort Zone are painful in real life to follow but “No pains No gains means”.