Saturday, December 16, 2023

Characteristics of a Student

    काक चेष्टा, बको ध्यानं, स्वान निद्रा तथैव च ।
   अल्पहारी, गृहत्यागी, विद्यार्थी पञ्च लक्षणम् ॥

(This is the verse that I had learnt by heart when I was a child. Let's discuss this verse now).

  Yagya Kumar Niraula

Every student must have the knowledge of this verse. This verse is not just a couple of lines written in Sanskrit, but in itself is a guidance for the students.

In this verse, the qualities a student have been mentioned so that this phase of his/her life can be successful.

This verse says that trying to know everything like that of a crow, concentration and meditation like that of a heron, sleeping a thin sleep like that of a dog, consuming less food and renunciation of his/her home are the five characteristics/qualities/signs or symptoms of a student.

Let's understand the meaning of the verse. Just as a crow has a desire and curiosity to know everything, a student should also keep trying to know and learn something new. That is, a student should keep acquiring as much knowledge as possible. This is his/her first characteristic.

Talking about the second sign, it is said that a student should follow a heron. A heron has immense concentration and attention. Like the heron, a student should also do every task with a concentrated mind. The mind and brain of a student should always remain concentrated and his/her attention should remain only on his/her goal so that he/she can achieve success in it.

The third symptom states that a student should always be alert. That is why his/her sleep should be a thin sleep like that of a dog, which wakes up and becomes alert as soon as it hears even the slightest noise.

The fourth symptom is that a student should eat less food. Eating too much food causes laziness in the mind, due to which students may be unable to do their work with agility. That is why a student should eat food as per his/her requirement so that he/she can remain active.

Finally, the renunciation of home has been described as the fifth characteristic of a student. That means a student should stay away from his home. Sacrifice of home is necessary because the love and affection of family members and relatives become a hindrance in acquiring knowledge. Therefore, a student should stay away from these relations and concentrate only on his/her studies. These are the five characteristics of a student, which make him/her successful in his/her life.

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