आचार्यात् पादमादत्ते पादं शिष्यस्वमेधया ।

ācāryāt pādamādatte pādaṃ śiṣyasvamedhayā ।

पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादं कालक्रमेण च ।।

pādaṃ sabrahmacāribhyaḥ pādaṃ kālakrameṇa ca ।।

 

English Meaning

A fourth (of our learning) comes from the teacher, a fourth (is attained) by the student's own intelligence (self-contemplation), a fourth from fellow students, and a fourth with the passage of time.

 

पदच्छेदः padacchedaḥ – Splitting into individual words

ācāryāt pādam ādatte pādaṃ śiṣyasvamedhayā  ।

pādaṃ sabrahmacāribhyaḥ pādaṃ kālakrameṇa ca  ।।

 

अन्वयः anvayaḥ - Reordering as a sentence

ācāryāt pādam ādatte śiṣyasvamedhayā pādaṃ ।

sabrahmacāribhyaḥ pādaṃ kālakrameṇa pādaṃ ca  ।।

 

पदार्थः padārthaḥ - Word by Word Meaning

ācāryāt = from the teacher pādam = a fourth, quarter ādatte = comes (springs, stems from) śiṣyasvamedhayā = with student's own intelligence (wisdom, capability) sabrahmacāribhyaḥ = from fellow students (classmates) kālakrameṇa = with the passage of time ca = and

 

Significance

How do we learn? Who do we learn from? Can we learn all that we need to know in classrooms and from Google? What is the role of self-study and time in learning? This subhāṣitam provides a pithy answer to the above questions and more.

 

ācāryāt pādam

In the modern times - parents go to the end of the world to fulfil their duty to send their kids to what they believe is the best college, no matter what the cost. Most often it because it becomes known that a specific college has the best professors. The "best" professors are the best teachers, do the best research, and attract the best talent. Great teachers can bring out the best in a student. However, this is similar to a good leader attempting to make the country better. The citizens still have a major role to play in developing a healthy society. Likewise, just because the teachers are great, the college is good, or the environment is complimentary, it is not guaranteed that the student will be successful. In evaluating factors leading to a student's success, the teacher's role (ācāryaḥ) is about 25% (pādam).

 

pādam śiṣyasvamedhayā

Once a good teacher has been obtained, it is time for a student's innate abilities to shine. Deliberate practice, discipline and hard work will help realize his true potential. New ideas and new ways of implementing what a teacher teaches occur when we repeatedly think about the subject. The self-contemplation (svamedhā) of the student is about 25% (pādam) of the learning process.

 

pādam sabrahmacāribhyaḥ

The purpose of knowledge is to understand the world/universe around us and its manifestation in oneself. Can one sit in a room alone and come up with solutions to humanities problems? Not really! When we engage in discussions with fellow students, more brain cells fire. We hear ideas that we could have never thought about ourselves. New solutions. Interesting ideas. All this comes from interaction with peers who are also in a learning process. Discussions, debates and interaction in fellow students (sabrahmacāriḥ) forms about 25% (pādam) of the learning process.

 

pādam kālakrameṇa

There is no substitute for experience. A school environment can influence a student significantly. But growth happens outside. The full potential blossoms only when the person puts his or her knowledge to practice in the real world. This happens gradually as the person goes through different occupations and life situations. Thus, time (kālaḥ) forms about 25% (pādam) of the learning process.

 

Summary

This subhāṣitam clearly outlines the factors needed to gain wisdom. The next time we feel that a learning process is taking too much time, let's ask ourselves. Is it because I am expecting instant gratification? Have I allowed for all aspects of knowledge to take its due course – like learning from a teacher, self-contemplation, discussion with fellow students, and time?

 

We live in an era where Amazon and Walmart have influenced our attitudes to expect same day delivery. Almost everything from a pencil to a car can be obtained instantly. Such attitudes have become habits.  Life however does not work like a switch. Love, respect, credibility, and importantly, knowledge, have several dimensions to them. One has to go through all the dimensions to become learned, to become wise.