Teacher's Day!

शिक्षक दिवस

Shrimadbhagvad-gita 

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कार्पण्यदोषोपहृतस्वभावः

पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसंमूढचेता।।

यच्छ्रेयः स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे 

शिष्योऽस्तेहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नं।।७।।

(अध्याय २)

There are two slightly different versions of the above verse.

The another is :

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः ... 

Both of the two could give us the same sense so the matter settles there.

However with reference to :

The Teacher's Day,

Another two words in the verse are :

शिष्यः  and  शाधि --

Both these two words come from the verb-root

√शास्  - शासयति, शास्ते, 

Conveying the sense of governing, ruling over, administrate, and to be governed, ruled over, administrated by someone.

Another word related to this verb-root is  : शासनम्  meaning the Governance or the administration.

This how this Sanskrit root-verb turned into  शाह in the Persian -

आर्यमेहर शाह रजा पहलवी 

Was the Emperor of Iran before the Islamic Revolution that ousted him.

Each of the above words has origin in Sanskrit :

आर्य - श्रेष्ठ -  Arya - Noble, 

मिहिर / मेहर Mihir  The Sun,

शाह - शास् - shAs 

रजा - राजा - King. 

पहलवी - Pahlavi

As could be found in the :

Valmiki Ramayanam

However, The English word "Teach" comes from "Touch" that again, from "त्वच्" in Sanskrit. 

Whatever be the origin, the "sense" of "learning / learn from" is effectively conveyed by this word.

The next word is :

शाधि 

Which is the  लुट् लकार, imperative mood, second person singular form of this verb "Teach". Simple and Direct meaning is "to request the teacher for giving the instructions".

Accordingly, the word : अनुशासनम् 

Conveys the sense of  "Discipline" and the one who follows this "Discipline" is called "शिष्यः" meaning - "The Disciple".

Next is : आचार्य  - आचारयति यः स आचार्यः। 

This is about one who teaches about the conduct, behaviour, morality, ethics and manners.

Still another word often  misinterpreted is : गुरु - "Guru" -- meaning some-one bigger, greater in power, position or effect. Usually associated with the word : जनः  गुरुजनः गुरुजनाः : Means the elders and the old people like the parents and other respectable men and women.

The word "student"  comes from the Sanskrit root verbs "स्तु" - स्तौति  meaning one who prays before someone, praises in order to please the Master. 

Again the word : Master comes from the Sanskrit word  मस्त / मस्तकं meaning the "Head" . There is a similar word "Mast". The Master is one who has control over the one who prays before and praises to :

येन सः स्तूयते  i.e. the student.

The very first introductory chapter of the तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद् - शीक्षावल्ली,

Sets the criteria for the student and the teacher who deserve to learn and teach respectively. In very concise words this word narrates what is "Education" and who can be a right educater and who could be educated in the proper sense of the word "Education".

Interestingly,  The Words :

Edit, Edict, Educate,

all have the origin in the the Sanskrit root-verb इ ईयते,  with prefix उपसर्ग "अधि" this gives us : अधीयते  meaning one who studies just as अधिगम्यते means "is learnt" or "understood" .

This is what I have learnt so far.

अनेन यद्धि मया अवगम्यते अधिगम्यते वा यावत्।। 

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