Qualities of a Good Student

Qualities of student

There is a beautiful verse in Sanskrit that talks about five qualities that a student must have. Infact each of us is a student in our life, and we must possess and try to cultivate these qualities.

'Kak chestha bako dhyanam
Swan nidra tathajwa Cha
Alpahari grihtyaagi
Vidyarthi panch lakshnam'

Vidyarthi means the one who desires knowledge. Or simply a student. The last line 'vidyarthi panch lakshnam' says that a student must have these above mentioned five qualities. Only then he or she can get his desire for knowledge full filled. These five qualities are as follows:

(1) KAK CHESTHA


Kak means of crow and chestha means effort.Kak chestha means the effort of a crow.
All of us have read the story of a crow who was extremely thirsty and was flying around looking for some water. The crow found a pitcher of water. He found that there was water inside the pitcher but the level of water was low and he could not drink it with its beak inside. The crow started thinking what should be done. And got an idea. It started looking for pebbles. He one by one started putting pabble inside pitcher. Pabble by pebble by pebble the crow kept working hard. Until the level of water rose way up to the rim. The level of water rose way up to the rim and crow quenched its thrust.
Kak chestha refers to the patients and efforts of a 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 Kaka chesta, hard work. And don't they say that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary that's because S comes before W.

(2) BAKO DHYANAM


Bako dhyanam means focus, the intense focus of a crane. Crane standing on one leg completely focused into the water and the crane with one pointed attention is looking at the water as the fishes are swimming inside the water the crane will allow with tiny the small fish to swim around and not be satisfied with them. It will focus and wait for the big fish to come. If it settles with small fish it will lose the big fish. 
Similarly when you want to focus on what is important, we should allow the small things to pass by and we shouldn't be distracted by the little things. Sometimes will be it interpersonal issues and conflict, sometime will be some health crisis,  sometime they might be a financial crisis so many things keep happening in life small things passby and focus on what's important.

(3) SHWAN NIDRA


Shwan means a dog and Nidra means sleep. Shwan nidra means the sleep of a dog, or to be more precise the alertness of a dog. When a dog is sleeping although the eyes are closed dog is very alert to the surroundings around it. Even if there is a little sound or even if someone walks very very slowly, the dog will immediately open its eyes.All those who want knowledge in their lives and want to pursue something that is meaningful life have to practice the quality of alertness. we shouldn't miss out to be alert to the world around us. There is a lot to learn in this world from people, from objects, from situations, from surroundings,  we will only learn when we are alert.

(4) ALPAHARI


Ahar means food and alpa means less. Alpahari means vidyarthi should eat less. Now this is not what is implied by this word though. We have varieties of ahar like for example for our tungue we have food, that's the ahar. For our ear we have sound that's the ahar, music, talks. For our eyes sights, people, beautiful panaromic scenery is the ahar. So for each of our senses there is ahar. And when it was said that a vidyarthi should be alpahari, it means we should be very careful with what input we give to our senses. Because whatever inputs we give to our senses actually go and make a very deep indelible impression on our phuche, on our inner systems. In Sanskrit it is called sanskara. Sanskara means that indelible impression that sensory input leave on our mind. We give so many inputs through our senses and  they leave a very indelible mark on our consciousness and make 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 we want our mind space to be filled with. Do not fill your mind with unwanted things.

(5) GRIHTYAAGI


Grih means home and tyaagi means to give up, leave. In ancient times in India students would leave their home and go to to study at an early age under their teachers or gurus. Grihtyaagi means leaving home, to go in pursuit of knowledge. In its real implied sense, grihtyaagi doesn't means leaving home, it means leaving our comfort zone. Home represents comfort zone. So if we are going to leave in our comfort zone there is no question of pursuing that of the true value. Therefore, grihtyaagi refers to coming out of our comfort zone. Which is what no pain no gain means.

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