An ode to the teacher (on the eve of S. Radhakrishnan’s birthday – Celebrated as teacher’s day)

Teachers are revered in India. India has the deep rooted tradition of the Gurukul in which the student becomes the part and parcel of the Guru (teacher). He serves the teacher like a son. The teacher’s word is his command. He does all the work assigned including household work. The student tags the teacher. The teacher teaches the student in a very natural way throughout the day.

The role of the student is given a lot of importance. How can anyone forget the dedication of Karna who bore the extremely painful bites of a bee on his thigh (the bee is a god who wants to thwart the penance of Karna) rather than wake up his sleeping guru. The guru was sleeping resting his head on the lap of Karna.

The Indian mythology talks about Ekalavya the ultimate student. Ekalavya is refused tutorage by Dronacharya the expert martial art trainer. Undeterred, Ekalavya trains before the statue of his guru Dronacharya and becomes an expert archer. His name and fame spreads. This leads to heartburn in Arjuna the favorite student of Dronacharya. Dronacharya had given a word to Arjuna that he would be the best archer in the world.

To fulfill his vow a tearful Dronacharya asks the ultimate Guru Dakshina (a parting gift from the student to the teacher as a thanks giving for the education and knowledge imparted) the thumb of Ekalavya. Ekalavya cheerfully gives off his thumb for a guru who has not taught him anything. But he gives his thumb as a respect for the image of the guru that he trained under. That is why Ekalavya is regarded as a epitome of a good student. In his heart Dronacharya had realized who was the best student among Arjuna and Ekalavya but his vow stopped him from admitting that Ekalavya was better than Arjuna. Blessed is the teacher who has a student like Ekalavya.

The relationship between the teacher and the student is interesting. The teacher takes the raw student under him and moulds him to become an expert in his field. The teacher has to be selfless and impart all the knowledge that he possesses. A telugu saying goes like this “Guruvunu minchina shishyudu” meaning the student who is better than the teacher. It is only a very selfish teacher who does not impart all the knowledge, like a wrestling coach who does not give all the tips to a trainee wrestler. The student also has an important role to play. He has to remain a faithful student till the end. He will have to remember the teachers and follow the directions set by his gurus. Blessed is the relationship between the teacher and the student. A Sanskrit saying “Mathru Devo Bhava, Pithru Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava”. Translated into english “Mother is the first god, father is the second god and teacher is the third god”.