April 28th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
न तेन वृद्धो भवति येनास्य पलितं शिरः ।
यो वै युवाप्यधीयानः तं देवाः स्थविरं विदुः ॥
- मनुस्मृति

Transliteration:
na tena vṛddho bhavati yenāsya palitaṃ śiraḥ ।
yo vai yuvāpyadhīyānaḥ taṃ devāḥ sthaviraṃ viduḥ ॥
- manusmṛti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

One doesn't become a grown man because of his graying head. Those who are learned, even if young, are considered exalted-wise (even) by the Gods.

Commentary:

Aging is not about how many years of life have passed, but how much life one has embraced! 

Age and maturity are not always directly proportional. Hence, one's maturity and learnedness are not based upon the number of gray hair he has on his head. A youngster could be more learned and wiser than an old man with a ripe head full of gray hair.

The poet says that even the Gods accept this and revere the learned one more than the aged one. There are multitudes of such instances, both in scriptures and reality, where a little child has enlightened their elders.

Age is just a number. Revere knowledge in anyone, irrespective of their numerical age. Capture it, whether it comes from a little one's mouth or an elderly person's. 

pada vigrahaH:
न तेन वृद्धः भवति येन अस्य पलितं शिरः ।
na tena vṛddhaḥ bhavati yena asya palitaṃ śiraḥ ।

यः वै युवा अपि अधीयानः तं देवाः स्थविरं विदुः ॥
yaḥ vai yuvā api adhīyānaḥ taṃ devāḥ sthaviraṃ viduḥ ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
na tena vRuddho bhavati yenaasya palitaM shiraH ।
yo vai yuvaapyadhIyaanaH taM devaaH sthaviraM viduH ॥
- manusmRuti

na tena vRuddhaH bhavati yena asya palitaM shiraH ।

yaH vai yuvaa api adhIyaanaH taM devaaH sthaviraM viduH ॥