July 5th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
काकदृष्टिर्बकध्यानं श्वाननिद्रा तथैव च ।
अल्पाहारो जीर्णवस्त्रं च एतद्विद्यार्थिलक्षणम् ॥
Transliteration:
kākadṛṣṭirbakadhyānaṃ śvānanidrā tathaiva ca ।
alpāhāro jīrṇavastraṃ ca etadvidyārthilakṣaṇam ॥

Meaning of the subhAShita:

These are the characteristics of a student: the sight of a crow; the attention of a stork; the sleep of a dog; little food; and worn out clothes.

Commentary:

Pick the best traits from whoever it is! Just as every being has their own imperfections, they have a trait which they have mastered. A student especially needs to be constantly on the outlook in order to acquire the best qualities, and being a student throughout one's life is the most blissful experience!

1. A crow, in some respects, is considered the most basal of birds, but not in its skill of observation! It has very keen eyesight and nothing goes unobserved. That kind of cognizance is essential if one is interested in increasing his knowledge-base and to get to the bottom of things.
2. A stork is popular for its attention. It can stand on one leg for hours on end without moving. It stands in the water and waits patiently for fish to pass by. Since the stork is almost still, the fish are not warned and the stork's patience gets rewarded. This kind of concentration should be learnt from the stork. Without concentration, a deeper understanding of any subject matter is impossible.
3. A dog is very easy to wake up. Even when it sleeps, it is very aware of its surroundings and is ready to jump up at the slightest stir. Also, when he wakes up, he doesn't sleepwalk drowsily. He is up with full attention! Such should be the alertness of a student. Excessive sleep leads only to waste of time and laziness. Neither is it proactive towards learning.
4. Consumption of too much food makes one feel heavy, lazy and sleepy. Hence, a student is advised to consume food in small portions. It also curbs one from indulging himself in pleasing his palate, which can become another hindrance to learning.
5. Worn out clothes (jīrṇavastraṃ) is emphasized for students. The reason being, if he wants his clothes to be new and updated with the latest trends, his time and energy get wastefully spent on acquiring those clothes, making sure he looks good with all other accessories that go with it, etc. When the attention and dedication are diverted from the core subject and distracted into unwanted interests, productivity in the learning is anyone's guess!

Hence, the characteristics of a true student are defined as the above 5 traits. Like they say, 'Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration'. Vidyā (knowledge) never comes easily. One has to strive hard for it. If he adapts these traits, then, it doesn't seem like an effort anymore!

pada vigrahaH:
काक-दृष्टिः बक-ध्यानं श्वान-निद्रा तथा एव च ।
kāka-dṛṣṭiḥ baka-dhyānaṃ śvāna-nidrā tathā eva ca ।

अल्प-आहारो जीर्ण-वस्त्रं च एतत् विद्यार्थि-लक्षणम् ॥
alpa-āhāro jīrṇa-vastraṃ ca etat vidyārthi-lakṣaṇam ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
kaakadRuShTirbakadhyaanaM shvaananidraa tathaiva cha ।
alpaahaaro jIrNavastraM cha etadvidyaarthilakShaNam ॥

kaaka-dRuShTiH baka-dhyaanaM shvaana-nidraa tathaa eva cha ।

alpa-aahaaro jIrNa-vastraM cha etat vidyaarthi-lakShaNam ॥