Our Ancient literature has an abundance of knowledge in store for all of us. They have spoken about every aspect and stages of life. All we need is a deep dive into it. One such piece of literature which I felt is worth sharing in this forum is a shloka which explains – what students can learn from nature and imbibe the traits of various creatures around us. The beauty of this portion is its comparison of the required traits with the distinct features of the creatures in and around us. The Shloka is “Kak Chesta, Bako dhayanam. Swan Nindra thatve cha. Alpa hari Grah tyagi, vidyarthi panch lakshanam,” which means a student should have:

Kak chesta: Students’ level of curiosity and desire to excel should be like that of a crow. All of us remember the story of thirsty crow, the desire to drink the water was so strong, that the crow dropped the pebbles in the pot restlessly, till the water reached the crow. Similarly, the students are expected to continue diverting all their efforts in the studies and should be restless till their curiosity is being quenched.

Bako Dhyanam: Regarding the concentration levels of students, it is said that the concentration should be similar to that of a Crane, who stands still in the water body on one leg till they catch their prey. Similarly, students should learn to focus on their goals of acquiring knowledge with their eye fixed on the target.

Swan nindra:  Sleeping habits of the students should be similar to that of a dog. Dogs are said to be highly vigilant even while they are sleeping. The slightest sound around and you will find them standing alert. Similarly, the students should be always alert and observant to grasp whatever is being taught.

Alpa hari: Students should eat sufficiently, neither too much nor too less. The food should be sufficient enough to give them the required energy, as a hungry stomach will not let them concentrate on studies, at the same time they should not eat too much that they turn drowsy.Grah Tyagi:  Students should stay away from household distractions and emotional attachments. It’s only then, they will be able to concentrate and focus on studies. If the mind is filled with the distractions of the world, then there shall be no place for any other information pertaining to studies. In order to grasp all that is being taught or imparted by the teacher one should keep their mind away from all sorts of distractions. The cup can be filled only when it is empty, if the brain is preoccupied with all sorts of distractions then there will be no space for anything worthwhile.

Author:
Dr. Kavitha Joshi, Assistant Professor, Unitedworld School of Business (UWSB)