Varadaraja—The Story of a Great Scholar |
In ancient times, children attended Gurukuls. Gurus taught their students there. A boy named Varadaraja studied in a Gurukul in a village. He was very weak in studies, and everyone made fun of him.
He had difficulty understanding and memorizing what the guru taught, so he lost interest in his studies. All his classmates were promoted to higher grades, while he remained stuck in the same class.
The guru tried very hard to teach him, but it didn't work. Finally defeated, the Guru expelled him from the Gurukul.
He left with a heavy heart and a heavy heart. On the way, he wondered how he would face his father when he returned home and tell him that his guru had expelled him. On his way, he felt thirsty. He saw a well, went near it, drew water from the bucket kept there, and drank.
After drinking water, he noticed that the edge of the well had become hollow and damaged from repeated rubbing with a rope. He thought, if a soft rope could make marks on a hard stone by repeatedly rubbing it, why couldn't he acquire knowledge by repeatedly memorizing lessons and working hard?
And he didn't go home. He returned to the Gurukul. Seeing him return, the guru asked, "What's the matter? Why haven't you gone home?" Varadaraja replied, "Guruji, please give me another chance. This time I will work hard and won't disappoint you." The Guruji was delighted with his confidence and began teaching him again.
This same "Varadaraja" later became a renowned scholar of grammar. He wrote the remarkable book on Sanskrit grammar, "Laghu Siddhanta Kaumudi," and became renowned as a scholar.
Thank you!
0 Comments