Jyotiṣārṇava

Bhartṛharī's Nītiśatakam. Verse 3. अज्ञः सुखमाराध्यः सुखतरमाराध्यते विशेषज्ञः ।  ज्ञानलवदुर्विदग्धं ब्रह्माऽपि तं नरं न रञ्जयति ॥ ajñaḥ sukhamārādhyaḥ sukhataramārādhyate viśeṣajñaḥ |  jñānalavadurvidagdhaṃ brahmā'pi taṃ naraṃ na rañjayati || [An ignorant person can be easily convinced. A wise person can be convinced even more easily. However, even Lord Brahmā cannot satisfy or convince a person who is puffed up with a tiny fragment of knowledge.] {Nītiśatakam. Verse 3} Commentary: In this first section titled Ajñapaddhati (The Way of the Ignorant), Mahākavī Bhartṛharī presents a specific problem within the system of education. He highlights a challenge in teaching that applies not to children, but to "public education." The listeners here are not literal children, but adults with a "childish intellect," which creates a real dilemma for scholars and moralists. Image Source: Pinterest. In the earlier verse, the listeners were classified into three...