Learning a treasure to be cherished

 There is one line in 'inidu nARpadu', an old Tamil book of maxims and ethical advices. The book was written by the son of Madurai Tamizhaasiriyar, called Bootam Sendanar. There one line is coming like 'andaNar Otthudaimai ARRa miga inidu'. It is pleasant to see Brahmins studiously learning or chanting the Vedas. Paripadal says that in those days Madurai was waking up in the early morning with the Vedic chanting resounding. When I was studying in the college, one friend was there by name Ramabadran, of course a little younger than me. He was related to Sri U Ve Madurantagam Veeraraghavachariyar. Perhaps his grandson. I used to go to Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaitthurai frequently to meet Swamis and Brahmacharis there and sometimes I used to stay overnight, if it was a holiday the next day. During Sivaratri, it was happy time for me, so that I used to sit along with Brahmacharis and Swamis in the groves, in midnight, doing homam and japam. In a later jamam we would go to the temple and have darsan. Swami Chidbhavananda was there. To sit before him and chant the divine names was so thrilling. Kaveri on one side, trains going on the other side, intense groves and rustic weather all made my days then ethereal. I was talking about Ramabadran. He wanted to come along with me one day. So when I was about to start, I poked him. And he joined. When we were talking to Swamis there, this Ramabadran suddenly asked the Swami who was talking to us, 'I want your help in one thing. Can I ask?'. All were a bit curious. You see a small boy, then I was also not much bigger than the small, suddenly in all proper etiquette asking permission to ask a doubt! The Swami was jovial and said 'why not?'. Ramabadran told him his plight (see! plight of a small boy!) : I am learning Vedas under a teacher. He is not teaching me full quantums of the vidya. He is partial about another boy. What I can do?'. Of course the Swami was a little taken aback and he said something soothing to my friend and that changed to other matters and so on. But that incident comes to my mind along with the morning tea, (I told you you know there is some connection between the taste buds and archival memory) when I was reading this line from 'inidu nARpadu' - 'andaNar Otthudaimai ARRa miga inidu'. It is pleasant to see Brahmins studiously learning or chanting the Vedas - He was so literally worried about his lessons in Vedas. He was not complaining about money, play things, eatables, new shirts or cinema-ticket kaasu. He was genuinly worried that he should be given full quantums of his lessons. One important lesson for our youth is this: they must consider their learning when they are studying and even afterwards as their most cherished treasure. That is what the old literatures and the instance of my friend seem to tell me.