चिन्मय शिक्षा दर्शनं
Chinmaya Vision of Education

जीविकामात्रमेतद्वै नास्ति विद्याप्रयोजनम् ।
सर्वाङ्गीणविकासो हि विद्ययाऽपेक्ष्यते बुधैः ।। १ ।।
jīvikāmātrametadvai nāsti vidyāprayojanam |
sarvāṅgīṇavikāso hi vidyayā’pekṣyate budhaiḥ ||1 ||

काले त्वाधुनिके दृष्टा विद्या मुख्या हि वृत्तिदा ।
लौकिकं बुद्धिचातुर्यं केवलं बहुमन्यते ।। २ ।।
kāle tvādhunikē dr̥ṣṭā vidyā mukhyā hi vr̥ttidā |
laukikaṁ buddhicāturyaṁ kevalaṁ bahumanyatē || 2 ||

यया भवेन्न संस्कारश्छात्राणां शिक्षया शुभः ।
निष्फला खलु सा शिक्षा श्रम एव हि केवलम् ।। ३ ।।
yayā bhavenna saṁskāraśchātrāṇāṁ śikṣayā śubhaḥ |
niṣphalā khalu sā śikṣā śrama eva hi kevalam || 3 ||

उपाधिभिर्युताश्छात्रा विश्वविद्यालयस्य हि ।
परिभ्रमन्तो दृश्यन्ते जीविकार्थमितस्ततः ।। ४ ।।
upādhibhiryutāśchātrā viśvavidyālayasya hi |
paribhramanto dr̥śyante jīvikārthamitastataḥ || 4 ||

साहसं न च सामर्थ्यं स्वातन्त्र्यं स्वावलम्बनम् ।
निर्माणाय भविष्यस्य दूरदृष्टिर्न विद्यते ।। ५ ।।
sāhasaṁ na ca sāmarthyaṁ svātantryaṁ svāvalambanam |
nirmāṇāya bhaviṣyasya dūradr̥ṣṭirna vidyate || 5 ||

विना जीवनदृष्टिं हि विना सेवाव्रतं तथा ।
विद्याऽपूर्णा भवेत्कर्म विना ब्रह्मार्पणं यथा ।। ६ ।।
vinā jīvanadr̥ṣṭiṁ hi vinā sevāvrataṁ tathā |
vidyā’pūrṇā bhavetkarma vinā brahmārpaṇaṁ yathā|| 6 ||

कटिबद्धा वयं चात्र लक्ष्यं साधयितुं वरम् ।
शिक्षायास्त्रिविधं यद्वै ज्ञानं सेवा च कौशलम् ।। ७ ।।
kaṭibaddhā vayaṁ cātra lakṣyaṁ sādhayituṁ varam |
śikṣāyāstrividhaṁ yadvai jñānaṁ sevā ca kauśalam || 7 ||

Translation by Swami Tejomayananda

Merely earning one’s livelihood is not the purpose of education. Wise men seek all-round education ।। 1 ।।

In modern times, education is mainly employment-oriented, and worldly smartness alone is given importance ।। 2 ।।

That education is indeed fruitless and a mere labour which does not inculcate noble virtues in students ।। 3 ।।

Equipped with university degrees, young people are seen wandering here and there, seeking employment ।। 4 ।।

They lack virtues like courage, efficiency, independence, self-reliance and foresight that are necessary for making their future ।। 5 ।।

Without a vision of life and a spirit of service, education is incomplete, like work that is not dedicated to God ।। 6 ।।

We are determined to achieve the threefold noble goal of education, namely, vision, spirit of service and efficiency ।। 7 ।।