CH – 6
Women’s Education
In this post we have given the summary of the chapter “Women’s Education”. It is the 6th chapter of the prose of Class 12th Up board English.
Written by: – S. Radha Krishnan
About the Author: –
born in 1888, second president of Free India. Great philosopher, effective speaker and writer. Appointed as a Professor of philosophy in Calcutta University. Also served as vice – Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from 1939 to 1948. After it, became an Indian Ambassador to USSR. Elected as a president of India form 1962-67. Famous books are Hindu View of Life, Indian Philosophy, Eastern Relations and Western Thought and Philosophy of Upanishads, Dead in 1975.
About Chapter: –
Writer says, this is an women age. Women are working with dedication and discipline in every field. author suggests whatever career path they choose, they should have disciplined minds, and honesty, should work honestly to their goal. According to the author, education of girls is not wide-scale in our country, for this matter, any institution that uplifts women, providing them education is worthy of fame. Education of women should be deep. S. Radhakrishnan calls for a purpose in life imparted to women through education because without it, life will be blind, bitter and a blunder. The Gita says “vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha” meaning “for a truly cultured mind, single mindedness, dedication to single purpose.” For an uncultured mind, whole life is scattered in many directions. Education is a pathway, but we have to find meaning ourselves. Education gives us ‘viveka’ meaning, knowledge to “discern” or “discriminate” right from wrong. ‘Vimarsarupini vidya’ gives sense of right and wrong. Purpose that we undertake in our life should pertain in our current environment. Teacher and student should not hate each other, for this, “santih, santih, santih” is chanted at the end of the hymns so peace is maintained. Compassion is virtue of women. Radhakrishnan posits, when one loses compassion, kindness, considerateness, becomes inhuman. Without these qualities, people are “nar pasu”, nothing more than it. He quotes a sanskrit saying, ” Samsara visa vrkasaya”, in this world (samsara), two fruits cannot be imitated. One, study of great classics; second, communion with great minds. Radhakrishnan urges the readers to study classics of India and other countries. It puts an Upanishad in dialogues between a student and a teacher. Student asks “What constitutes the essence of good life? teacher replies,” Didn’t you hear the answer?” There has a thunderclap: da da da. Teacher explains: Dama, Dana, daya. Dama is self-control and restraint which is the mark of a good human being. In Ramayana, when Lakshmana sets out for the forest, his mother tells him: “looks Rama as your father, Dasaratha: Looks Sita as myself, as your mother: Looks the forest as Ayodhya; go my dear.”
He argues, if we have good mothers, we’ll have a great nation. Aim of education in the world is limited to knowledge of the world and learning of a technical skill to earn livelihood. Goal of education is imparted in our country is initiation into higher life, initiation into a world that transcends Space and Time. Radhakrishnan sad for the centuries, we missed in which we did not educate women. Quickly goes to talk about different pedagogy: ‘Purakalpesu narinam
mandira vandana niscitah
adhyapananca vedanam
gayatri vacanam taha.’
He explains, Indian women were allowed to chant gayatri japa, and had the ceremony of upanayana performed for them. He posits that uneducated women are decay of the society. After Mahatma Gandhi’s reform, the education of women folk has begun again.
