Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Ādi 17.253
Consider the Purpose and Results of Education
“The brāhmaṇa student ran to a place where a thousand students were studying together. There he described the incident to them.”
What the purport teaches
- The brāhmaṇa student described the incident to a thousand students studying together. The purport explains that the word dvija identifies him as a brāhmaṇa.
- The purport describes Vedic study as reserved for brāhmaṇas in those days. Kṣatriyas learned warfare, while vaiśyas learned business from their fathers or other businessmen.
- Śrīla Prabhupāda criticizes giving everyone the same type of education without knowing its result. He describes the results as most unsatisfactory, especially in Western countries.
Try this today
Write one sentence identifying the purpose of something you are learning today.
Ask yourself
Am I clear about the purpose and hoped-for result of what I study?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.