Thoughts and Reflections by MVR Vidyasagar - HTML preview

An Appreciation

Vidyasagara
Dr. T. S. Krishna Murthy, M.A.Ph.D
Prof. of Sanskrit (Retd.)
Formerly Member:
Academic Council and Senate,
Bangalore University

Dear Shri Vidyasagar,
I went through your work Thoughts and Reflections.
I have all appreciation to you for you have put excellent ideas so succinctly yet with so much of detail.

There are many reasons for your success. First you are an interesting story teller. There is an unequalled grace in the stories selected by you. Second your writings are amply interspersed with a number of anecdotes, examples and illustrations. They are truly potential in inculcating values like truth, non-violence, self-control, tolerance, humility, patriotism, purity of mind and body etc. In every literature you have chosen, especially in Sanskrit. There is limitless and unfathomable material with reference to Value-based education. You have extracted precious gems and nuggets of gold. This mirrors out your sense of judgement. Each title-page begins with a story or anecdote which leads to moral reflections and concludes with practical instructions. The result, every page is verily informative and turns the mirror of mind within. This ideal should become the real source of inspiration behind all Value-based educational activities. If the mind is intensely eager everything can be accomplished.

You are, by long experience, a gifted exponent of perennial values. You have managed to pack in such a lot of valuable knowledge into a little over 150 pages. I commend your earnestness as well as deep devotion. A Value-based education fulfils two objectives. One's liberation and the welfare of the world, this applied in particular, to a conscientious teacher.

With this background, I find your work a significant milestone in our long journey of value-based education.
The articles in the work carry distinct style of a seasoned teacher - lucidity as well as clarity.

I hope that the students as well as teachers derive benefit from going through this monograph on Value-based education. My heart overflows with joy on reading your work.

Paper, printing and front cover-page are captivating. I congratulate the printers. ~ T.S. KRISHNAMURTHY

Contents

1. Preface 1
2. The Power of Prayer 3
3. Dissemination of Culture 6
4. A Kannada Folk-Tale 7
5. Birthday 8
6. Everything that happens is for our Good 10
7. A Father’s Lesson to his Son 12
8. Polonius' Advice to His Son 15
9. Sibling Rivalry 18
10. A Touching Story 20
11. Pity, Sympathy, Courage 22
12. Living in the True Sense 25
13. Act, Act in the Living Present 28
14. Children 30
15. Rising above Worldliness 32
16. The Roots and Fruits of Education 33
17. Ennoble Yourself 35
18. A Rare Legal Battle 37
19. I have a Dream 39
20. Body and Soul 41
21. What to Teach ? What to Learn ? 42
22. Sinful Thinking 44

Contents ....(contd.)

23. Bhajan Nothing is Ours - Everything is the Lord’s 46
24. Elia 47
25. Two Great Self-effacing Poets 52
26. Influences of Ancient Indian Lore 55
27. The Gita Exquisite Poetry 59
28. Success and Defeat 64
29. Glimpses of Taittiriya Upanishad 71

30. A Few Thoughts on Adi Shankaracharya’s
Bhaja Govindam 89

31. Love is the only way to elevate oneself 100
32. Humanism in the Stories of Leo Tolstoy 111

33. The Devotee Dear to God 127
(Based on Bhakti Yoga in the ‘Gita’)

34. Mother Teresa 133
35. A Few Ideas About ‘Isavasya Upanishad’ 140
36. Behind the thoughts 149
37. Bibliography 157