A GLORIFIED ADHYAPAK

 

“Everybody is uninformed just on various subjects.”

Will Rogers

 

For a Commerce student, the accounting terminology, such as  ‘Carriage’, ‘Freight’, ‘Cartage’ or ‘Coolie Charges’ is a routine terminology. If an enterprise pays on transportation of goods, this expenditure is known as ‘Carriage’ or ‘Freight’ or ‘Cartage’ or ‘Coolie Charges’, depending upon the mode of transportation.  If it is incurred on goods purchased, it is known as ‘Carriage/Freight/Cartage/Coolie Charges inward’. On the other hand, if it is incurred on goods sold, it is known as ‘Carriage/Freight/Cartage/Coolie Charges outward’. Every Commerce student learns this in eleventh standard itself. However, when I teach my final-year-degree students the distinction between ‘Carriage’, ‘Freight’, ‘Cartage’ and ‘Coolie Charges’, I, invariably, see a sparkle in their eyes… “We never bothered to know this distinction, Sir,” is their confession… “Not to worry, dudes,” I comfort them, “It’s morning when you wake up… Jab jaago. tab savera!”

If goods are transported through road – by truck, tanker or tempo – we pay ‘Carriage’.

If goods are transported through a train, ship or aircraft, we pay ‘Freight’.

If goods are transported through a bullock cart or handcart, we pay ‘Cartage’.

If goods are carried over head, we pay ‘Coolie Charges’.

When I unfold before my final-year-degree students this ‘basic’ distinction, some of them ask me, “Sir, can you please teach us more such distinctions?”

I laugh!

I laugh, not because my students are ‘ignorant’, but, because, we all are. Just because, I have paused to learn the distinction among these four accounting terms does not make me any Genius. I only know the difference each of these four terms – that’s all. Similarly, for every little technology-related things, when I seek my students’ or son’s help, does it signify, that I am dumb idiot?

The knowledge that we boast of is what we have gathered by focusing on some specific areas of life. It only makes us ‘informed persons’ about that specific area… Just as the carpenter, tailor, mobile-servicing guy or the rickshaw driver. Just as we are weak in their fields, they are weak in our fields…

So much for our ‘knowledge’!

For example, for last few days, I have been feeling my helplessness because the audio/video of the Zoom app on my laptop has stopped functioning. My students and son floated a dozen ideas to deal with it. The same young kids, who said, “Sir, can you please teach us more such things” were now making their teacher ask them, “Dudes, can you please teach me more such things?”

 Last evening, one of them so caringly, patiently and proudly tried to help his ‘Genius Teacher’ how ‘Headphones’, ‘Earphones’, ‘EarPods’ and ‘Earbuds’ were as distinct as ‘Carriage’, ‘Freight’, ‘Cartage’ and ‘Coolie Charges’!

My  dear-old-student, Kiran, tried to wake me up to this interesting distinction of something relevant to my own field – teaching. She shared this Post, last night:

“Sanskrit is the only language, which has words for ‘teachers’ based on their unique abilities:

1. The one who gives you information is called ‘Adhyapak’.

2. The one who imparts knowledge combined with information is called ‘Upadhyaya’.

3. The one who imparts skills is called ‘Acharya’.

4. The one who is able to give deep insight into a subject is called ‘Pundit’.

5.The one who has visionary view on a subject and teaches you to think in that manner is called ‘Dhrishta’.

6. Finally, the one who is able to awaken wisdom in you, leading you from darkness to light, is called ‘Guru’.

I replied to Kiran immediately:

“Wow! This is interesting, Kiran. Thanks for helping me to identify where does your teacher fit in this list: an ‘Adhyapak’!

Kiran reacted, “Are you kidding?”

Well, I was not…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: pixabay

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