Dakṣiṇā
Dakṣiṇā or Dakshina (
It may mean honorarium to a guru for education, training or guidance.[3]
Etymology and description
According to Monier Williams, the term is found in many Vedic texts, in the context of "a fee or present to the officiating priest (consisting originally of a cow,
The word also connotes 'south', a cardinal direction, and by extension, 'the
Gurudakṣiṇā
Gurudakṣiṇā refers to the tradition of repaying one's teacher or guru after a period of study or the completion of formal education, or an acknowledgment to a spiritual guide.[6] The tradition is one of acknowledgment, respect, and thanks.[7] It is a form of reciprocity and exchange between student and teacher. The repayment is not exclusively monetary and may be a special task the teacher wants the student to accomplish.
Guru Dakshina (In Literature)
Guru Dakshina (Play) in Hindi is written by Bihari Lal Harit in 1969.[3]
In Indian epics
There is a symbolic story in the Indian epic Mahabharata that discusses proper and improper gurudakṣiṇā, after a character named Ekalavya..[8] This story refers to a tribal boy's passion to learn and master archery.
The story, like many stories in Mahabharata, is an open ended parable on education, personal drive to learn, and what is proper and improper dakṣiṇā In the epic Mahabharata, after the right hand thumb as gurudakṣiṇā event, Drona is haunted and wonders if demanding Ekalavya's thumb was proper,[9] Ekalavya goes on to re-master archery with four fingers of his right hand, as well as left hand, thereby becoming a mighty warrior, becomes accepted as a king, and tells his children that education is for everyone and that no one can close the doors of education on any human being.[10][11]
See also
- Guru-shishya tradition
References
- ISBN 978-1-136-85915-1.
- ^ ISBN 1-135-87851-X.
- ^ Mahendra Caturvedi, A practical Hindi-English dictionary[1][permanent dead link]=utf8
- ^ a b Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary [2]; Quote: f. Donation to the priest (personified along with Brahman2as-pati ब्रह्मणस्-पति, Indra इन्द्र, and Soma सोम, i, 18, 5; x, 103, 8; authoress of x, 107 RAnukr.; wife of Sacrifice [Ragh. i, 31 BhP. ii, 7, 21], both being children of Ruci रुचि and A1ku1ti आकूति, iv, l, 4 f. VP. i, 7, 18 f.); f. reward RV. viii, 24, 2I; f. (offered to the Guru गुरु) MBh. v Ragh. v, 20 Katha1s. iv, 93 f.; f. (˚णाम् आ- √दिश्, "to thank" DivyA7v. vii, 104; Caus. "to earn thanks", i); f. a gift, donation (cf. अभय-, प्रा*ण-) Mn. iii R. ii; This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ISBN 81-7304-025-7
- ^ गुरुदक्षिणा, Gurudakshina English-Sanskrit Dictionary, Spoken Sanskrit, Germany (2010)
- ^ Radhakrishnan, L. J., & Rabb, H. (2010). Even in nephrology, gurudakṣiṇā is important, Kidney International, 78, 3-5
- ^ Kakar, S. (1971). The Theme of Authority in Social Relation in India. The Journal of Social Psychology, 84(1), 93-101
- ISBN 978-93-5029-191-7
- ^ Brodbeck, S. (2006). Ekalavya and Mahābhārata 1.121–28, International Journal of Hindu Studies, 10(1), 1-34
- ISBN 9780728603639