Some universities were recently debarred by the University Grants Commission. Universities are important centres of learning where knowledge and values are imbibed. It is not surprising, therefore, that when a centre of learning is derecognised, it causes great concern among the teaching community, parents and students.
Why is recognition of a university so important? The education imparted to anyone is important. However, at the same time, it is equally important that the institution is a recognised one in order for it to have credibility. A student passing out of a recognised university is recognised by all and a student from an unrecognised university, though qualified, is not treated at par.
The Mahabharata relates one such incident. Eklavya wanted to learn archery from Dronacharya. However, the guru declined to teach him. The aspirant erected a statue of Dronacharya and learnt the lessons on his own. Though he became a learned archer, still, Eklavya did not enjoy the wide recognition that an Arjuna gained as a recognised pupil of (a recognised) Dronacharya.
It seems we need to approach a recognised institution and qualified teacher. Recognition is an important objective everywhere. If you aim to become a doctor, you struggle to secure a seat in the best college or university. Similarly, if you wish to become a CA, you have to take training under the guidance of an experienced and reputed CA, else your presentations are not taken seriously. An ailing person prefers to approach a specialist doctor who is recognised.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj said, "There are two approaches: agamanatmak and nigamanatmak. Nigamanatmak is usually taken as perfect means of judgment. We can conclude that all men are mortal hence there is no need to find out how they are mortal. Normally this judgment is acceptable to all. If we judge on the basis of nigamanatmak, we can conclude that a human is mortal. However, one may ask how was it concluded that all humans are mortal?
"The followers of the nigamanatmak process would like to verify and test before concluding. We can make a study that the person died, and then another died and then another and so on. Since whosoever we have observed has died, we may conclude that all humans are mortal. But this process has one major flaw, that is, our limitation. We have never come across a human who is immortal. The power of our senses is limited. Thus we cannot rely on this process of judgment. We have to follow the other method, agamanatmak, which, filled with absolute knowledge, is faultless. This is the same system followed by the Vedas."
As conditioned souls our senses are imperfect. The sense organs have their own limits. Our eyes cannot see beyond a certain distance, sound is not audible to us beyond certain decibels, our limbs may get tired after a brisk walk of a few kilometres, our stomach cannot digest everything we eat, our teeth cannot chew everything, and so on. So we often tend to judge the situation imperfectly, which leads to imperfect judgment. The decision may sound good at that instant but the fate or result is never known till that decision is acted upon. That is why acquiring perfect knowledge is essential.
One way to gain perfect knowledge is through sharanagati or absolute submission. The Supreme Lord is Supreme in all aspects. He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent and He is All-Bliss. By the grace of Absolute knowledge we can get complete knowledge. Grace descends to a surrendered soul. All desires will be fulfilled if one submits unconditionally to the Supreme.
The writer is secretary, All India Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math.