Teachers

Teachers… A day for them seems so apt, because life just is not complete without them. They are the guides to direct your life in a right direction. They impart the knowledge they have gained in life to us. From the time we are born, there are many teachers in life. I’ll try to talk about some, if not all of them.

The saying in Sanskrit goes… “Mata, Pita, Guru, Daivam”.


The first teacher is the first in that saying. Our mother… Without any doubt, I can say that the first teacher in any person’s life is their mother. Most of us would have “Ma” or “Amma” as the first word we ever spoke. She’s the one who teaches us what is right and what is wrong; shows our father to us and many other things she teaches us. She’s also the most patient teacher. I can still remember my mom chasing me around the house, trying to catch me for taking bath, stopping me from scribbling on walls and what not..! She’s a very important teacher in anyone’s life.


No surprise… the second teacher is our father. His most important job is to teach us good manners. Now some might argue that mom does that a lot too. I don’t deny it, but every mom has more of a soft corner for their kid and will usually try to teach in a not-so-firm manner. Fathers on the other hand, impart discipline more. They take a firm hand in our life, and make sure that we do not stray off track. Of course, children who don’t listen a lot and go in a different wrong direction, they cannot blame the father for not trying. Father shows us who the guru is. He is the one who takes us to school for that all important first interview or screening and then shows him to us and says, “This is your teacher. You have to learn from him”. His part in life is very important as well.


Well, third is the guru. Right from preschool till the day your education finally gets over (a very long time indeed) the guru is someone who guides you and imparts knowledge from their life, and the books written by other gurus to us. Their importance is profound as they lift us from one level of education to another… higher and higher till we reach the peak. The best fee for any teacher is to see us reach heights in life. They are happy for us because we reached the peak with their help and blessing. Theirs is a profession that teaches all professions. Scolding and punishments that they gave, we still remember. It is also a dear memory of those times they have advised you and congratulated you. I still remember my teachers with tears of joy, when I passed out of 10th standard. I went and gave them hugs.


Friends we make in life, they are also at times teachers. Sitting by our side, telling us where we are going wrong, if their high point is our low, and trying to help us conquer that low point… They are the best critique of your works, who will tell in front of everyone that we did a great job, and then when all are gone, come to us and say where we could have been better. They stick by your side when even in the gloomiest of moods, and show us how to find the happiness we dearly require.

The best teacher, and the longest teacher, is life. As we continue living, we learn from life. If once we make a mistake, then we are teaching ourselves not to make that same mistake at another time in the future. With every fall, life teaches us to get back up again. With every victory, life teaches us to chase more heights and desire for more success. The lessons life teaches us, we someday impart to our children, and through them, to our grandchildren. So I feel, it is the most important teacher we get.

Today, we celebrate Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday as Teacher’s Day. So aren’t we celebrating Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Friendship Day and Life Day too? I offer my humble pranams to all these great teachers in life. Happy Teacher’s Day to all of them…


PS: I’ve been damn forgetful this September, and missed the birthdays of two very important friends of mine. No excuse is good enough for that memory lapse I know, but I hope they will understand. To Rashi, whose birthday was on Tuesday, and my sis Callie (I wished her very late in the day) whose birthday was on Thursday, my belated wishes and apologies for missing out on wishing them in time.

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Poetry & writing to me are to me, a breath of fresh air in a life that is sometimes covered by the smoke of sorrow or self doubt. They also become the sweets I share to celebrate when life offers me a reason to. But most of all, they are to me, my life. For each word I write is a piece of my heart, a thought that just had to find its way into the world.

30 thoughts on “Teachers”

  2. Vinu..you said it so very well..You have given light to the Real teachers of our life..I am very glad that you mentioned Parents,Guru and Life..:) Perfect blend of all stages in life..!And nature also to mention to some extent..:)My salutations to all the teachers who have shaped my thoughts and life.!Thanks to you too for sharing this reminded me of all who influenced me in every possible way ..:)

  4. Hey!Finally you managed to drag me here…very nice and heartfelt post!Mom dad are no doubt our first teachers, but honestly the best teacher is time…time actually teaches you everything…if there is any powerfull thing existing..its time :DAnd about this day…well every year I wish everyone who has some time or the other taught me anything good/bad to survive in this world :DHappy teacher's day to you Vinay, as u have taught me some very good styles of writing, and writing some very beauful guiding posts 🙂

  5. heart touching post dear.. u ve expressed the role of very important people in each and every individuals life… and ofcourse "life" itself a teacher.. beautiful dear..

  7. HI Vinay, Thanks for this wonderful post. it has got many true and treasurable expressions..Happy teacher's day to all the teachers and happy B'day to Dr. Sarvepalli Radha Krishnan..he is a legend teacher. **Theirs is a profession which teaches you abt all other professions..:) soo good. NIce one..Hey, u must be very naughty in ur childhood, hahha..i thought this while reading ur lines about ur mother, who ran behind you to catch you for bath and etc..hehe..:):)

  17. vinu its really so beautiful..remembering all true teachers,yes our parents are our first teachers…and wat to say about life..it teaches everyone a lesson at each and every moment of life 🙂 friends are not just teachers they are our true mentors :)belated wishes to ur friends :)keep going friend :)congrats 🙂

  29. Rightly said man… Life n its failures are the best teachers if we are willing to learn from it… can never forget the valuable lessons my dad taught me… my fav teacher…

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