कालेन पादं लभते तथार्थं
ततश्च पादं गुरुयोगतश्च ।
उत्साहयोगेन च पादमृच्छे-
च्छास्त्रेण च पादं च ततोऽभियाति ॥
kālena pādaṁ labhate tathārthaṁ
tataś ca pādaṁ guru-yogataś ca |
utsāha-yogena ca pādam ṛcchec
chāstreṇa ca pādaṁ ca tato’bhiyāti ||
(Mahābhārata: Udyoga-parva, 44.16)
“A student acquires one-fourth in time, one-fourth by association with the guru, one-fourth by his own enthusiasm and endeavor, and one-fourth by discussion.”
Commentary
According to Śaṅkarācārya, a student gains the first fourth by association with the guru, the second by enthusiasm and endeavor, that is, the awakening of a particular form of intellect (buddhi-viśeṣa-prādurbhāvena), the third in time, meaning, through the maturation of the intellect (kālena buddhi-paripākeṇa), and the fourth by discussion with fellow students.