Eight Stages of Learning: Ancient Indian Wisdom on How We Learn

Are Pandavas also intellectuals?

We can observe another incident in the second epic, the Mahabharata, regarding the eight qualities of intellect.

The Pandavas have been asked to go into exile for 14 years. As they are about to enter the forest, a number of well-wishers, scholars, and priests prepare to accompany them. Seeing their love, Yudhistrar is overcome with grief. Seeing his grief, one of the sages – sunaka – consoles him and provides a summary of sAnkhya yOga,

अष्टाङ्गां बुद्धिमाहुर्यां सर्वाश्रेयोविघातिनीम्
श्रुतिस्मृतिसमायुक्तां सा राजंस्तव्यवस्तिथा

ashThaangAm buddhim AhuryAm sarva ashreyo vighAtinIm
shruti-smruti-samAyuktAm sA rajams tavya avastithA

In you dwells the understanding that is adorned with the eight qualities of intelligence from the study of the Vedas, which are considered to protect one against all evils. Such people don’t get dejected by temporary changes in life and weather them without pain or sorrow.

This verse also makes a reference to the acclaimed eight qualities of intelligence but does not list them.

Where else do we get this list?

Kamandaka gives the answer

Future commentators quote this list from a later book called nItisAra kamandaka (the essence of law by kamandaka), written by kamandaka, a disciple of the famed Chanakya and the list goes like this:

शुश्रूषा श्रवणं चैव ग्रहणं धारणं तथा
उहापोहोऽर्थविज्ञानं तत्त्वज्ञानं च धीगुणः (4.21)

Reordered as a sentence (known as anvaya in Sanskrit poetry), the verse becomes:

धीनाः गुणाः शुश्रूषा श्रवणं ग्रहणं च धारणं (एव) तथा ऊह अपोह अर्थविज्ञानं च तत्त्वज्ञानं

dhInAH guNAH shuShrUSHA ShravaNAm grahaNam ca dhAraNam eva tathA Uha apOha arthavijnAnam ca tattvajnAnam

Meaning and the list is:

धीनाः (dhINAH) – Intellectual people (plural form of a person having intellect)

गुणाः (guNAH) – qualities

धीगुणः (dhIguNaH) – qualities (गुणाः) of people having intellect (धीनाः)

शुश्रूषा (shuShrUSHA) – the desire to listen

श्रवणं (ShravaNam) – listening

ग्रहणं (grahaNam) – grasping or taking in what was heard (गृह् (gruh) – to grasp / accept / take in)

च (ca) – and

धारणं (dhAraNam) – absorbing / internalizing what was taken in (धा (dhA) – to bear / support / nourish / protect)

(एव) (eva) – thus

तथा (tathA)- also

ऊह (Uha) – to reason by inference and make appropriate deductions (of what has been internalized)

अपोह (अप + ऊह) (apOha – apa + Uha) – to reason against what has been internalized

अर्थविज्ञानं (arthavijnAnam) –intent of the knowledge that has been inferred

तत्त्वज्ञानं (tattvajnAnam) – the essence / philosophy / spirit of the knowledge that has been inferred.

In essence, this subhAShita gives a map of how one must take in knowledge and internalize it ie the formula for learning and internalizing the learning. This success formula requires all eight qualities. The process of knowledge acquisition will not be successful even if one of the qualities is found to be missing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the eight qualities of intellect?

The eight qualities described are the desire to listen, listening, grasping, absorbing or internalizing, reasoning by inference, reasoning against what has been internalized, understanding the intent of knowledge, and understanding its essence or philosophy.

Where is the list of the eight qualities of intellect found?

The article identifies the list in Nītisāra Kamandaka, attributed to Kamandaka, a disciple of Chanakya. The verse is given as 4.21.

What do the eight qualities of intellect describe?

They describe a process for taking in knowledge and internalizing it, beginning with the desire to listen and listening, and progressing through grasping, retention, reasoning and understanding the deeper meaning and essence of knowledge.

Why are the eight qualities important for learning?

The article presents the eight qualities as essential to successful knowledge acquisition. It states that the process will not be successful even if one of the qualities is missing.

What do the Mahabharata and Ramayana say about the eight qualities of intellect?

The article points to references in both epics to people possessing eightfold intelligence. In the Mahabharata, Sage Sunaka refers to Yudhistrar as possessing an understanding adorned with eight qualities of intelligence. The article then uses Kamandaka’s Nītisāra to identify the eight qualities themselves.

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