Abstract

Objective

Subhashitas are simple short epigrammatic poetic verses which convey treasured messages through interesting examples. Our rich Sanskrit heritage has subhashitas relevant to all arenas of life. In our traditional Indian education system Subhashitas are mainly taught to the children at very early age, especially choosing the ones related to righteousness, truthfulness, knowledge, education, service, friendship, courage and patriotism. These subhashitas quote elegant practical examples in them. They guide the children in distinguishing between the good and the bad, help them in deciding “what to do” and “what not to do” by projecting the virtues of the good and showcasing the ill effects of the bad. When the children grow up memorizing and listening to these subhashitas, they imbibe the morale values which the subhashita portrays and become good citizen of our nation. “Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizen”, it is our citizen who create a model society, and they do it based on their personality, education, thinking abilities and the values inherent in them. The main object of this research is to demonstrate that subhashitas act as one of the key ingredients in creating a model society.

Design / Methodology/ Approach- Methodology followed in this research is Qualitative analysis and this work is conceptualized based on various reference materials which are collections of subhashitas, websites which has subhashitas on multiple subjects and research paper related to this subject. Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharatha and Ramayana, works of our great Sanskrit scholars like Kalidasa, Bartrhari, Bana, Bharavi and Bhavabhuti etc. are main sources of subhashitas. Panchatantra and Hitopadesha are collection of Sanskrit fables which use subhashitas to express the inherent wisdom in the stories.

Findings – Subhashitas are immortal sayings which are memorized and transmitted by word of mouth.  Ethical advice and guidance becomes preachy and doesn’t appeal to human mind when it is in normal textual form, rather if the same advice is in simple poetic form of subhashita it appeals better. Subhashitas are like “sugar quoted bitter medicine”.  If children grow up listening to subhashitas they grow up understanding the hidden values which the Subhashitas convey, these moral values make them the responsible citizens who can contribute something great to the society.

Limitations – There are multiple ways through which subhashitas contribute in creating a model society, even though this research describes various aspects of the same it mainly describes the impact of subhashitas on children who grow up listening to them since their childhood.

Practical implications – This paper can inspire people in teaching subhashitas to their children at very young age so that children grow up understanding the moral values in them and become the good citizen.

Keywords – Subhashitas, moral values, children, education system.