The Story Behind Teachers Day

In India, Teacher’s Day marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnnan on 5th September. He was a renowned scholar, recipient of Bharat Ratna, first vice-President, and second President of the independent nation. It was on September 5, 1888, that Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnnan was born. As an educationist, he was a distinguished envoy, an advocate of edification, an academician, and a great teacher.

When talking about The story behind Teachers Day, it is said that when some friends and students of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnnan approached and requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, his words were ‘instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege, if 5th September is observed as Teacher’s Day. And it was from then that Teacher’s day in India was observed on 5th September. 

In 1965, Late Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnnan’s prominent students organised a gathering to pay tribute to him (great teacher of repute). It is in that gathering that the deep reservation regarding the celebration of his birth anniversary was expressed by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnnan. He desired to celebrate his birth anniversary as Teacher’s Day by paying homage to all the great teachers of his country- India and also Bangladesh. 

It has been since 1967 that Teacher’s day is observed on 5th September till date in the country. 

Importance of Teacher’s Day in India

Teaching is considered the noblest profession all over society because it contributes to a greater education population all around the world. Teachers are the ones who opt for the teaching career so that they can spread knowledge and wisdom. It is believed that an educated population majorly contributes to the development of the country. Therefore, for a nation to be economically successful must be home to well-educated citizens with proper guidance and visions. A teacher not only teaches students about the lessons according to the education curriculum but also moulds children into responsible citizens. Now that teachers are the role models for many and are respected by society, they deserve more appreciation and recognition. It is for the same purpose that the 5th September teacher’s day is celebrated in India.

Teacher’s day is important for the students because this day provides an opportunity to them to understand the efforts put in by their teachers so that they can get qualitative education. Similarly, Teacher’s day is important for the teachers as on this particular day, their efforts are recognized, and they are honoured by their students and reputed organisations. 

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Biography

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, hailing from India, was a multifaceted individual renowned as a scholar, politician, philosopher, and statesman. His significant contributions include serving as India’s inaugural Vice President and subsequently as its second President. Throughout his lifetime and career, Radhakrishnan passionately engaged as a writer, dedicating his efforts to elucidating, defending, and disseminating his faith, which he identified variously as Hinduism, Vedanta, and the religion of the Spirit. His objective was to demonstrate that his version of Hinduism not only possessed philosophical rigor but also upheld ethical viability.

What sets Radhakrishnan apart is his remarkable ability to seamlessly navigate both Indian and Western philosophical contexts, skillfully incorporating insights from Western and Indian sources into his writings. Consequently, within academic circles, Radhakrishnan emerged as a symbol representing Hinduism to the Western world.

This biography of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan will delve into his early life, familial background, educational journey, career as an educator, political endeavors, and his eventual passing.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Birth

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888, in Tiruttani, which was then a part of the Madras Presidency in British India and is now located in Tamil Nadu, India.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Early Life and Family Background

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888, into a Telugu-speaking Niyogi Brahmin family in Tiruttani, then part of the Madras Presidency in British India, now in Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Sarvepalli Veeraswami, served as a subordinate revenue official under a local zamindar, and his mother was named Sarvepalli Sita. Their roots traced back to Sarvepalli village in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district. Radhakrishnan spent his formative years in the towns of Thiruttani and Tirupati.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Education

Radhakrishnan’s academic journey was marked by excellence and scholarly pursuits. He commenced his primary education at Thiruttani’s K.V High School. In 1896, he continued his education at the Hermannsburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati and later at Walajapet’s Government High Secondary School.

For his high school education, he enrolled at Vellore’s Voorhees College. After completing his First of Arts class, he joined Madras Christian College, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the same institution in 1906.

One of Radhakrishnan’s early academic achievements was his bachelor’s degree thesis, “The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical Presuppositions,” which he wrote in response to criticism that Vedanta lacked ethical foundations. This thesis garnered praise from his professors, Rev. William Meston and Dr. Alfred George Hogg, and was published when Radhakrishnan was just twenty years old.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Family and Personal Life

At the age of sixteen, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan married Sivakamu, who was a distant cousin. Their marital union spanned over fifty-one years, characterized by happiness and mutual support. The couple had six children, consisting of five daughters and one son. Notably, his son Sarvepalli Gopal became a renowned Indian historian and author, known for writing biographies of both his father and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Academic Career

Radhakrishnan’s academic journey was marked by numerous significant milestones. He began his career as a professor, initially at the Madras Presidency College’s Department of Philosophy in April 1909. Later, in 1918, he assumed the role of Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mysore, where he taught at Maharaja’s College.

During this period, he contributed scholarly articles to prestigious journals like The Quest, Journal of Philosophy, and the International Journal of Ethics. His first book, “Rabindranath Tagore’s Philosophy,” was published during this phase, in which he asserted that Tagore’s philosophy epitomized the genuine expression of the Indian spirit.

In 1921, Radhakrishnan was appointed as a professor of philosophy at the University of Calcutta, where he held the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science. His academic pursuits also led him to international platforms, where he represented the University of Calcutta at the British Empire Universities Congress in June 1926 and attended the International Congress of Philosophy at Harvard University in September 1926.

One of his notable lectures during this period was the Hibbert Lecture on the Ideals of Life, delivered at Manchester College, Oxford, in 1929. It was later published as “An Idealist View of Life” in book form. In 1931, he was invited to Manchester College to fill a vacancy left by Principal J. Estlin Carpenter, which afforded him the opportunity to deliver a Comparative Religion lecture to University of Oxford students.

In recognition of his contributions to education, Radhakrishnan was knighted by King George V in 1931. He continued to serve in various academic roles, including Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936. In 1936, he was elected as a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and appointed as the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Political Career

Radhakrishnan’s political involvement expanded in the years following India’s independence. From 1946 to 1951, he served as a member of UNESCO’s Executive Board and headed the Indian delegation. He also became a member of the Indian Constituent Assembly during this period.

Balancing his academic commitments with his roles in UNESCO and the Constituent Assembly, Radhakrishnan took on new challenges. In 1949, he was appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Moscow by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a position he held until 1952. His election to the Rajya Sabha allowed him to translate his philosophical and political beliefs into action.

In 1952, Radhakrishnan was elected as India’s first Vice-President, and in 1962, he assumed the role of the country’s second President. His presidency was marked by a focus on world peace and universal fellowship, prompted by global crises like the Korean War and hostilities between India and Pakistan.

He questioned the effectiveness of international organizations like the League of Nations and advocated for a new form of internationalism grounded in metaphysical foundations to foster mutual understanding and tolerance among cultures and nations.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Philosophical Contributions

Radhakrishnan’s intellectual contributions bridged Eastern and Western thought. He defended Hinduism against uninformed Western criticism while integrating Western philosophical and religious ideas.

As a prominent spokesman for Neo-Vedanta, his metaphysics drew from Advaita Vedanta but was reinterpreted for a modern audience. Radhakrishnan acknowledged the truth and diversity of human nature, grounded in and endorsed by the absolute, or Brahman. He viewed theology and creeds as intellectual formulations and symbols of religious experience or intuitions.

Radhakrishnan categorized religions based on their interpretation of religious experience, with Advaita Vedanta occupying the highest position due to its reliance on intuition. He considered Vedanta the highest form of religion, as it provided direct intuitive experience and inner realization.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Death

Radhakrishnan’s wife, Sivakamu, passed away on November 26, 1956, and he remained a widower until his own passing. In 1967, he retired from public life and spent his final eight years in the house he designed in Mylapore, Madras. On April 17, 1975, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan passed away, leaving behind a lasting legacy of scholarship, philosophy, and political leadership.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Awards and Honors

Throughout his life, Radhakrishnan received numerous awards and honors for his exceptional contributions:

• Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award (1954)
• Knighted by King George V (1931)
• Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts, Germany (1954)
• Sash First Class of the Order of the Aztec Eagle, Mexico (1954)
• Membership of the Order of Merit, United

 

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Quotes in Hindi

डॉ. सर्वपल्ली राधाकृष्णन के अनमोल विचार

Quote 1: It is not God that is worshiped but the group or authority that claims to speak in His name. Sin becomes disobedience to authority not violation of integrity.

In Hindi: भगवान् की पूजा नहीं होती बल्कि उन लोगों की पूजा होती है जो उनके  के नाम पर बोलने का दावा करते हैं.पाप पवित्रता का उल्लंघन नहीं ऐसे लोगों की आज्ञा  का उल्लंघन बन जाता है.

 

Quote 2: All our world organizations will prove ineffective if the truth that love is stronger than hate does not inspire them.

In Hindi: दुनिया के सारे संगठन अप्रभावी हो जायेंगे यदि यह सत्य कि प्रेम द्वेष से शक्तिशाली होता है उन्हें प्रेरित नही करता.

 

Quote 3: Only the man of serene mind can realize the spiritual meaning of life. Honesty with oneself is the condition of spiritual integrity.

In Hindi: केवल निर्मल मन वाला व्यक्ति ही जीवन के आध्यात्मिक अर्थ को समझ सकता है. स्वयं के साथ ईमानदारी आध्यात्मिक अखंडता की अनिवार्यता है.

 

Quote 4: Age or youth is not a matter of chronology. We are as young or as old as we feel. What we think about ourselves is what matters.

In Hindi: उम्र या युवावस्था का काल-क्रम से लेना-देना नहीं है. हम उतने ही नौजवान या बूढें हैं जितना हम महसूस करते हैं. हम अपने बारे में क्या सोचते हैं यही मायने रखता है.

 

Quote 5: Books are the means by which we build bridges between cultures.

In Hindi: पुस्तकें वो साधन हैं जिनके माध्यम से हम विभिन्न संस्कृतियों  के बीच पुल का निर्माण कर सकते हैं.

 

Quote 6: Arts reveal to us the deeper layers of the human soul. Art is possible only when heaven touches earth.

In Hindi: कला मानवीय आत्मा की गहरी परतों को उजागर करती है. कला तभी संभव है जब स्वर्ग धरती को छुए.

 

Quote 7: Democracy is a faith in the spiritual possibilities of not a privileged few but of every human being.

In Hindi: लोकतंत्र सिर्फ विशेष लोगों के नहीं बल्कि हर एक मनुष्य की आध्यात्मिक संभावनाओं में एक यकीन है.

 

Quote 8: A literary genius, it is said, resembles all, though no one resembles him.

In Hindi: एक साहित्यिक प्रतिभा , कहा जाता है कि हर एक की तरह दिखती है, लेकिन उस जैसा कोई नहीं दिखता.

 

Quote 9: We must recall humanity to those moral roots from which both order and freedom spring.

In Hindi: हमें मानवता को उन नैतिक जड़ों तक वापस ले जाना चाहिए जहाँ से अनुशाशन और स्वतंत्रता दोनों का उद्गम हो.

 

Quote 10: The end-product of education should be a free creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature.

In Hindi: शिक्षा का परिणाम एक मुक्त रचनात्मक व्यक्ति होना चाहिए जो ऐतिहासिक परिस्थितियों और प्राकृतिक आपदाओं के विरुद्ध लड़ सके.

 

Quote 11: Reading a book gives us the habit of solitary reflection and true enjoyment.

In Hindi: किताब पढना हमें एकांत में विचार करने की आदत और सच्ची ख़ुशी देता है.

 

Quote 12: The poet’s religion has no place for any fixed doctrine.

In Hindi: कवी के धर्म में किसी निश्चित सिद्धांत के लिए कोई जगह नहीं है.

 

Quote 13: It is said that a man without religion is like a horse without bridle.

In Hindi: कहते हैं कि धर्म के बिना इंसान लगाम के बिना घोड़े की तरह है.

 

Quote 14: If a man becomes demon it is his defeat, if a man becomes superman it is his magical feat, if a man becomes human it is his victory.

In Hindi: यदि मानव  दानव  बन जाता  है तो ये उसकी  हार  है , यदि मानव महामानव बन जाता है तो ये उसका चमत्कार  है .यदि मनुष्य  मानव  बन जाता है तो ये उसके जीत है .

 

Quote 15: Religion is the conquest of fear ; the antidote to failure and death.

In Hindi: धर्म भय पर विजय है; असफलता और मौत का मारक है.

 

Quote 16: Nations, like individuals, are made, not only by what” they acquire, but by what they resign.

In Hindi: राष्ट्र, लोगों की तरह सिर्फ जो हांसिल किया उससे नहीं बल्कि जो छोड़ा उससे भी निर्मित होते हैं.

 

Quote 17: Human life as we have it is only the raw material for Human life as it might be.

In Hindi: मानवीय जीवन जैसा हम जीते हैं वो महज हम जैसा जीवन जी सकते हैं उसक कच्चा रूप है.

 

Quote 18: No one Who holds himself aloof from the activities of the world and who is insensitive to its woes can be really wise.

In Hindi: कोई भी जो स्वयं को सांसारिक गतिविधियों से दूर रखता है और इसके संकटों के प्रति असंवेदनशील है वास्तव में बुद्धिमान नहीं हो सकता.

 

Quote 19: Spiritual life is the genius of India.

In Hindi: आध्यात्मक जीवन भारत की प्रतिभा है.

 

Quote 20: Human nature is fundamentally good, and the spread of enlightenment will abolish all wrong.

In Hindi: मानवीय स्वाभाव मूल रूप से अच्छा है, और आत्मज्ञान का प्रयास सभी बुराईयों को ख़त्म कर देगा.

 

Quote 21: One has to achieve not merely technical efficiency but greatness of Spirit.

In Hindi: मनुष्य को सिर्फ तकनीकी दक्षता नही बल्कि आत्मा की महानता प्राप्त करने की भी ज़रुरत है.

 

Quote 22: Wealth, power and efficiency are the appurtenances of life and not life itself.

In Hindi: धन, शक्ति और दक्षता केवल जीवन के साधन हैं खुद जीवन नहीं.

 

Quote 23: To look upon life as an evil and treat the world as delusion is sheer ingratitude.

In Hindi: जीवन को बुराई की तरह देखता और दुनिया को एक भ्रम मानना महज कृतध्नता है.

 

Quote 24: A life of joy and happiness is possible only on the basis of knowledge and science.

In Hindi: हर्ष और आनंद से परिपूर्ण जीवन केवल ज्ञान और विज्ञान के आधार पर संभव है.

 

Quote 25: Death is never an end or obstacle but at most the beginning of new steps.

In Hindi: मौत कभी अंत या बाधा नहीं है बल्कि अधिक से अधिक नए कदमो की शुरुआत है.

 

Quote 26: Peace can come not by political or economic changes but through a change in human nature.

In Hindi: शांति राजनीतिक या आर्थिक बदलाव से नहीं आ सकते बल्कि मानवीय स्वभाव में बदलाव से आ सकती है.

 

Quote 27: Knowledge gives us power; love gives us fullness. ……

In Hindi: ज्ञान हमें शक्ति देता है, प्रेम हमें परिपूर्णता देता है. ……

 

Quote 28: The greatest gift of life is the dream of a higher life.

In Hindi: जीवन का सबसे बड़ा उपहार एक उच्च जीवन का सपना है.

 

Quote 29: Tolerance is the homage which the finite mind pays to the inexhaustibility of the Infinite.

In Hindi: सहिष्णुता वो श्रद्धांजलि है जो सीमित मन असीमित की असीमता को देता है.

Quote 30: The true teachers are those who help us think for ourselves.

In Hindi: सच्चा गुरु वो है जो हमें खुद के बारे में सोचने में मदद करता है.

Quote 31: When we think we know we cease to learn.

In Hindi: जब हम ये सोचते हैं कि हम जानते हैं तो हमारा सीखना रुक जाता है.

Quote 32: The worst sinner has a future, even as the greatest saint has had a past. No one is so good or bad as he imagines.

In Hindi: घोर पापियों का भविष्य है, यहाँ तक कि सबसे महान संत का भी अतीत रहा है. कोई भी इतना अच्छा या बुरा नहीं है जितना कि वो सोचता है.

Quote 33: God lives, feels and suffers in every one of us, and in course of time, His attributes, knowledge, beauty and love will be revealed in each of us.

In Hindi: भगवान् हम सबके भीतर रहता है, महसूस करता है और कष्ट सहता है, और समय के साथ उसके गुण, ज्ञान, सौन्दर्य और प्रेम हममें से हर एक के अन्दर उजागर होंगे.

Quote 34: Hinduism is not just a faith. It is the union of reason and intuition that can not be defined but is only to be experienced.

In Hindi: हिन्दू धर्म सिर्फ एक आस्था नहीं है. यह तर्क और अन्दर से आने वाली आवाज़ का समागम है जिसे सिर्फ अनुभव किया जा सकता है परिभाषित नहीं.

Quote 35: True religion is a revolutionary force: it is an inveterate enemy of oppression, privilege, and injustice.

In Hindi: सच्चा धर्म एक क्रांतिकारी ताकत है: यह उत्पीड़न, विशेषाधिकार और अन्याय का एक प्रमुख दुश्मन है.

Quote 36: My ambition is not only to chronicle but to interpret and reveal the movement of the mind and unfold the sources of India in the profound plane of human nature.

In Hindi: मेरी महत्त्वाकांक्षा सिर्फ इतिहास लिखने की नहीं है बल्कि मन की गति को समझने, उसे व्यक्त करने और भारत के स्रोतों को मानव प्रकृति की प्रगाढ़ सतह पर प्रकट करने की है.

Quote 37: Religion is behavior and not mere belief.

In Hindi: धर्म व्यवहार है, सिर्फ विश्वास नहीं.

Quote 38: Atman is what remains when everything that is not the self is eliminated.

In Hindi: आत्मा वो है जो तब रहती है जब वो सबकुछ जो स्वतः नहीं है नष्ट हो जाता है.

Quote 39: The ultimate self is free from sin, free from old age, free from death and grief, free from hunger and thirst, which desires nothing and imagines nothing.

In Hindi: परम मैं पाप, बुढापे, मृत्यु, दुःख, भूख और प्यास, सभी से मुक्त है, वो न कोई इच्छा रखता है, न कुछ सोचता है.

Quote 40: Love thy neighbor as thyself because you are your neighbor. It is illusion that makes you think that your neighbor is someone other than yourself.

In Hindi: अपने पड़ोसी से खुद की तरह प्रेम करो क्योंकि तुम खुद अपने पड़ोसी हो. ये भ्रम है जो तुम्हे ये सोचने पर विवश करता है कि तुम्हारा पड़ोसी तुम्हारे अलावा कोई और है.

Quote 41: God is the Soul of all souls – The Supreme Soul – The Supreme Consciousness.

In Hindi: ईश्वर सभी आत्माओं की आत्मा हैं – परम आत्मा – परम चेतना.

Quote 42: Before we can build a stable civilization worthy of humanity as a whole, it is necessary that each historical civilization should become conscious of its limitations and it’s unworthiness to become the ideal civilization of the world.

In Hindi: इससे पहले कि हम एक स्थायी सभ्यता, जो पूरी मानवता के लायक हो का निर्माण करें, ये ज़रूरी है कि प्रत्येक ऐतिहासिक सभ्यता अपनी कमियों और दुनिया की आदर्श सभ्यता बनने की अपनी अयोग्यता को जाने.

Quote 43: Man is a paradoxical being – the constant glory and scandal of this world.

In Hindi: मनुष्य एक विरोधाभास है – इस दुनिया का निरंतर प्रताप और कलंक.

Quote 44: Sanskrit literature is national in one sense, but its purpose has been universal.

In Hindi: संस्कृत साहित्य एक अर्थ में राष्ट्रीय है, लेकिन इसका उद्देश्य सार्वभौमिक रहा है.

Quote 45: It is the intense spirituality of India, and not any great political structure or social organisation that it has developed, that has enabled it to resist the ravages of time and the accidents of history.

In Hindi: यह भारत की गहन आध्यात्मिकता है, न कि कोई महान राजनीतिक संरचना या सामाजिक संगठन, जिसका इसने निर्माण किया है, जो इसे समय के विध्वंस और इतिहास की दुर्घटनाओं को झेलने में सक्षम बनाता है.

Quote 46: We need not seek a cause or a motive or a purpose for that which is, in its nature, eternally self-existent and free.

In Hindi:हमें एक कारण या एक मकसद या उसके लिए एक उद्देश्य की तलाश नहीं करनी चाहिए, जो कि अपने स्वभाव में, शाश्वत रूप से आत्म-अस्तित्व और मुक्त हो.

Quote 47: Hinduism is wholly free from the strange obsession of some faiths that the acceptance of a particular religious metaphysics is necessary for salvation, and non-acceptance thereof is a heinous sin meriting eternal punishment in hell.

In Hindi: हिंदू धर्म कुछ धर्मों के एक अजीब जुनून से पूरी तरह स्वतंत्र है कि मुक्ति प्राप्त करने के लिए एक विशेष धार्मिक तत्वमीमांसा की स्वीकृति आवश्यक है, और इसे ना मानना घोर पाप है, जिसकी सजा  नर्क भुगतनी पड़ती है.

Quote 48: Just as the Atman (Soul) is the reality underlying the conscious powers of an individual, so the Supreme Soul (God) is the eternal quiet underneath the drive and activity of the universe.

In Hindi: जिस प्रकार आत्मा किसी व्यक्ति की सचेतन शक्तियों के पीछे की वास्तविकता है, उसी प्रकार परमात्मा इस ब्रह्माण्ड की समस्त गतिविधियों के पीछे का अनंत आधार है.

Quote 49: His essential nature is sat-chit-ananda: (Sat) Absolute Being – He encompasses everything because there is nothing outside of him; (Chit) Absolute Consciousness – He is the complete consciousness.

In Hindi: उसका मौलिक स्वभाव है- सत-चित-आनंद: पूर्ण होना – वह सब कुछ समेट लेता है क्योंकि उसके बाहर कुछ भी नहीं है; पूर्ण चेतना – वह पूर्ण चेतना है.

Quote 50: Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers’ Day.

In Hindi: ये मेरा सौभग्य होगा यदि मेरा जन्मदिन मनाने की जगह, 5 सितम्बर को शिक्षक दिवस के रूप में मनाया जाए.