In plain words
That is what they came to call the ‘Convocation’. What was the counsel given at that Convocation? ‘You must stand as a benefactor to the world. First of all you must honour your parents, and love them. You must foster pride in your nation. Love of country must be there above all.’ Such were the teachings they gave. Those who lose this very love of country and travel abroad for higher studies, saying only that they have completed their education: how can they be patriots? So students must above all foster love of their country. We must lead a life that is of use to society. We must develop the feeling of nationhood and the honour of the country. These were the chief teachings the teachers gave the students in those days. Today all of you took pledges, ‘We will conduct ourselves in this way, we will live ideal lives.’ You must keep these pledges to the very end of your life. If you merely recite the pledges at the time of the Convocation and afterwards forget them, you will be betraying yourselves. Students! Putting all the learning you have acquired to work for the welfare of society, and keeping the welfare of society in view, you must go on protecting the culture of Bhārata. The day you transgress this culture, that very day your life goes astray. Do not scramble after power. Be ready to practise. Step into practice. Rather than saying ten things, do one and show it.
Earning money is not what matters; earning good qualities is the urgent need
What our students need most is practice itself. In this very practice life finds its fulfilment. Earning money is not what matters to us; earning good qualities is the urgent need.
Today's learning increases cleverness alone; it will not foster virtue even a little. With a crore of learnings and no virtue, what is its fruit, and what is its worth?