In plain words
These are all learnings of death. The learning that does not die is the knowledge of God alone. You must study that learning, which has neither death nor birth. But since the world is there, for this world, for daily life, some sustenance is needed. For the upkeep of life worldly learning is needed too. Study. But you must use that learning in society in a helpful way. Your learning must labour for the welfare of the world. If you pursue a learning that is of no use at all to the progress of such a society or to the welfare of the world, I will not accept it at all. You must win renown among your fellow men and live as the finest of men. You must study today in order to live as that finest of men,” she told him. But the mother was very poor. She could not even afford to educate her son. To fulfil his mother's wish, this boy sat under the street lamps in the bazaars to study, and step by step he took a degree. At that time a fair began in his village. For that fair, the rich were all running along one after another in costly clothes. His mother set out to see the splendour of the fair. This son watched. He saw for himself that while many rich people went by in costly clothes, his mother was going to see the fair in an old cloth, a torn cloth. He shed tears. “I have had to see my mother's misery,” he grieved. After his mother came back, the son stood beside her and pleaded. “Mother! I cannot bear to see you in this state. We have no clothes fit for our standing. If you will allow it, I will somehow try for a job,” he said. “Son! You need not take a job for my sake. Try for a job for your own livelihood and for the progress of society,” she told him. He took a small job. In this way, working at his job, he went on with his higher studies. One day he came to his mother. “Mother! I have earned something. I have some money in my hand. Is there anything you wish for? What do you want?” he asked. “Son! I need nothing. You must become a man of good name. You must win the name of the son of such-and-such a mother. You must be devoted to Satya and Dharma. You must be a man of tyāga. You must be one who does good to the country. This is the hope I hold,” she said. But the son was not satisfied with that. After some more time: “Mother! Do you want jewels? Do you want clothes? Tell me your wish,” he asked. Then the mother told him: “Son! I am not now of an age to wear costly clothes and jewels. But I do want three jewels. I will ask for them after some more time,” she said. After some more time he had earned some more money. He came to his mother in all humility and obedience. “Mother! Tell me your three wishes,” he said. “Son! I will tell you the first wish. Our village is a very small village. In this village there are no means of education. There is not even a primary school. Those little children go to the villages nearby, cannot bear the sun, get soaked in the rain, and fall prey to many illnesses. Build a primary school for the little children in our village. That is my very first wish,” she said. “Second: whenever these children have a cough, a cold, whatever it may be, they go to the village nearby and suffer a great deal. I cannot bear to see this sorrow. Build a small hospital,” she said. Then he asked what the third wish was. “Do not sell your learning. Do not let your learning bring you the least pride. Keep up humility and obedience until your last breath. You must become a servant to all. Leadership lies only in being a servant. You must live with humility and obedience. These three alone are my jewels,” she said. Bowing to his mother's command, he built a small primary school in that little village. He built a small hospital. All his life he earned a good name through fine service. He is Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. He was a great scholar. His were talks that drew everyone, the unlettered, women and men. What kind of talks? Talks that were of use to society. Talks that taught people good sense. Talks that taught that no room at all should be given to faults. To hear talks like these in a village, a high official took a small suitcase. He came by train. Vidyasagar's talk was in that very village. They had put up a big board saying, “Vidyasagar's talk”. Getting off the train, this official was shouting, “Coolie! Coolie!” There was no coolie to be had anywhere. Close by him was Vidyasagar, who had got off the same train. “Why are you looking for a coolie, sir?” “Someone has to carry my box,” he said. “Excuse me, I will carry that box. I will take it wherever you have to go,” he said. All right, he took it. To look at, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was very simple. “This man is a coolie,” the official thought. All right, he went there and set the box down. He said thanks to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. He took a rupee out of his pocket and gave it to him. “Excuse me. I came for the sake of service, not for the sake of position,” he said, thanked him and went away. As he went, he said a word before going. “All the learning you have studied is a practice of no use. A man of great learning, you cannot do your own work yourself. You have become so weak. For learning, humility is the great ornament. Learning without this humility, joined to Ahaṅkāra, is no learning at all.