विद्या ददाति विनयम्।
This is a part of the shloka in the Hitopadesha
विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम्।
पात्रत्वात् धनमाप्नोति धनात् धर्मं ततः सुखम्॥
"Man attains humility on acquiring true knowledge and wisdom. Humility qualifies him for greater things in life that confer wealth, righteousness and true happiness in succession."
Now, the joke is that you rarely find a truly humble scholar. Most "knowledgeable" people are quite arrogant and even dismissive of others. Those who are famous and successful have cultivated the art of appearing to be humble while they conduct a whole concerto, blowing their own trumpets.
So how do we interpret this line.... "Knowledge confers humility."????
Remember, this belongs to the time when all knowledge was acquired legitimately at the feet of a Guru. As Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita,
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञः परन्तप । सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥ ४-३३॥
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ ४-३४॥
"Oh, Arjuna, know that an offering of wealth is excelled by the offering of knowledge and wisdom. Indeed, all human endeavours seeking earthly and ephemeral gains are terminated when true knowledge and wisdom dawns on man. This you should seek from a Guru who has acquired true knowledge and wisdom and seen the truth; do this by bowing down to him, and serving him, and humbly asking him to answer your questions and doubts."
So, when one gets this wisdom from a true Guru, by supplication and earnest application and enquiry, what remains then? Not the ego, but true wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, the acid test for true knowledge is the dawn of humility, reverence for the Guru, and knowing how the Guru has indeed opened my eyes. I can then feel just gratitude and a sense of fulfilment, not arrogance!
So by bringing in the Guru element, you can explain "Vidyaa dadaati vinayam."
PS:
This does not apply to those who have been educated in Google, YouTube, Wikipedia and WhatsApp universities. Indeed, they don't have Vidyaa; where is the question of Vinaya?!?
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॥ हरिः ॐ तत् सत् ॥
