Thread by @MisraNityanand

This image claiming to explain Sanskrit words for teachers is doing the rounds lately. It has many mistakes.

This thread is to clarify the terms.

Adhyāpaka (literally “one who teaches”) means a teacher in general, and especially means a teacher of the Vedas.

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An Adhyāpaka is either an Ācārya or an Upādhyāya (Viṣṇusmṛti 29.1–2, Manusmṛti 2.140–141)

An Ācārya (literally “one who is served by the disciples”) initiates a śiṣya (performs ‘upanayana’) and teaches Veda with rituals and esoteric treatise

quora.com/What-is-the-et…

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An Upādhyāya (literally “sub-teacher” or “he near whom one studies” as ‘upa’ = sub/near) is one who teaches a part (ekadeśa) of the Veda or Vedāṅga for money.

यस्त्वेनं मूल्येनाध्यापयेत्तमुपाध्यायमेकदेशं वा (VS 29.2)
योऽध्यापयति वृत्त्यर्थमुपाध्यायः स उच्यते (MS 2.141)

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A Paṇḍita (literally “one who has obtained paṇḍā = intellect”) is a scholar or learned person, not necessarily a teacher. A Paṇḍita may teach or may not teach.

As per Amarakoṣa 2.7.5, Paṇḍita = a scholar
धीरो मनीषी ज्ञः प्राज्ञः संख्यावान् पण्डितः कविः

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The image claims a Dhrista (‘dhṛṣṭa’) is a teacher with a visionary view. This is wrong. Dhṛṣṭa = “bold, confident” and also “impudent, rude”

The author probably meant Drashta (draṣṭā).

A Draṣṭā (literally “seer”) is a judge as per Yājñavalkyasmṛti 2.202

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Finally a Guru (literally “one who swallows ignorance”) may or may not be a teacher. The word has many meanings and I have explained 34 meanings in an article here written in 2017.

opindia.com/2017/07/on-gur…

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