Dr Showkat Rashid Wani
In the early 1970s, at National High School in Karan Nagar, Srinagar, a unique and deeply impactful educational experiment took place-an experiment not just in pedagogy, but in compassion, discipline, and the transformative power of value-based teaching. The year was 1971. The school, though modest in infrastructure, was rich in ideals, and among its most respected teachers was Pandit Janki Nath Kachroo, a man of immense wisdom, patience, and spiritual depth. He was known not only for his command over the subjects he taught but also for his rare ability to touch the hearts of even the most troubled students.
There was a potential delinquent in his class Mehraj. He was impulsive, frequently disrespectful, and often found at the center of conflicts. His notebooks were often empty, his test papers blank, and his desk a place of constant disorder. Yet there was something in Mehraj’s eyes-he was suffering from inner strife and storm. It was not defiance born of arrogance, but confusion wrapped in pain, a soul in search of direction.
Where others saw a problem, Pandit Kachroo saw potential. He decided not to punish Mehraj, but to patiently guide him-to help him discipline his mind before disciplining his behavior. Drawing from his deep understanding of the Bhagavad Gita, he believed that the mind, if left unchecked, becomes one’s worst enemy, but once mastered, becomes the greatest ally. He would often quote to his students, especially Mehraj, the powerful verse from the Gita:
“Bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah;
anatmanas tu satrutve vartetatmaiva satruvat.”
“For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, the mind will remain the greatest enemy.” (Gita 6.6)
Instead of scolding Mehraj, he began inviting him after class for informal conversations. He listened to him not as a disciplinarian, but as a mentor who genuinely cared. He encouraged Mehraj to write his thoughts in a journal and provided him a space for self-introspection. At first, Mehraj resisted, but Pandit Kachroo’s unwavering kindness slowly broke the walls of defensiveness. Pandit Kachroo employed the technique of sociometry in his class , he made Mehraj class monitor and assigned him leadership role in order to infuse sense of responsibility in him . He looked at the delinquent traits in Mehraj as a symptom of a curable disease. He targeted his problem behavior not his sense of personal worth.
One afternoon, during a moral science lesson, Pandit Kachroo narrated the story of Arjuna, the mighty warrior who found himself crippled not by fear of the enemy, but by the chaos of his own mind. On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna had thrown down his weapons, overwhelmed by sorrow and doubt, unable to act despite being capable. Mehraj listened intently as the teacher recited Krishna’s words to the broken warrior:
“Uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet.”
“Elevate yourself by your own self, do not degrade yourself.” (Gita 6.5)
Pandit Kachroo explained that every student, just like Arjuna, faces an inner battlefield. The fight is not always with the world outside, but with anger, laziness, fear, and distraction that reside within. True courage, he said, lies in winning over the mind. That day, Mehraj did not look away or fidget in his seat. His gaze remained fixed on the teacher, his mind stirred by the wisdom that spoke directly to his struggles.
In the weeks that followed, a visible change began to emerge. Mehraj, though still prone to moments of restlessness, began participating in classroom activities. He actively participated in school based activities and various co-curricular activities. Pandit Kachroo accorded unpunctuated faith in him and defended him when others choose to be mute spectators.
His transformation was not instant, but it was steady and profound. With the passage of time his classmates gravitated towards him and accorded faith in him. He became a role model, a living example of how value-based education, rooted in ancient wisdom, can shape a better self.
Years later Dr. Mehraj returned to the same school-not as a student, but as a speaker during a school event. He spoke about his teacher, Pandit Janki Nath Kachroo, and how a few verses of the Bhagavad Gita had changed the course of his life. The teacher who saw a spark in a troubled child had helped him ignite a fire of self-discipline and purpose. And in that small classroom in Karan Nagar, the truth of the Gita had once again proved timeless-that the real education is not just of the intellect, but of the inner self.
(The author is Senior Coordinator Centre for Distance & Online Education University of Kashmir)
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