Shri Jagannath Vyas — Teacher Divine
I was in PCB (Poonam Chand Bagadia) Multipurpose Higher Secondary School, Sujangarh, Distt. Churu, Rajasthan from 1960 to 1965 (from class VI to class XI). Shri Jagannath Vyas was a senior teacher in the school before I joined as a student and continued to be there after I left post my 11th class Board exams. He was thus for a very long period of time in our school.
Jagannath ji joined directly as senior teacher under the school education department of Rajasthan Govt. He taught Logic and Psychology — a subject taught as optional to students of humanities stream from IX to XI class. Senior teachers for Logic and Psychology had to have a Master’s degree in Philosophy as Logic and Psychology were in those days part of the syllabus for Philosophy in addition to ethics, epistemology and metaphysics. He had a first class first Master’s degree in Philosophy from Rajasthan University.
Soon after Vyas ji joined as senior teacher of Logic and Psychology based on his M.A. in Philosophy, Govt. of Rajasthan — in its wisdom or lack thereof — decided to abolish Logic and Psychology as optional subjects at school level. All posts of senior teachers in the subject were abolished. Existing senior teachers were told to acquire another Master’s degree in another subject permissible as optional subject in humanities within 2 or 3 years failing which they were to be reduced in the scale of junior teachers in general subjects up to class VIII.
To begin with Vyas ji was deputed to the local BSTC institution where school teachers were trained with Psychology as a subject. This arrangement didn’t last for long and he returned to PCB where he was assigned to teach compulsory English as part of the curriculum as he had English literature as one of the subjects at graduation level.
It seems it made some of his colleagues jealous who had Master’s degree in English literature but we’re not assigned to teach the subject in place of Vyas ji.
As an individual, Vyas ji’s level of sensitivity endowed him with ability to read the air with slightest of negativity emanating from the surrounding air. He therefore decided to acquire Master’s degree in a subject that he would light heartedly say, ‘shall never become irrelevant in India’ and selected Hindi Literature for his second M.A., and got the degree again with a first class.
Ergo, when I joined PCB school we had a teacher whose CV could leave behind any illustrious professor of any illustrious university.
Our teacher, Shri Jagannathji Vyas was a first-class first M.A. (Philosophy) with another first class in Hindi literature.
There is a purpose why I have mentioned the above background. With repeated threats of demotion due to abolition of subjects by the Govt and the challenging task of studying again for a second M.A. at an age when a teacher invariably hailing from middle class family, shouldering responsibility of his aged father and small children, any one would become a nervous wreck falling into deep depression.
The ensuing frustration had made many other similarly placed teachers indifferent towards their responsibilities for the students. But Vyas ji was no ordinary man. He was truly superhuman, in fact many notches above being superhuman. He was a true Sthitaprajna (स्थितप्रज्ञ). His being in its entirety existed in the realm of the Divine.
While dealing with the threats of reduction in status as a senior teacher for no fault of his, preparing for subjects as diverse as Hindi literature from Philosophy, he retained his evergreen signature smile on the face; his devotion to imparting best possible knowledge of the subjects he was supposed to teach in the school and simultaneously preparing for his own studies of another M.A.
His divinely tranquil disposition with abundant spirit of altruism especially towards his students and even their families had a radiance that covered his entire family.
Respected Jiji — Vyas ji’s better half – and his little children, three sons and two daughters, were as much full of love and affection towards anyone visiting his home. And most of the visitors to his home were poor students like me. Together the family made Vyasji’s home one of the most sacred temples of God I have ever visited in life.
My visits to his home used to be what can be termed as “doubt-clearing sessions” in contemporary coaching parlance—except that in this case the doubt clearer was a divine soul unlike the present day tutors or coaches.
I also was a regular at his Sunday prayers session at home. Only a small group close to him consisting of 2 or 3 teachers and myself as the only student to begin with had the honor of attending the prayers session.
It consisted of recitation of verses from Sant Tukaram and Sant Gyaneshwar, some impromptu discourse on the teachings of Bhagavad Gita and sometimes, if we were lucky, some anecdotes from his Guruji’s life.
Vyas ji’s immediate guru was Dr. V. H. Date (दाते), Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, who taught Vyas ji for his M.A. Philosophy. Dr. Date’s guru was Prof. R. D. Ranade, a much revered Professor of Philosophy, who was also V.C. of Allahabad University in the good old days. I once had the privilege of having darshan of Dr. Date in Jodhpur where he had settled in a small rented portion after his retirement.
I shall touch upon the divinity of Dr. Date later to a limited extent as Dr. Date and Vyas ji on his behalf have forbidden us to talk about this beyond some basic and sketchy mention.
I had a permanent role at the Sunday prayer sessions at Vyas ji’s home. The sessions used to end with a reading (aloud) by me from a randomly opened page of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis, a 1380 born Catholic saint from Germany. First time when he gave me that task he asked me to read this with all my heart and soul into the verse and its meaning. I was thrilled that he approved my reading and gave it to me so long as I was in Sujangarh.
I had the first face to face darshan of Vyas ji in my class IX. Our Hindi teacher was on leave and Vyas ji came to take the period in his place. In our general Hindi book of poetry (हिन्दी पद्य संग्रह) a small excerpt from Ramcharit Manas, dealing with how Bharat had gone to beseech Ram with teary eyes to take him along to Vanvaas etc. Vyas ji said “Who will read and explain its meaning?” My hand went up. My first attempt at explaining the meaning was sketchy and conversational. He said, “Aise nahin. Agar pariksha me likhna hoga to kaise explain karoge woh batana. Formal tareeke se, aise aapas ki baat-cheet ki tarah Nahin. I understood his command and explained the way he desired. He looked at me giving a piercing look. He asked my my name and said “very good” Aise hi tayyari karo, padhai karo.
I was emboldened to seek his permission ki sir main aapke khali period me aapse English ke baare me kuch poochne hall me aa sakta hun? “Why not,” he said and added tum mere ghar bhi aa sakte ho chutti ke din.
From there started my privilege of getting lessons from him in English and all other subjects except Economics for which he had very little liking. Net gain in mundane terms was I topped in XI boards in the humanities stream and got mx marks in the humanities and commerce stream.
I come from an humble family. My father was station master in the Railways. When I was in VIII Class he lost his eyesight due to optic atrophy. Railways retired him with a monthly pension of Rs 50/- which was grossly inadequate to make two ends meet. Thanks to my mother, a lady of steel, who said, till XI class, I will not let your studies be disrupted. After that either look for a job and if you can fund your higher education, go for that. Hamare bas me XI ke baad kuchh nahin hai beta.
Vyas ji had a word with our school Head Master who got me two children of VII & VIII class for tuition when I was myself in IX class. After I passed XI with position, Vyasji and our Head Master (Shri Sita Ram Dadhich) told me to go to Calcutta, do a day job in one of the 4-5 recommendation letters they arranged for me and join evening classes. It didn’t work out because the classes started at 5 p.m. and the office won’t leave me before 5.30 p.m.
I wasted three years like this but couldn’t go further. Those days admissions to college and govt jobs were honest and easy in the sense if you were high in the merit list as per your last exam marks, you were picked up, no sifarish no rishwat.
I had got myself registered in employment exchanges on my mother’s advice. They informed me that I was appointed as a clerk in CRPF, then as telephone operator, but someone inside me told that I shouldn’t give up on studies. Because I was wandering from place to place in search of opportunities I couldn’t meet Vyas ji. E-mail and cell phones had not yet arrived.
Ultimately in 1968 when I had gone to Jodhpur I met Vyas ji. He listened to me and said, “I will take you to Dr. Date. If he agrees to see you I hope things will take a turn.” When we reached Dr. Date’s residence he asked me to wait outside. “In case Dr. Date calls you don’t tell him that you are here looking for a miracle.” I said, “Sir, I have actually come only for darshan of Dr. Date because he is your guru. I haven’t honestly come for the sake of some miracle.”
Vyas ji went inside and came back within a few seconds. With him was a frail person with eyes and face oozing kindness. For a moment I was so awestruck that I thought I am right in front of someone who is divinity incarnate.
Dr Date said “come in, why are you standing out.” Once inside he asked Vyas ji “You told me he is one of your best students who is now having his share of human plight.” What is the problem, he asked. Why don’t you continue with your graduation and further? I had hardly completed a sentence narrating where all I had gone and flopped when he said “Go to Ajmer; Govt college is good for studies. Philosophy department there used to be good. You can apply for honors degree in Philosophy.”
It was admission time. I went straightaway to Ajmer, took an admission form that used to be free those days and gave it. Next day my name was in the list of students selected to Philosophy (Hons). Some token money was to be deposited as term fees. I went and met Prof. A. B. Mathur, Vice Principal, in charge of admissions. I told him point blank, “Sir, I don’t have this money right now but I promise I will deposit it the moment I get money in hands as I will start looking at some school students for giving tuitions.” He grilled me who, why, where etc. and kindly took out the requisite money from his pocket and said “deposit it. Keep in touch with me. I will suggest some tuitions or other work in the college library.”
This was the miracle of brief darshan of Dr. Date with the grace of Vyas ji that now onwards everything became smooth. I got the university gold medal for honors class and again for M.A. Pol. Science. I got appointed as lecturer within 18 days of my M.A. result; was selected for R.A.S. little later and thereafter for Indian Defence Estates Service through UPSC civils.
Vyas ji touched many lives in the school. Whenever I look back recalling his qualities of head and heart I have no doubt that his persona was divine. He came in our lives as the highest blessing of Almighty.
My write-up may appear more about myself than about Vyas ji; it’s so because through details of my life’s transition from a helpless child to a reasonably successful person, my aim is to place on record the kind of transformation Vyas ji brought about in his students’ lives.
My intention is also to flag the divinity of Dr. Date’s persona through which I experienced 180° turnaround from my pathetic 3 years to a sudden upward movement in academics.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my gratitude to Vyas ji, who I am fully convinced, was march of God Almighty in my life.
N. N. Ojha (Nar Narayan Ojha)
MIRIK (Darjeeling) 15-9-2025