Ganesh Shankar received his formal education in the school situated near his house. But the introduction to the letters had already begun before that as a result of his being a son of a teacher who naturally exercised his teaching tendencies on his offspring. Babu Jainarainlal had introduced him to the basics of Hindi and Urdu.
Ganesh Shankar was born for the letters and books. He took to the books like a fish takes to water. He had a sharp brain and a receptive mind. A good memory was an added advantage. His mind retained whatever, he read or was taught.
In 1901, Babu Jainarianlal was transferred to Bhelsa from Mungawali. The family also had to move with him. Then, Ganesh Shankar was only 11 years old. His health had improved a little bit over the years.
At that point of time he was a student of fourth class. He lived with his father and continued his studies. Babu Jainarainlal remained in Bhelsa for two years. Then he was again transferred back to Mungawali. The family again moved to the home town.
Ganesh Shankar had passed fifth class. He continued his education and passed middle class examination in 1905. He wanted to study further.
Meanwhile his brother Shivavrata had completed his education upto the level the teacher father could afford. He had got an employment and was serving at Kanpur.
Ganesh Shankar knew that he could not tax his father any further for his education. The father and the son talked the matter over. It was decided that Ganesh Shankar should go to Kanpur and explore the possibilities in consultation with his elder brother.
Ganesh Shankar went to Kanpur to his brother asked him to help him find a job. The idea was to study while earning for his expenses.
Shivavrata didn’t like it.
He said, “Brother, what are you talking? You should not think on those lines. Study you must, of course. I will take care of all your expenses.”
Ganesh Shankar shook his head, “No dear brother, I can understand your own problems. I don’t want to burden you unnecessarily. There is no harm in my doing a part time job.”
But Shivavrata would not agree to it. He insisted, “You must concentrate your mind on studies instead of shuttling between the job place and school or college.”
Ganesh Shankar pleaded, “Brother, I want to study further no doubt. But at the same time I want to share the responsibilities of the family.”
“O brother!” Shivavrata exclaimed and remarked with a smile, “So, my little brother now talks like an elder. Do you think that we don’t know about the responsibilities of the family?”
“You know, of course, respected brother, but…”
“No buts and ifs,” the elder brother cut him short and added, “Kid, to take care of the family the father and I are there. We are doing it already. You need not trouble your mind over it.”
Shivavrata argued on with his younger brother and at last persuaded him to carry on his studies forgetting about the financial problems of the family.
Ganesh Shankar listened carefully to the advice of his brother and realised that his brother was all sincerity and seriousness. His offer was no formality but a true wish. He wanted his brother to get educated to make good of his life and redeem the contributions of the father and the brother. Shivavrata wanted to realise his dreams through Ganesh Shankar.
The younger brother had to bow his head to the selfless love of his elder brother. It was the true spirit of the Indian joint family.
Shivavrata bought matriculation course books and sent his brother back to the village with all the money he could spare.
Thus, Ganesh Shankar was to do his matriculation from Mungawali while his brother would send money from Kanpur cutting down his own expenses to the barest minimum.
Ganesh Shankar was back to his studies again.
He took up the preparations for the matriculation exams as a personal challenge and tried to put his mind devotedly to it. But something kept troubling his mind which made it wander away from the studies.
The sacrifices his father and brother were making for him hung on his conscious like a burden. He could see for himself how they were denying themselves even the basic needs. For a conscientious youngman it was a pain. But he could do nothing about it.
His brother would not listen to him.
So, inspite of the best of his efforts the result was not satisfactory. Anyway he took the matriculation examination in the Christ Church College in 1907.
He had no big hopes.
The feeling that he might have betrayed the trust of his father and the brother would often scare him. The result came out.
He tried to find his name in the third division category. His name was missing.
His heart sank.
He returned home in a dreadful mood all the while wondering how he would face his parents. He didn’t even reveal that he had gone to see the result. He took lunch in a mournful mood and went to sleep. In such a situation the mind takes over in self-defence and induces sleep.
He was woken up in the evening by the family members and congratulated on passing the examination in second division.
Ganesh Shankar couldn’t believe it. He rushed away the check the Result Gazette again to convince himself. This time he looked in the ‘Second Division’ category.
His name was there, no doubt and he was extremely happy.
Ganesh Shankar yearned for higher and more meaningful education. But the financial position of the family was too fragile to support his college education which was more costly than school education. He had seen how his father and brother had to make sacrifices to see him through to matriculation level.
But Ganesh Shankar joined Kayastha College of Allahabad in 1907. He was hoping for some miracle to happen or a scholarship to come to his rescue. He began his studies in earnest.
Unfortunately no means of financial backing emerged. He could not go beyond six or seven months. His education derailed and he had to quit the college.
He gave up going to the college but hunger for learning was not extinguished. The world and the life were bigger educational institutions open to all where everyone was a student and the master time was the teacher. Every experience of life was a lesson.
The successes and the failures were good marks and bad marks.
Ganesh Shankar made up his mind to consider himself a student of the world university and learn all his life to compensation for missing the formal education.
He took his resolve so seriously that he adopted the surname of ‘Vidyarthi’ which literally meant ‘student’ and it stuck to his name to become his brand name. All his life he remained true to his surname, student who kept learning lesson from experiences and applying the homework so done in future developments of his life. His student dimension became so prominent in his life that the people preferred to call him ‘Vidyarthiji’ omitting the first name ‘Ganesh Shankar.’
