11

Prose

Of Studies -  Francis Bacon

Summary

Bacon points out that it is study that depicts over enjoyed moment, attraction and capabilities. Complete study provides enjoyment. It clarifies the conversation. It helps the practical activities. It gives a type of enlightment to an ignorant man who is deprived of. It is capable to work with success. If any person goes to the books and makes them his friend, he will find that books are the supporters to produce fulfilment in resolution. Bacon here wants if it should not be taken much time in reading, it will be much better, because he says if it is so, it will be ruin of time. Studies should not also be used for attraction as it may begins to be affection and if any one goes do judge anything by one's ability, it will be humour of one's study. It is not demanded. Depending too much on it, the practical necessity ends.

He further says that clever men hate studies because they think their cleverness can well mend their problems than bookish knowledge. Ignorants and illiterates are always in the position to applause the learned people why is it so ? Because they are not painted with study. On the other hand a wity person makes full use of study. The writer justifes that the object of studies is not to reject or condemn the views given in the books. One may differ with them one may not agree readily it. What one reads. One should not refuse the argument of others. One should not cling to one's opinion rather than keeping an open mind. One should neither be a fanatic in views nor a blind follower in beliefs. Here is a very crucial point that the author in a scholar's life.

The writer here wants to give a very important matter by saying that there are some books that are to be read with bird's eye, others are to be read totally and some are to be read for ever, it means the books which are being read, should not be forgotten in earlier time.

Bacons deals with the models of study. He says, reading enables us to acquire the knowledge. It gives us information. Discourse of conference provides us ready witness. He also tells us that the disturbed kidneys and disbalanced archery can be cured by shooting. He once again points out that disturbed and disbalanced can be improved by the studying of cases of lawyers. By studying the case a man can produce wit and understand the matter.

हिन्दी सारांश

बेकन कहते है कि यह अध्ययन ही है जो हमारे हर्ष, आकर्षण व क्षमताओं पर प्रकाश डालता है। पूर्ण अध्ययन आनन्द प्रदान करता है। इससे हमारी व्यावहारिक गतिविधियाँ भी क्रियान्वित होती है। यह अज्ञानी पुरुष के लिए एक प्रकार का आनन्द है। इससे कार्य सफल होता है। यदि कोई भी किताबो को अपना मित्र बनाता है तो वह यह पायेगा कि किताबें उसके आनन्द प्राप्ति की समर्थक है। बेकन चाहते हैं कि पढाई करने में अधिक समय न इस्तेमाल किया जाये क्योंकि इससे तो समय की बर्बादी है।

अध्ययन को दिखावा व आकर्षण का माध्यम नहीं बनाना चाहिए। यदि कोई भी किसी की योग्यता को परखेगा तो यह उसका मजाक होगा। यह कदापि नहीं होना चाहिए। इस पर अधिक निर्भर रहने से व्यावहारिक आवश्यकताएँ समाप्त हो जाती है।

वह कहते हैं कि चालाक व्यक्ति अध्ययन से घृणा करते हैं क्योंकि वे सोचते हैं कि उनकी चतुराई उनकी समस्याओं को अच्छी तरह से सुधार सकती है। अज्ञान और अनपढ़ लोग उनकी कुशलता की प्रशंसा करते रहते हैं। क्योंकि वे अध्ययन से अनभिज्ञ होते हैं। वह आगे स्पष्ट करते हैं कि अध्ययन का उद्देश्य यह नहीं कि किसी को अस्वीकार किया जाये या किसी की आलोचना की जाये। कोई भी उनसे भिन्न हो सकता है। कोई भी उनकी पढ़ाई से सहमत न हो। किसी को किसी तर्क को इन्कार नहीं करना चाहिए। न ही किसी के तर्क को छोड़ना चाहिए और न ही किसी के विचार को आँख बन्द करके मानना चाहिए। वह चाहते हैं कि ऐसे मामलों में अधिक से अधिक ध्यान देना चाहिए कि कुछ किताबों को सरसरी नजर से पढ़ना होता है और कुछ को पूर्ण रूप से पढ़ना तथा कुछ को सदा के लिए पढना होता है। इसका मतलब यह है कि किताबें जो पढ़ी जाती है उनको शीघ्र नहीं भुलाना चाहिए।

बेकन अध्ययन के स्वरूप को लेकर कहते हैं कि अध्ययन हमें ज्ञान प्राप्त करने के योग्य बनाता हैं। साथ ही साथ हमें सूचना तथा ज्ञान प्राप्त कराता है। वह यह भी कहते हैं कि अशान्त वृक्क तथा असन्तुलित धमनियाँ निशानेबाजी से ठीक हो सकते हैं। वह एक बार फिर कहते है कि ये दोनों ही अध्ययन से ठीक हो सकते हैं। अध्ययन के द्वारा व्यक्ति अपने अन्दर योग्यता तथा चालाकी ला सकता है।

Explanations

Text 1. Studies serve for delight, of ornament and for ability. Then chief use for delight, is in privatencess and retiring, for ornament, is in discourse, and for ability, is in the judgement and disposition of business.
Word Meaning - Delight - pleasure, Ornament - adornment (आभूषण) Judgement - Opinion, Ability - Capability.
Reference - These lines occur in Bacon's famous essay 'Of Studies'. The essay appeared in the second edition of Bacon's essays published in 1612.
Context - Bacon refers to the uses of studies. They delight in privacy. They ornament in society. They provide ability in practical business.
Explanation - According to Bacon studies are significant. They are helpful and entertaining. They serve for delight, for ornament and for ability. The main use of studies for delight is in one's private life or when one is alone, living in seclusion. When a man who has studied well, talks to others, his studies serve the purposes of ornaments. His studies help him a good deal in the excution of his business.
Text 2. To spend too much time in studies, is sloth, to use them too much for ornament, is affectation, to make judgement wholly by their rules, humour of a scholar: they perfect nature, and are perfected by experience : for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themsleves to give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.
Word-Meanings - Ornament Charm (3), Affectation Show (faza). Humour - Peculiar feature (), Sloth Laziness (3), At large- Free (4), Bounded - Limited (f)
Reference - As above
Context - In this passage the writer tells uses of studies. He describes how studies make an affection and humour.
Explanation - Bacon says if it is spent much time in studying, it can be useless of wit and wasting of time, If it is used too much, it can be a show and if it is judged, it will be humour of one's study. It is also not demanded. If it is given full dependence, the practical necessity ends. He compares natural abilities to plants which require careful cultivation. Without experience studies may be too rhetorical and vague. Thus we can say that those studies which are perfected by experience acquaints a man with rules and precepts only.
Text 3. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them and wisemen use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them and above them, won by observation.
Word-Meanings - Conemn - Hate (), Crafty - Clever, Admire - Praise (प्रशंसा करना), Observation Justification (स्पष्टीकरण)।
Reference - As above.
Context - In this passage the writer speaks of those man who are in position to hate the studies and their desires.
Explanation - Bacon says that the clever men do not like studying they hate studies. They get none of benefits of studies. So they pretend knowledge of the scholar. Simple people admire and wonder at the knowledge of the learned. They do so in a foolish manner. Wise men like studies to be what they are. They consider studies the means the end of perfect life and use them as such.
N.B. (1) Simple and clear language.
(ii) Utmost meaning compressed into the fewest words.
 Text 4. Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse but to weigh and consider.
Word-Meanings - Contradict - To deny (4), Confute-Refute (खण्डन करना) ।
Reference - As above.
Context In this passage the writer tells us about the distinguished wisdom from knowledge. It comes from outside through experience.
Explanation - The object of studies is not to reject or condemn the views given in books. One should not refute the argument of others. One should not cling to one's opinion rather than keeping an open mind. The aim of studies is to ponder and think over the ideas and judge their value and truth one should neither be a fanatic in views nor a blind follower in beliefs.
Text 5. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man; and therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory, if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.
Word-Meanings - Conference - Conversation (alle), Complete (पूर्ण), Cunning - Clever.
Reference - As above.
Context - Bacon points out that study makes a man perfect if he may be able to be in the continuing situation.
Explanation - He says that by reading a man can become complete. with the help of having conference he may be accurate and in this manner if he writes little, he will need a great memory, if he takes less in conference, he will need a fresh wit, if he reads little, he will need of being clever.
Text 6. Some books are to be tested, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
Reference - As above.
Context- Bacon describes the functions of studies. He points out dangers of devoting too much on studies. In these lines he describes different kinds of Books.
Explanation - Bacon classifies the books according to their importance to man. The first kind of books needs casual attention. They are required to be tested. The second kind of books needs greater attention. These books should be read completely. But books of the third kind are most important. These books should be read with great care and attention and diligence.
N. B. (i) Clarity of thought.
(ii) Compact expression.
(iii) Felicity and ease.
Text 7. Abeunt studia in mores; nay, there is no stand or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies: like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises;
Reference - As above
Context- In these lines, Bacon refers to the uses of studies that contain the same uses of the diseases of the mind as exercises for body.
Explanation. Here, Bacon is of the view that no study can be the
impediment in the growth of knowledge. But sometime study serves as an exercise for the mind of the reader in the same way as exercise benefits to the body from the physical diseases..
N.B. (i) Every word is loaded with more meaning than they actually have. (ii) Felicity and care.

Question- Analyse the theme of Bacon's eassy 'Of Studies.'

Or

What is the theme of the essay 'Of Studies'?

Or

What rules of study does 'Bacon' prescribe?

Ans- 

Of studies' appeared in the second edition of Bacon's essays published in 1612. By Studies Bacon means not mere act of studing but the results that follow systematic long practised habits of study viz-education and culture.

2. Bacon refers to the uses of studies: (a) They delight in privacy. (b) They ornament in society. (c) They provide ability in practical business.

3. Bacon mentions the disadvantages of studies: (a) Spending too much time in them is too much waste of time. (b) It is sloth superflous display of learning bring affectations. (c) Being too much guided by them and thus seprating studies from practical use is unwise. To make indgement wholly by their rules is the humour of the scholar.

4. Bacon gives rules for study: (a) Weight before you read to consider what is read. (b) It is required to distinguish between books that are to be read (i) in parts (ii) without much care, (iii) with care, (iv) through summaries prepared by deputies.

5. Bacon mentions utility of studies: (a) Reading enables to acquire knowledge. (b) Conference enables them to gain wit and readiness. (c) Writing makes one to learn exactness and accurately.

6. To make use of the different modes of studying is required for: (i) information (ii) readiness, (iii) accuracy.

7. Bacon refers to the value of different studies: (i) History forters wisdom (ii) Poetry fosters wit, (iii) Mathematics fosters subtlety, (iv) Natural philosophy fosters depth, (v) Moral philosophy fosters gravity, (vi) Logic and Rhetoric fosters the capacity of debate and argument.

8. Studies cure mental defects as physical exercises cure physical defects and diseases.

9. Diseases of the body require appropriate exercises to be made: (a) Bowling is good for kidney. (b) Shooting is good for lungs. (c) Walking is good for digestion (d) Riding is good for diseases of the head.

10. Apart from these physical exercises for the body, there are mental exercises also:

(a) Mathematics is good for unsteady minds. (b) Scholastic philosophy for confused thing. (c) Lawyer's cases for unready memory.

11. Bacon, thus pleads that studies cure mental defects of diseases as physical exercises cure physical defects and diseases.

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