Vidvan Eva Vijanati Vidvajjana Parishramam
विद्वानेव विजानाति विद्वज्जनपरिश्रमम्
Also known as: vidvan eva vijanati · vidvan eva vijanati vidvajjana parishramam · na hi vandhya vijanati gurvim prasava vedanam · only the learned know the toil of the learned · subhashita on scholarship
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✦ Meaning
Vidvan Eva Vijanati is a striking subhashita on the appreciation of effort. It declares that only a scholar can grasp the labour another scholar has poured into learning, comparing this to how a woman who has never given birth cannot comprehend the pain of childbirth. The verse teaches that genuine understanding and empathy arise from shared experience.
Origin & Story
Sanskrit Subhashita (niti tradition) · Anonymous (traditional subhashita) · Classical Sanskrit literature
This verse belongs to the rich body of subhashitas that celebrate learning and the appreciation of merit. Using the powerful and universal comparison of childbirth, it makes the point that the value of a scholar's painstaking effort is fully grasped only by fellow scholars, a sentiment that has made it a favourite among the learned for centuries.
✦ As told in scripture
It is told that true scholars, recognising one another's labour through this verse, formed bonds of mutual respect that transcended rivalry, so that the community of the learned was held together by the very empathy the shloka describes.
The Mantra
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विद्वानेव विजानाति विद्वज्जनपरिश्रमम्। न हि वन्ध्या विजानाति गुर्वीं प्रसववेदनाम्॥
vidvān eva vijānāti vidvaj-jana-pariśramam। na hi vandhyā vijānāti gurvīṁ prasava-vedanām॥
Meaning:Only a learned person truly understands the toil of another learned person, just as a barren woman can never know the intense pain of childbirth. The verse observes that the worth of hard-won knowledge can be appreciated only by one who has undergone the same labour, for sympathy springs from shared experience.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Vidvan Eva Vijanati Vidvajjana Parishramam
Cultivates respect for the hard work behind genuine scholarship
Teaches that empathy and true appreciation arise from shared experience
Encourages humility in judging others' achievements
A vivid, memorable verse for reflection on merit and effort
Reminds us to seek the recognition of qualified peers rather than the ignorant
Inspires perseverance in study, knowing its value is understood by the wise
How to Chant Vidvan Eva Vijanati Vidvajjana Parishramam
Recite the verse contemplatively, weighing its two images — the scholar's toil and the pain of childbirth. Let it deepen your respect for those who labour at learning and remind you that real understanding comes from walking the same path. It is often shared among students and teachers in praise of dedicated study.