प्रामाणिकार्थयोग्यत्वं पृच्छकस्याऽविचार्य च । यो वक्ति तमिह प्राज्ञाः प्राहुर्मूढतरं नरम् ॥ ५० ॥
prāmāṇikārthayōgyatvaṁ pṛcchakasyā’vicārya ca | yō vakti tamiha prājñāḥ prāhurmūḍhataraṁ naram || 50 ||
Translation
And one who speaks without weighing whether the questioner is fit for what the sources establish: him the wise here call a greater fool.
Word by word
- prāmāṇika
- what the sources establish
- artha
- for the matter
- yōgyatvaṁ
- fitness
- pṛcchakasya
- of the questioner
- avicārya
- without weighing
- ca
- and
- yō
- (yaḥ) one who
- vakti
- speaks
- tam
- him
- iha
- here
- prājñāḥ
- the wise
- prāhur
- (prāhuḥ) call
- mūḍhataraṁ
- a greater fool
- naram
- person
Meaning
As the student can fail by not examining the teacher, so the teacher can fail by not examining the student. The word mūḍhatara comes back from verse 45, now aimed at the speaker. Enthusiastic teaching of the highest things to anyone who will listen is here said to be an error, however generous it feels. The commentary's words are the fitness to grasp what is settled by scripture and the other means of knowledge.