Radhakrishnan, the son of the poor family was a brainy boy who had a sharp memory. He could solve problems and memorise lessons at a very fast rate. The primary education was imparted to him under the close watch and the guidance of his father, Ramaswamy. Then, for four years he did his schooling in Harmanburg Lutheran Mission School. Radhakrishnan amazed his teacher by learning a big part of the Bible by heart. His oration of English was so impressive that the principal of the school granted the boy a sum of scholarship. The teachers were certain that some day their student would bring glory to the name of the school.
In 1900, Radhakrishnan went to Vellore at the age of 12 years. There his uncle was in some employment. The father wished his son to live with his uncle for some time and study at a school run by missionaries. He remained there for two years and passed the matriculation examination conducted by Madras University. Young Radhakrishnan had secured a place in the merit list. The marks earned by him were so promising that he began to receive regular stipend.
For the college education Radhakrishnan joined Durhese college. Getting admission was no problem. The college was too pleased to have a student with great promise. His brilliance in the academic exercises impressed his teachers. Ramaswamy was proud of his son.
Education-Cum-Marital Life
Radhakrishnan was married to a ten year old girl when he was still studying as a 15 year old student. The social evil of child marriages in India had claimed yet another boy and a kid girl. The old customs were too strong to be avoided or evaded. The name of the kid bride was Shivakanu who was then a fifth standard student. The year was 1903 A.D.
Three years after the marriage formality ‘Gauna’ ceremony was held after which the groom and the bride were to live together as a couple. In the same year of 1906, Radhakrishnan earned B.A. degree in first class from the Christian College of Madras. In B.A. degree course ‘Philosophy’ was his favourite subject. He was declared the best student in the subject.
While Radhakrishnan was studying in the college in Madras his parents and the family continued to live where his father had the employment. After he graduated the entire family migrated to Madras.
During those days studying law was a great matter of pride and prestige. It offered attractive future. Most of the leading figures who were commanding the country’s freedom struggle were barristers and other lawyers.
Radhakrishnan too wished to study law to be counted. But the financial status of the family could not afford it. His old father was finding it difficult even to make the family’s both ends meet. And now Radhakrishnan’s young wife had also joined the family, one more mouth to feed.
Considering such compelling factors he gave up the idea of studying law and do something to share to responsibility of the family.
He did just that but the urge to study the law kept haunting him. At last he decided to do the M.A. course in his favourite subject of ‘Philosophy’ somehow. He could bank on the meritorious marks he had earned in the B.A. exam. He tried and was able to extract a monthly scholarship of Rs. 25 which was no small amount during those days. A rupee had a hundred times more purchasing power then. He augmented that income by taking some tuitions and contributing to the upkeep of the family.
Thus, Radhakrishnan’s education and the family life continued side by side.
While studying in the M.A. course, Radhakrishnan wrote a thesis on the Indian philosophy. The thesis was titled ‘The Ethics of Vedanta & its Metaphysical Preposition’. In his thesis he had wrote about Karma and endeavour—‘The grandfather of spiritual oneness which very few thinkers can appreciate is brought out most sublimely’.
When he had begun his research on the subject he could not hope any help or guidance from scholars or the college teachers because till then Indian Philosophy was a neglected subject. No scholar or teacher had much knowledge on it and no one had ever seriously done any research on it. For Radhakrishnan it was a pioneering venture. He even doubted if any one would be interested in evaluation of his thesis. To his pleasant surprise he proved wrong here.
The philosophy professor Mr. A.V. Hogg and his associates not only welcomed and appreciated Radhakrishnan’s work but got it duly recognised inspite of being an out of course subject.
Professor Hogg had correctly spotted the philosophic talent of Radhakrishnan. That is why inspite of having differences of opinion he helped Radhakrishnan in his research work in whatever way possible. In the preface to the thesis he wrote—
‘He has displayed a power of clear thought, an independence of judgement and a capacity of accurate and rapid assimilation of what he has read which mark him out as possessed of high intellectual bent and attainments. Whatever he deals with goes through the mill of his own mind and undigested opinion has no place with him…’
In 1909, Radhakrishnan earned the degree of M.A. in the first class. He wanted to go to London for the higher studies in Philosophy in Oxford University but he could not do so because of the poor financial status of his family. But anyway he stayed in Madras and continued his research work on Indian Philosophy as he had decided upon. The first challenge was to find employment for the financial security of his family.
In this task Professor Skenner proved quite useful. He helped Radhakrishnan get appointed as a Sub-assistant Inspector of Schools but it was a temporary posting although it took care of his immediate concerns. Later he got the job of a Lecturer in Presidency College of Madras.
In 1914, his good work, brilliance and talent got him upgraded to Assistant Professor level. In the meantime his research work in his favourite subject continued to make steady progress. New ideas, thoughts and insights kept pushing him on.
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