👉 Maharshi Kanad

🔷 Maharshi Kanad, the founder of the Vaishashik School of Indian Philosophy was a renowned thinker and teacher of his times. He got the name ‘Kanad’ because of the ascetic practice of eating only the kanas (grains) of food. He used to collect the  small quantities of food grains left scattered in the fields after the farmers had reaped the ripe crop. This was the source of nourishment for him for the entire season. When the king of the land heard about this severe austerity of Maharshi’s life, he sent substantial gifts of wealth and food for the latter. Maharshi Kanad warmly welcomed the bearers of the gifts but politely refused to accept the royal gifts. He said-“I am very happy with my present mode of living.

🔶 I do not need anything more. You may kindly distribute all these gifts among the needy”. The king vainly tried twice again to arrange for some material help for this great seer-sage. Finally he himself went to the Maharshi with abundant material wealth and provisions and requested him to accept at least a part of the bounty. Kanad then explained to him with due respect- “I am an Acharya, the sole motive of whose life is the acquiring and sharing of knowledge. I need abundance of sadhana (devout endeavor towards spiritual enlightenment) rather than abundance of sadhans (materialistic resources) to fulfil my duties and achieve the goal of my life. So please do not bring any well or other materialistic bounties to me. Give a to those who really need it.”
  
🔷 The king returned, himself enriched with wisdom. He had now comprehended that true meaning of the word “Acharya” and understood that the glory of the title life lies in the sadhana and not in the accumulation of sadhans.

📖 From Pragya Puran