Intellectualism in the time of Thuggery

Often intellectuals find their intellect completely superfluous in face of angry, stupid people. This is most commonly faced by users of public transport, e.g. trains, in the form of people talking loudly on phones or insisting upon partaking of dinner at midnight. Logic falls on deaf ears, and persistent arguments increases the probability of being flung out of the moving public transport, casting an abrupt and irreclaimable shadow upon, what could have been, a shining intellect. This aspect has been touched upon in the Panchatantram:

सिंहो व्याकरणस्य कर्तुरहरत्प्राणान् प्रियान् पाणिनेर्मीमांसाकृतमुन्ममाथ सहसा हस्ती मुनिं जैमिनिम्  ।

छन्दोज्ञाननिधिं जघान मकरो वेलातटे पिङ्गलमज्ञानवृतचेतसामतिरुषां कोऽर्थस्तिरंश्चां गुणै: ।।

Freewheeling translations in lingua materna, followed by lingua franca:

सिंह ने वैयाकार पाणिनी को हरा,

गज ने मीमांसक जैमिनी को मला,

मगर ने छन्द-ज्ञानि पिंगल को दे धरा,

मूढ़, कुपित पशु से ज्ञानी कहाँ बड़ा?

Lion slew the grammarian Panini,

Elephant trampled the philosopher Jaimini.

Crocodile killed Pingal, foremost of the metere-ists

What use wisdom in face of dumb, angry beasts?

Notes:

मीमांसा (Mimamsa): Critical reflection. One o

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