Praise from an Unlikely Source

The Inspector Arrives

एकस्मिन् दिने ब्रिटिशनिरीक्षकः विद्यालयम् आगतः। सावित्री तस्मिन् दिने अपि पाठयति स्म — सामान्यवत्। बालिकाः वाचयन्ति स्म, लिखन्ति स्म, प्रश्नान् पृच्छन्ति स्म। निरीक्षकः कक्षायां बहुकालम् आसीत् — मौनेन निरीक्ष्य। अन्ते सः अलिखत् — "इयं शाला पुणेस्थासु श्रेष्ठतमा।"

One day a British inspector (nirīkṣaka — निरीक्षकः) came to the school. Savitribai that day too was teaching — as normal (sāmānyavat — सामान्यवत्). The girls were reading aloud, writing, asking questions. The inspector was in the classroom for a long time — observing in silence. At the end he wrote — "This school is the best (śreṣṭhatamā) among all in Pune."