The pen is mightier than the sword
In this proverb, ‘pen’ stands for writers, poets, thinkers, etc. In other words, it represents those who do mental work. ‘Sword stands for soldiers. The proverb contrasts the man of letters with the warrior and proclaims the superiority of the man of thought over the man of action, of the philosopher over the soldier. It proclaims the victory of the mind over the physical strength, of mental subtlety over brute force. The greatest proof of this is the supremacy of man over the animal kingdom. It is the triumph of the mind over the brute force. The fable of the ‘Hare and the Lion’ in the Panchtantra illustrates the victory of mind over brute force. Among men, the man with superior brains has eventually defeated the man of superior bodily strength. The history of the world is replete with examples of thinkers who wielded more influence than monarchs and warriors. Chanakya was mightier than Chandragupta Maurya. It was he who laid the firm foundation of the Mauryan Empire, by his superior intellect. European history furnishes two outstanding men who have exercised far more influence on human history than any warrior who ever wielded a sword. They are Rousseau and Marx. Rousseau was the brain behind the French Revolution which shook the entire Europe and which is a landmark in human history. Marx ushered in the Proletarian Revolution which changed the face of Russia and which is still rocking the world.
