Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master.

The quote argues that true instruction aims at producing successors who can exceed their teachers, not depend on them. “Poor” here condemns the student’s stagnation, but it also implicitly critiques a system of teaching that rewards obedience over growth. Surpassing the master is not framed as disrespect; it is the measure of successful transmission of skill and understanding. In a broader intellectual sense, the line champions progress: knowledge and craft advance when learners absorb foundations and then innovate beyond them. It also acknowledges that mastery is provisional—each “master” is a stepping-stone in a longer chain of improvement.