Sadhana Panchakam - Post 4

BRAHMACHARYA ASHRAMA

 

The arena for the whole education process in ancient times was the Gurukulam, a school system created by the sages of the Vedic period. 

 

The Hindu child used to be (is sent even now, though  the number have become very less)  sent to a Gurukula at a very early age, and remains there roughly between the ages of 5 and 20.

 

There he lives with his teacher for at least twelve years, visiting his home only occasionally.

 

The advantages of such a system are many:

 

i) Intense Concentration: The prolonged period of study and the absence of the distractions of home life intensify one’s concentration level.

 

ii) Relationship with Teacher: The children develop a very close relationship with their Acharya. There is a parent-child relationship between them. It’s another ideal condition for study.

 

iii) Personal Supervision: The sacred scriptures are learnt directly under the supervision of the Acharya.  Being under the eye of the Acharya helps the children to be corrected and molded as they grow.

 

Because of the terseness and compactness of the Vedas, they should always be learnt under a qualified Acharya in the field concerned. At a higher level one seeks a spiritually competent person – a Brahma-Nishtha Guru for gaining deeper knowledge.

 

iv) Skills Training: The homestead of the Acharya forms the field for the children to perform their duties and develop skills. 

v) Religious Lifestyle: There is prayer at the Gurukula every morning and evening. Sandhya Vandana is a daily ritual. Religious life goes hand in hand with study, and happens naturally without one being aware of it. Worship of God is an integral part of Gurukula life;

vi) Simple Lifestyle: The life of simplicity that is fostered at the Gurukula provides the perfect training to curtail one’s desires.

  

The entire Vedic literature may be classified into 14 categories:

i) The 4 Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Some texts use the triple classification with reference to the Padas making up the verses. The Rig Veda comprises Niyata Padas or specific poetry verses. The Yajur Veda comprises Aniyata Padas or non-specific, prose verses. The Sama Veda comprises Niyata Padas which can be sung. Atharva Veda classifies into any of these three.

ii) The 6 Vedangas: Siksha (Vedic phonetics), Kalpa (rules pertaining to rites), Chandas (metrics), Nirukta (etymological formation of words), Vyakarana (rules of grammar) and Jyotisha (influence of bodies on each other, planetary influences or the science of astrology). 

iii) The 4 Upaangas: Puranas, Nyaya, Meemamsa and Dharma Shastras or Smritis. 

These add up to 14 sources.

More on vedas and on classification of Hindu philosophy is covered in detail in post 1 to post 7 under the theme         “Introduction to Veda and Vedanta”.

Extract from Leela Kaivalya Vahini:

  

“Spiritual aspirant: All those who are loyal to Bharathiya (Indian) culture accept the Vedas as authoritative sources for every aspect of life. They assert that the Vedas are the roots of their faith. What exactly does Veda mean?

Why has the Veda acquired such importance?

Sai: My dear fellow! You were born in India, that is, Bharath, and you parade yourself as a Bharathiya, but you aren’t aware of what Veda means! 

Veda is the name for a mass of divine knowledge. Veda teaches the truth that cannot be revised or reversed by the passage of time through the three stages — past, present, and future. The Veda ensures welfare and happiness for the three worlds. It confers peace and security on human society.

The Veda is the collation of words that are truth, that were visualized by sages who had attained the capacity to receive them into their enlightened awareness. In reality, the Word is the very breath of God, the Supreme Person. The unique importance of the Veda rests on this fact.

 

Spiritual aspirant: But in the field of worldly life, on the daily, material stage, what light can one expect from the Vedas?

Sai: Every being that lives in the world strives to possess what it desires and avoid what it dislikes. Know that the Veda instructs how to succeed in both these endeavors. 

That is to say, it lays down what has to be done and what should not be done. When these prescriptions and prohibitions are followed, one can earn the good and avoid the evil. 

Veda is concerned with both the material and the spiritual, both this world and the beyond. If the truth must be told, all life is Veda-filled. One cannot but observe its injunctions. Veda is derived from vid, which means “to know”. So Veda means and includes all spiritual knowledge (jnana). People are distinguished from other animals by the spiritual wisdom (jnana) with which they are endowed. Devoid of spiritual wisdom, they are only beasts.

 

Spiritual aspirant: And, Swami, what are Upanishads?

Sai: They can be mastered only by intelligent discrimination (viveka). They deserve to be so mastered. Four goals are laid down for humans in the scriptures: righteousness (dharma), prosperity (artha), moral desire (kama), and liberation (moksha). Learning (vidya) can be classified under two heads: The lower and the higher. 

While the four Vedas, the earlier portion of ancient scriptures, deal with the first three lower goals, the later portion of the ancient scriptures, the Upanishads, deal with the last, the higher goal.

 

Spiritual aspirant: But how did the word Vedanta (meaning the doctrine of the identity of Brahman and the Atma) arise?

Sai: These Upanishads themselves form the Vedanta. Memorizing the Vedas is of no avail; Vedanta has to be understood and assimilated. Knowledge can never reach consummation until Vedanta is mastered.”

 

Continued……

 

Love.