We began with the Opening Prayers. We continued to learn to chant Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 verses, Swamiji's video – Verse 8 & 9 was shown and we learnt and practiced 3 shlokas from Lingashtakam.
We spent some time in the class today to discuss the upcoming monthly program on Dec 20 th. With the students we brain stormed to come up with certain ideas to pursue for the program. Each student who was in attendance was assigned a specific task so all of them can participate in a meaningful way for the monthly program.
Vedas prescribe samskaras, sixteen of those in an individual's life starting from the womb stage. Since you (students) are all in the student's stage, we will skip the early samskaras and jump to Vidyaramba, when the learning begins. A student, a learner belongs to the Brahmacharya asrama. Asrama means a stage in life. The hindu Scriptures divide life into four stages. If you consider a human being's life span to be 100 years, then the first 25 years is considered as student's life or brahmacharya asrama. The next 25 years is the householder's life or Grhasthasrama, 50-75years belong to the Vanaprastha asrama and the remaining period, however long, one leads a life of a renunciate, a Samnyasi.
Going back to Brahmacharya asrama that you all belong to now, let's look at the duties that are prescribed in the scriptures. When a child's mind and intellect are ready for learning, Upanayana or thread ceremony is performed. Traditionally in the Upanayana ceremony, the father tells the Gayatri Mantra in the ears of the child.
Mantras are revelations to the Rishis. Gayatri Mantra is considered as one of the oldest divine hymns, the rishi of the mantra is Sage Vishwamitra. That which protects one who prays is Gayatri. By repetition of this mantra with right understanding the ordinary negative tendencies in the human mind can be erased to a large extent. This is a prayer onto the Self to unveil Itself and manifest as pure wisdom. It is also known as Savitr mantra, as it is dedicated to deity Savitr, the Sun. Sun is the source of all light in the material world. Lord Krishna said in Bhagavad Gita that the light that pervades the sun and the moon are all His light. Hence Lord of Gayatri is none other than Infinite Consciousness.
Om bhur, bhuvah, svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
It is in Gayatri meter – 24 syllables in three lines with 8 syllables in each line. The vyahrtis, bhur, bhuvah, svah - are always chanted with the mantra. Bhuhloka is physical world, Bhuvarloka is world made up of finer matter and Suvarloka is the heavenly world. These worlds can also be seen subjectively as waking, dream and deeply states. Loka signifies field of experiences. This mantra is chanted at sandhya time. Story in Taittiriya Aranyaka explains importance of chanting Gayatri mantra. In the island called Arunam lived a tribe of devils called Mandehas. Every morning the devils try to conquer space and almost reached near the sun trying to destroy it. But the water offered by Gayatri japists strikes the devils as lightning and they return back to their own island. Symbolically mandeha is mind (man) and body(deha) complex. It is source of all likes and dislikes, passions and agitations. These negative tendencies try to conquer and destroy the spiritual essence in us. The brilliance of human intellect gets clouded by these negative tendencies, and Gayatri mantra and its effects are like thunder and lightning negating their effects. If sun is not there life in this physical world is impossible similarly without Self within, the matter envelopes will be inert. By chanting this mantra we appeal to this inner Sun of life to illuminate our intellect. So that our intellect is steady without agitations; and clean without passions. We pray to the light of consciousness to shine forth brilliantly through our intellect.
Traditionally child is sent away to a Gurukula in a forest for some years until the child masters and gains knowledge of vedas and all other relevant sciences. This was the practice in olden days. The current system of education is different, but still the underlying value holds true. That is, if you are a student desirous of learning, you need to lead a life of discipline and be totally devoted to study and gain knowledge and skills.
There is a sloka or Subhashita that explains the principle of a disciple: "If you are a vidyarthi, a seeker of knowledge, you must give up the idea of comforts. If you are a sukharthi, a seeker of comforts, then knowledge is sacrificed, for it will not come to you." Meaning if a student is enjoying a life of comfort and being lazy, where is the question of gaining knowledge which requires concentration and total devotion.
In conclusion, the essential duties of a student are - devoted to study, show respect to teachers, be responsible, also devote time to other aspects of learning like, cultural, physical sports, moral and ethical ways of life, to become a well-rounded citizen.
Short activity - Acrostic Puzzle S T U D E N T - Students were asked to complete each of the above letters that best describes aspects of student life.
Pranam,
Rukmani Sriram
Devender Akula
