This article is a picturesque narration of the experiences of a first time visitor to the Gurukulam!!!

    Part I                Part II

"How will the Gurukulam look like? How many students would the Gurukulam have? Is it truly a 'Gurukulam' where the students stay serve the Guru and learn Vedas?"

Many more questions kept me engaged when I was travelling to the Ashram. The route to the Ashram was made clear. 'Go to a place called Tambaram at the South-Western part of Chennai and take a bus heading to a town called Sriperumbuthur.' I was already on the bus to Sriperumbuthur.... I was to get down in a village called Malaipattu and then take directions to the Ashram which houses the Sandipani Gurukulam.

The travel was pleasant and scenic, there were small hillocks on the way, a small brook and a nice little bridge, and the Lord has painted the lanscape with infinite hues of green. Soon the conductor of the bus announced the arrival of Malaipattu...

I got down and this was a very typical Indian village- a temple for the border diety (an approximate equivalent of a guardian angel for the village). Banyans roofing the road on both sides, the ubiquitous hay stack for the cattle and a small kiosk for beverages near the bus stand. I asked the near by villager the way to go to the Ashram. He asked me to just follow the road near the bus stop and take the first right turn and then...

I was barely listening... With bated breath I walked on in a hurry. On my right there was a small village library and a small pond. I came to know that villagers use this pond for getting water to cook. There was a small temple of Vinayak and I took the right turn and walked on...

The villagers were busy with their daily chores and my only intruders were a few friendly pet dogs, chickens and goats. As I walked on I found a very nice hillock to my left and this looked really majestic. This hill reminded me of the Sri Govardhana hill in Brindavan. (I came to realise that this hillock indeed is taken as the Govardhana Hill during the annual Utsavam at Ashram).

A view of 'Govardhana Giri' and 'Go saala' from the Ashram

A little old sign warily peeping out from yellow the compound wall proclaimed that I have reached the Ashram....

I opened the creaky gate which caught the attention of the watchman, who seeing the Gopi-chandan mark on my forehead saluted and let me in... There were two rooms to my left which accomodated the Ashram workers.

Rama Naama Peedam at Ashram

To the right there was a clean pathway leading to a square with a big pedastal which proudly housed a tulasi plant. There were idols of Sri Rama, Srinivasa perumal, Sri Vaasudevan, Sri Hanumar on its four sides. Tulasi plants symmetrically bordered the square. (I came to know that this is the Rama Nama peedam and the pedastal is very 'rich' with the leaflets of millions of Rama Naam written by hundreds of devotees.)

One thing was unmistakable.... The very air of the ashram was ringing with peace and tranquility. I saw a big two storied building straight ahead. As I proceeded on to the building the mudded pathway had various trees and shrubs shyly exhibiting its colorful floral wealth on both sides of the pathway.

There was a nice thatched palm roof with a low wall. There 2 cows and a bull in the cow shed. I could hear the soft contented mooing of the cows. On my right there was an innovative cage like structure and there were 2 peacocks, 2 peahens and about half a dozen pigeons. Just behind the cage was another building called 'Kunja Bhavanam'with about 8 rooms named after the 8 'sakis' (companions) of Sri Radha Devi. The Vedic chants of the pupils were slowly getting a little more audible as I neared the building.

I proceed towards the 2 storied structure and there was nice pond on my left (during the utsavam it seems the Lord Premika Varadan and his consort Sri Madhuri Saki are taken on a 'raft' for what they called a 'theppotsavam' in the pond). Lord Krishna with his flute and crossed legs and a bewitching smile was standing on a cement lotus in the centre of the pond with water all around. 'Very typical of him' I thought, ' so close yet so far !'

Theppam at the Ashram

A view from the Ashram Entrance 'Kunja Bhavanam' on the right and 'Bhagavatha Bhavanam' in the center

The 2 storied structure is named as Bhagavatha Bhavanam, and from the first floor clear unmistakable chants of Sama Vedas was audible. (sama vedic chants are really sweet to hear as it is set in a musical meter). The ground floor hall was really huge and could easily accomodate a thousand people. (A place of the future 'meditators' and 'Bhagavathars', I thought!!).

I took the stairs to the first floor . There was a big hall and about 8 rooms. (this time the rooms were named after the 8 companions of Krishna). The teacher was teaching sanskrit to some twenty pairs of eager ears.

'Sandipani Gurukulam' I said to myself softly...

Part II

The benevelont illuminator of the man-kind was slowing dipping down the western horizon. Chirping birds were rushing back to their nests eagerly to share their day's experiences with their hungry family.

A view of 'Kunja Bhavanam' as seen from the top of 'Bhagavatha Bhavanam'

I was standing near the Kunja Bhavanam gate quietly looking at the pegions and peacocks in the big fenced enclosure just out side the kunja bhavanam. This reminded me of the Sri Swamigal's parallel on the bird's net and mind. In one of his lecture series he said, 'The control of Prana (life breath) is like spreading a net over a group of birds. Thoughts, like these fluttering winged creatures keep rising up; control of breath like a net, would impede the further rise of the thoughts and just like the birds which after hitting the net come down to the ground, the thoughts too return back to its orign - the Atma Sthanam or the 'Self'.'

My thoughts were interrupted by sounds from above Kunja Bhavanam on the first floor. Someone was chanting,'Achyutha, Anantha, Govinda, Kesava, Narayana..." There was distinct gap between the chanting of the names of the Lord. I was curious to find out what was happening! I wasn't sure if this was the time for Archana (offering of flowers to the Lord while reciting his thousand names).What I saw really surprised me!

There were the Veda Patasala students filling the first floor, all seated with their arms stretched. A senior student was reciting these names for their evening physical exercise work-out!! What an innovation! Instead of shouting banal numbers for exercises, these pure souls are chanting the Lord's names even for their evening exercises... My heart went out to these children.

The exercise stopped exactly at 5:45pm. Seeing this clinical precision I got interested in their daily schedules. Their schedules were really impressive. I shall now just reproduce what the Sama veda teacher told me:

"We all get up at 4am and perform the morning ablutions till about 4:30am. Some of us go to the Bhagavatha Bhavanam first floor for the Vedic lessons and some stay in Kunja Bhavanam for the lessons. Generally the students do 'Aavarthi' (or the repeated recitation of old lessons to commit to memory) or sometimes we teach them new lessons too. This goes on for an hour."

"At 5:30 am we break for the morning bath, followed by Sandhya Vandanam and Samhita Daanam. (I remember this scene very well... the group of young students go near the Gate of Kunja Bhavanam and do their Sandhya vandanam. See these tiny tots with all diligence and earnestness offering 'Argyam' (water with the Mantra in their lips and eyes half closed really touches the heart). At 6:45am, the senior resident of the ashram brings a can full of refreshing cow's milk for the students."

"From 7am to 8am, the students continue their 'Aavarthi' or the constant reciting of verses to commit to their memory. (This scene is still fresh in my mind, the students - some standing, some sitting, some walking, some in pairs - keep repeating the verses at least for 10times to memorise them. When you hear more than 20 voices reciting different verses from our hallowed texts, all at the same time, the experience is unique - almost a divine pandemonium!)"

"At 8am they pick their plates - neatly arranged in a vertical rack- to have some curd rice. From 8:30 to 11:30 we teach them new lessons. The teacher recites the verse once and the students repeat them twice. (I believe this is called the 'Chandhai') At 11:30 am they get half an hour break to do 'Maadhyanikam'. At noon they go to the first floor of Kunja bhavanam to partake their lunch."

I was fortunate to partake lunch with the Veda patasala students. It may sound trivial, but I was particularly impressed by the proceedings! The students sit in two rows facing each other. The lunch starts with the recital of "Thrisuparnam" - which is in Yajur Veda. Rice is served for all and a little water is given to all. Then they do 'Aaposhanam'. Then all the students Chant 'Krishna Rama Govinda, Rama Krishna Govinda' in unison. Hearing the sweet names of the Lord, the other side-dishes find their place in the leaf.

Then the Ashram Manager or a teacher comes in between the two rows and with a brass spoon full of water says, "Brahmana Samaradhanena Bhagawan Sarvathmakam Sarvam Sri Madhuri Saki sammetha Sri Premika Varadam Preethyai, Sri Sathgurunatha Preethyai Sarvathra Subhojanam Ashthu.." Just when this rather long verse get completed and when the teacher throws the water on the floor, all the students shout "HARI" and start partaking the prasadam... I could not gather much from this, but I was able to guess that it was intending to mean that 'for the immense pleasure of Sri Madhuri Saki and Sri Premika Varadan and for the pleasure for Sathgurunathan, let this food be partaken by all as a Brahmana Samaradhana'. When the students shouted 'Hari' joyously, my heart skipped a beat and I was a little dazed. I took it as a lesson that I should always chant at least one name of the Lord before eating anything...

"From 1pm to 4 pm the lessons continue. At 4:15pm they have a tiffin break."

I took the stairs to the first floor . There was a big hall and about 8 rooms. (this time the rooms were named after the 8 companions of Krishna). The teacher was teaching sanskrit to some twenty pairs of eager ears.

A very young student came near us and I asked him, "What do you do after the tiffin break?" That six-year old replied," We learn Sanskrit, and if the teacher is not around (I could detect a twinkle in his eyes now!) we play cricket!!"

"From 5:30 for about 15 minutes, it is time to keep the body fit! (time for the stretch out) From 5:45 to 6:30, students wash up and get ready for Sandhya vandanam and samhita daanam. 6:30pm to 7pm, we recite Vishnu Sahasranamam and Athma Nivedanam. (Athma Nivedanam is a wonderful composition by a Mahatma on Lord Venketeswara stressing on the ultimate culmination of devotion - Athma Nivedanam roughly meaning, offering of one's self to the Lord).) From 7pm to 7:30pm we all recite some chapters of Bhagavath Geetha. For the next half an hour the students continue their 'Aavarthi'. Then we have dinner, a tumbler of milk and continue Aavarthi for 1 more hour before going to bed."

"On special days like Ekadasi we do Divyanamam..." When my eyes betrayed surprise, he said earnestly," Yes! we do without fail. You know, we also have a Sri Krishna idol for this very purpose. We sing songs composed by Sri Swamigal or the 'Prachina sampradaya' songs...."

Sri Swamigal had said: 'Vaidheeha Dharmam and Bhagavatha Dharmam are like our two eyes. We need to nourish both.' Sandipani Gurukulam amply executes this glorious vision of Sri Swamigal.

A thousand glories to our immortal Vedas
A thousand glories to our Thakur Sri Premika Varadan
A thousand glories to our Sathgurunath Maharaj.

Radhe Krishna...