Sanskrit Mahavidyalya carries forward the legacy of Gurukul

The Dandi Swami Dharam Sangh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya located in Haibowal Kalan, Ludhiana, has been preserving a legacy and traditional education system known as Gurukul for several decades. Established by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Madvasharam, who was a Sanskrit scholar and Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, also known as Jyotirpeeth from Uttarakhand, this Sanskrit institution is the only one in this industrial hub.

This vidyalaya is affiliated to Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi.

This is the only Gurukul in Ludhiana, where students are being imparted training in Sanskrit language without being charged a penny. Disciples are also being provided accommodation and food free of cost. At present, around 100 students are studying in the Gurukul and these belong to different parts of the country. At present, this institution is headed by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Devadityanand Saraswati Maharaj.

Acharya Ramesh Sharma said in 1978, when Swami Madhvashram came to Ludhiana and felt the need to spread Sanskrit education, he (Madhvashram) had no place to start a Gurukul. The Dhanda family, an ardent devotee of Guruji, gave his house at Field Ganj, where only seven students had joined the Gurukul initially to learn Sanskrit. As the number of students started increasing, a need was felt for a separate spacious space for Gurukul so that the maximum number of children could learn the language. In 1980, a Gurukul was opened at Haibowal and even a gaushala was established there with a temple containing a shivling and idols of several gods and goddesses.

Currently, the Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya is imparting training to over 100 students who belong to different states including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, etc. Most students are from Uttar Pradesh.

Acharya Sharma said the parents of some students were in business, some were working while others were already serving as priests at ‘shaktipeeths’ and temples, who wanted their children to learn Sanskrit.

“Only those disciples who belong to the Brahmin caste can take admission in the Gurukul. After joining, as per the ancient tradition of Gurukul, the students have to adhere to celibacy, they need to shave their heads while keeping a tuft of hair called ‘shikha’ on the back of the head. This practice is associated with Vedic studies and rituals in Hinduism, signifying a student’s dedication to learning and detachment from worldly vanity. Furthermore, the students will also remain barefoot in the vidyalaya. Normal food is served to the pupils. Pupils also drink normal water and take bath in normal water, irrespective of the weather conditions.”

Acharya Sharma revealed that the pre-requisite for getting admission in the Gurukul was that a student should have completed Class 7 from any recognised school. The student will first complete ‘prathama’ (Class 8) and then ‘madhyama’ (Classes 9 to 12). After Class 12, the student would pursue a degree called ‘shashtri’, which was equivalent to Bachelor of Arts (BA) in the prevailing education system, he said. Once a student completed his degree in Sanskrit, he could recite mantras and all rituals from birth to death.

The Acharya said once a disciple completed his degree, he could read all religious texts of Hinduism, including Bhagwad Gita, all four Vedas — Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda — and could also perform ‘karm kand’ (rituals and ceremonies).

“Even during the period of education, our disciples go to places, houses and temples to perform religious rituals and this gives them a practical experience of what they are learning,” he said, adding that after completing his degree, a student could pursue further higher studies in Sanskrit at a university in Varanasi.

Ludhiana