Before the Varsities there were Gurus… Yuva Bharati JULY 2024

 

Before the Varsities there were Gurus…

Guru Purnima is nearing (July 21^st) and we are all gearing up for paying our tributes to Sage Vyasa as well as our own Gurus. It will be relevant to remind ourselves about this ancient tradition and precarious state this concept is facing now. Though the Guru Shishya Parampara is mentioned in the Itihasas like Ramayana, even by the conservative estimates of the modern-day approaches towards oriental history, we can say that it is 5000 years old. It predates the varsity education and it is much more than the scholastic education which we are familiar with. A Guru is one who dispels the darkness of ignorance from the mind of the disciple. Apart from the secular knowledge like science, agriculture, metallurgy, mathematics, warfare and other fields of study, a disciple will be taught the vital life skills like logic and critical thinking as well. As a part of the Vedic teachings, he will be taught Yoga, Dhyana and other practices for his Spiritual growth. Likewise, depending on the student’s innate ability he/she will be taught music, dance and other art forms too. Thus, unlike the present-day education a student or disciple was never delinked from their cultural and spiritual heritage. It also shows that a Guru should be well versed in many fields, which makes them an ideal preceptor. A student who is separated from his/her parents at an early age of 6 or 7, will never face any crisis for want of love. The Guru will show abundant care and love towards the disciples, so that they never feel the separation from their family.

An example of that love is illustrated in this event. Karna goes to Lord Parashurama to learn important Astras like the Brahmastra. Knowing very well Parashurama’s hatred for Kshatriyas, Karna lied to him, saying that he is a Brahmin. After learning all the necessary skills from him, one day Parashurama laid his head on the lap of his disciple and fell asleep. At that time Karna felt a pain in his thigh. The pain became unbearable. When he looked at it, he saw an insect cutting into his skin and making a hole in his right thigh. Now, Karna was in a quandary. If he bears the pain his Guru will realize that he is a Kshatriya, as Kshatriyas alone can bear such bodily pains. If he shouts then that will wake his Guru from his slumber. In this difficult situation Karna could have very well chosen the easy way out, that is to feign as if he is unable to bear the pain. Remember that he came to his Guru by telling a lie and posing as a brahmin. All that was required was to continue that drama was to feign. But that would have disturbed the sleep of his Guru.

The Guru’s Sparsha and love infused in him the greatest of virtues that is Love and so he chose to bear the pain and remain silent, knowing very well that the wrath of his Guru may end his Life. Guru has already transformed him. After getting disturbed by the flowing blood, Parashurama realizes that his dear disciple has lied to him. He has killed 21 generations of kshatriyas before that. But he curses Karna and leaves him alive. This shows the wonderful relationship between a Guru and Shishya where a Guru’s love works as a philosophers’ stone.

But the current education system was brought in with a deceitful intention of removing this Guru Shishya Parampara and uprooting the society from its tradition. Immediately after a couple of decades of its advent, people like Swami Vivekananda, Maharishi Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore strongly opposed the western education system and advocated for a system with emphasis on our Indic roots. The word education has its root in the word educe which means to draw out; something potent or latent. All the present system does is reduce the pride one has in their own cultural roots. Let us pray to our Gurus to change this scenario.

V.V. Balasubramanian

YB-ET