Gurukulam
From the Bhakti List Archives
• August 4, 1998
Srilakshminrisimha Parabrahmane Nama: Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatheendra Mahadesiaya Nama: Srilakshminrisimha Dhivya Padhuka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatheendra Mahadeskaya Nama: Dear Bhagavathas, Some time back I posted an article by Sri. R.K. Swamy regarding the upcoming 600th Anniversary celebrations of Sri Ahobila Mutt in India slated for October at Ahobilam. An ambitious target of Rs. 3 crores ($700,000) for fund raising has been established. While much of it will be raised within India itself, the target for outside India is $125,000. Why do they need so much money? This is a legitimate question. I will try to answer this as best as I can. Many years ago a Mahan, HH the Injimedu Azhagiya Singar the 42nd Jeeyar of Sri Ahobila Mutt, had the foresight to establish the Oriental School at Madhurandhagam for young students to study our Sampradayam, the Vedas, and Prabhandham in a systematic way. HH also recruited many bright young lads for KalakshEbam. HH also initiated the publication of Sri Nrisimha Priya. These efforts, among many others, have had several long lasting and profound impact upon Sri Vaishnavam in general and Sri Mutt in particular. But for the foresight of that Mahan, we would not have Sri Nrisimha Prya through which we are able to keep in touch with our Sampradayam. Many of us are not in a position to see Acharyas even once a year, let alone be able to study at their holy feet. Sri Nrisimha Priya fills this void partially. Several illuminating series are published, including, Srimad Rahasya Thraiya Saram, Harivamasam, Srimad Bhagavadam, Thiruvaay mozhi amudham, Sri Vishnusahasranaama Bhashyam, Kamban Kavi Amudham, ThirukkuRaL, a Vishnava Treatise, and many more. I must confess that much of whatever little I have picked up about our Sampradayam is from reading this publication. >From the Oriental School that the 42nd Jeeyar established and the KalakshEbams HH initiated, many eminent scholars have emerged including the present Jeeyar. But for the foresightful efforts of HH the already small circle of eminent Sri Vaishnava scholars would have been even smaller. This group of scholars is aging and unless the feat of the 42nd Jeeyar is repeated, there will be an acute dearth of qualified torchbearers of our faith in the near future. Without learned scholars to defend and nurture our faith it will slowly wither and die. With the brightest kids leaving the Sampradayic way for the lure of lowkeekam this danger is more real than what we may realize. To meet this urgent need for the future HH the Jeeyar is working to establish 5 gurukulams to teach the important granthas to about twenty five bright youngsters in the old fashioned way. The pupils will live with teachers and learn. To be able to attract the brightest among the 100s who live and study at the Oriental School, the Sri Mutt is planning to handsomely compensate both the teachers and the taught. This is only fair. Look at all other faiths. They don't expect their priests and scholars to live in abject poverty. Ours must not either. These scholars and would be scholars must be able to maintain a standard of living that is at least comparable to a "Gumastha" (clerk) in private or government companies. This takes money. Much of the Rs. 3 Crores to be raised will go towards a corpus fund the income from which will fund the Gurukulams. This corpus fund will ensure the continuance of this concept indefinitely into the future as well. This is why we need to support this effort. It is important that we support renovation of temples and the publication of rare books, etc. But without a vibrant foundation of scholars to defend our faith there will soon come a time when all the temples we renovate may not follow our Sri Sampradayam, and the books we publish may not be of interest to anyone except western researchers. Some may ask, "This is a Ahobila Mutt project, why should I support it?" For this I would like to say that the Oriental School accepts pupils from all Sampradayams, including Smarthas. While doing so, they do not force anyone to change their practices. For instance, Smartha kids are not asked to wear thirumaN-srichoorNam. Sri Vaishnava kids are from both kalais. They wear ThirumaN-srichoorNam according to the sampradayam to which they belong. Similarly, the proposed Gurukulam is not limited to Sri Ahobila Mutt sishyas only. Students from other Sampradayams will also participate. Thus, support for this effort will support Sri Vaishnavam in general for decades to come. The target of $125,000 for us seems daunting. But how much of it gets raised is really up to Sriman Narayana. Let us try our best to reach the target. Please contribute as much as you can. We in Sri Ahobila Mutt will not come to you asking for money again for a long long time. Remember, the fund you contribute will continue to serve Sri Vaishnavam for generations. The Jeeyar or Andavan that your grandchildren and their grandchildren will go to may come from the effort you will now support. Your contributions are 100% tax deductible here in the U.S. Please make your check out to Sri Ahobila Muth and mail it to 1908 Preswood Dr., Hixson, TN 37343. All the contributions in full will be forwarded to Sri Ahobila Mutt Seva Samithi in India. You will receive a receipt from Sri Ahobila Muth that can be used for IRS purposes. Further, you will receive a personal acknowledgment of your contribution as well as Srimad Azhagiya Singar's blessings from India. -- adiyEn raamanuja dhaasan
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