Gurukula

Awakening through Gurukulas
In the early 90’s the education scenario in Karnataka was no different from rest of the country. Being ‘convent’ educated
was a prestigious achievement. It was a norm to look upon those who were educated in such English medium schools as
the only literates. The overall scenario seemed as though McCauley’s dream to convert all Indians into ‘Brown Sahibs’,
deracinated imitations of their white masters had succeeded through his Convent education system!
गु – Guru : The remover of Darkness
But that was not to be. Gurukula, the ancient system of education provided a potent way to take on McCauley’s form of
education. In a Gurukula, Guru provided both knowledge and spiritual education to his Shishyas as per the highest
ideals set by this Vedic system of education. With this ideal of creating great gurus, Ajeya Trust started the 'Maitreyi
Gurukula' for girls in 1994 at Moorkaje in Bantwal Taluk of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. A similar institution
for boys, the ‘Prabodhini Gurukula’ was established by the Prabodhini Trust at Hariharapura in 1995.
आमनॊ मोाथम ् जगताय च : Liberation of oneself and service to humanity
The beginning was not easy. The goals were high and so were the challenges.
Gurukulas live by the greatest ideal of "Sevahi Paramo Dharmaha". Hence
they do not accept fees from their students. They survive on grants or
donations given by the society. Though the financial difficulties faced by both
the Gurukulas were a concern, the biggest challenge was their acceptance by
the people. The Gurukula education does not believe in textbooks, periodic
tests and annual exams. This being a norm those days, people found this
hard to fathom. With great difficulty the trustees’ contacted people from all
over the state and the Maitreyi Gurukula started with just 18 students and
Prabodhini Gurukula with 23 students.
There was also the challenge of sustaining the enthusiasm of the students
during their years of stay here. Not everyone can sustain the rigor of the
Gurukula education. Hence an interview of each candidate along with their
parents is conducted. Once they agree to all the conditions of the Gurukula,
each student is monitored for a period of three days and if the student does
not wish to stay or are not found suitable, is returned to the parents.
Daily routine at Gurukula
5 AM – Wake up and ablutions
5.30 AM – Yoga Abhyasa
6.30 AM – Cleaning of Gurukula
7.00 AM – Nitya/Daily Pooja
8.00 AM – Breakfast
9.30 AM – Veda Pata
11.00 AM – Lessons (Maths, Science,
Hindi, Kannada, etc.)
12.30 PM - Lunch
2.00 PM – Lessons
4.30 PM – Gardening & watering of plants
5.00 PM – Games, Samatha, Kolata, etc.
(Mouna/Silence from 5.45 – 6.15 PM)
6.15 PM – Bhajans and Shlokas
7.00 PM – Dinner
7.30 PM – Swyadhyaya/Practice
9.30 PM – Deep Visarjan
Challenges did not end here. The facility in which they operated was hardly sufficient and funds with the trust were not
enough to buy the required piece of land. It was here that providence played its role. A benevolent lady Shreemati
Parameshwari Amma donated her whole property of 130 acres to the Ajeya trust for setting up of Maitreyi Gurukula.
The Prabodhini Gurukula too was setup on a campus of 10 acres after years of struggle.

Inspiring Story
Nivedita was born in a poor rural family. Though she was talented and ambitious, there were very few opportunities. Her parents heard
about the Gurukula and enrolled her here. Today Nivedita is accomplished in Jyotishya Shashtra and has married an expert in Jyotishya
Shashtra. She is not just an ideal housewife but also a caring Balagokula teacher. She visits the Gurukula every year to pay the obeisance.
उरेदामनामानम : One has to work for one’s own upliftment
We know that a woman is the nucleus of Indian culture. She plays various
roles such as mother, daughter, sister, wife, etc. and in each role she plays she
furthers the welfare of the nation. Mother is regarded as the first Guru of the
child. She grooms the child so as to make him/her a responsible citizen. Hence
it is pertinent that a girl is rightly educated so as to play this role with aplomb.
This is also what ‘Maitreyi Gurukula’ wanted to achieve. Hence both the girls
and the boys at the Gurukulas are coached in ‘Panchamukhi’ education i.e.
Veda, Yoga, Kala Koushala, Vijnana and Krishi. Without formal tests and
exams, it was indeed a challenge to keep the wards at the Gurukula up-to-date
on their knowledge. Hence the concept of ‘Jnanavalokana’ was formed. The
students themselves prepare the questions and the Acharyas question them
on the same.
Social Activities at Gurukula
- Senior kids at the Gurukula take
Balagokula classes in nearby villages.
There are 12 such Balagokulas today
- Al the Balagokulas participate in
Pathasanchalan/Route March on the
Gokulashtami day
- Students at the Gurukulas participate
in Raksha Bandhan with local villagers
- Senior students take Samskruta
Sambhashana Shivirs
- Students of Prabodhini Gurukula
conduct weekly Shakhas in nearby
villages
Each student is given an ‘Uttama’, ‘Madhyama’ or ‘Sadarana’ grade. Students finding it difficult to grasp a subject are
duly helped by the senior wards. This also brings about the bonhomie and sense of brotherhood among the students.
Highly talented students
Many students of Maitreyi and Prabodhini Gurukulas recite the entire Bhagavad Gita. In fact, 8 of them won Bhagavad Gita recitation prize
of Rs.21, 000 by reciting it in front of Shringeri Jagadguru. Many have also excelled in the art of ‘Shalaka Parikshe’, where the student
continues to recite the Bhagavad Gita Shlokas from the page the audience asks them to and without any prompts. Incredible!

सुखाथ यजते वयां : One who is after luxuries will not get knowledge
It was certainly not easy to sustain the same amount of rigor in the
students throughout their stay in the Gurukula, especially with the tender
care needed to take care of the girls who are staying away from their
mothers. The Gurukula has 10 lady teachers, who are called as
‘Matrushree’s and they teach and stay with the students. Matrushree’s are
very well trained by the trust to coach and take care of the needs of the
girls. Since they stay together, the bonding between Matrushree’s and
students is similar to that of a mother and her children.
There was yet another challenge. The students visit their homes twice a
year and there were chances of them being smitten by attractions of
outside world which would hamper their Gurukula education. To keep
them acquainted with the Gurukulas education even during vacations, the
students are mandated to perform few activities during vacations, one of
them being conducting Balagokula camps daily near their homes. This
would ensure that they not only enhance their skills and stay rooted in
Gurukula education but also spread the knowledge in the society.
Few Facts about the Gurukula
- Holidays are as per Hindu Panchanga.
Ashtami, Amavasye, Padya and Hunnime
are holidays.
- Ayurveda doctor visits the Gurukula every
week to monitor the students health
- The Gurukula has a Ayurveda Vana and a
Nakshatra Vana
- The Gurukula has names for each batch.
1st year is named as Shraddha, 2nd year
as Medha, 3rd year as Prajna, 4th year as
Pratibha, 5th year as Driti and 6th year as
Dhee
- Each new batch is welcomed with a
‘Praveshotsava’ where a homa is
performed and Deeskhe is given. The 1st
lesson is from a Swamiji.
- Kannada is the medium of instruction and
students use Sanskrit to interact.
- Gurukula application forms have no
columns for caste and parents income!
Even the parents of both the Gurukulas are expected to congregate once a year at the Gurukula to get trained on the
nuances of Gurukula education and their responsibility towards their children. Each student is expected to get 3 things
from home while returning to the Gurukula after vacations viz. Jnana Bhikshe from elders, Pustaka Bhikshe from any
donor and old unused items useful in Gurukula. To ensure that the students are in touch with each other even after
they pass-out of the Gurukula, SAHAMILANA – An annual meet-up of students who have passed out of the Gurukula is
organized every year.
Seva and Sacrifice
The Vyavastapakas or caretakers of the Gurukulas are epitome of Seva and sacrifice. It is their responsibility to ensure that their wards
schooling continues without hiccups. This is not possible without unflinching service of the Vyavastapakas. Shri.Umesh who is the
Vyavastapaka of Prabodhini Gurukula has been a Sangh Pracharak in the past and has sacrificed his life for the cause of the nation.
Likewise, Shri.Jagannath and his wife both have dedicated their lives for the upkeep of the Maitreyi Gurukula.

सव भवतु सुखनः : Let happiness be unto all
Today Maitreyi Gurukula has 89 students in different batches. About 112
students have passed out of the Gurukula. What started as a small initiative
with few students today has students from all districts of the state and 4
students from Madhya Pradesh. Many have become teachers of Sanskrit and
regularly participate in ‘Samskruta Sambhashana’ shivirs. Many are teachers
in the ‘Balagokula’ initiative. We can confidently claim that a student of the
Gurukula is not just an ideal housewife but also a well groomed Bharatiya
Nari who is fit to take care of the family and society.
Likewise, Prabodhini Gurukula has 70 students from 15 districts studying in
different batches today. 5 students have become Acharyas in the same
Gurukula. 12 batches and 170 students have passed out of the Gurukula.
Cultural Activities
- Sangeetha/Vocal training on Monday
- Ayurveda training on Tuesday
- Bharatanatya training every Thursday
- Harmonium, Flute & Tabla training
every 15 days
- Weekly training in weaving & Tailoring
for girls
- Ramayana & Mahabharata training and
recital every week
- Drama training occasionally
- Students give presentations on varied
subjects to others on a Triodashi.
3 students from the same Gurukula have become full-time volunteers of the RSS and have thus dedicated their whole
lives for the cause of nation building. Most of them are also active in one or the other Seva organizations affiliated to
the Sangh. The aim of the Gurukula to create great Gurus has indeed been fulfilled.
With such noble citizens being the products of these Gurukulas, the tables have turned. Being educated in Maitreyi or
the Prabodini Gurukulas is now a prestigious phenomenon ☺
Success Stories
SriRam Samartha hailed from a family of farmers. He dreamt of becoming a lecturer but given his poor background, he had no means to
achieve it. Thanks to his education at the Prabodhini Gurukula, he is an acclaimed lecturer in a college in Kundapur today. Tilak’s is a
similar story. Coming from a humble background, he never thought he could achieve big in life. But he stood first in MA in Sanskrit and
won a gold medal in Sanskrit. He is currently pursuing his research in Vyakarana (grammar) at Veda Vijnana Gurukula in Chennenahalli.