The core values of true education that students must imbibe and live for.
Date : 18/05/2024
(This is the third part of the series on National Youth Day. Read the previous part)
I shall sum up with five ideas which form the vows taken in the schools as well as the student’s home run by the Ramakrishna Mission Educational Institutions. These form the core of what every student ought to emulate. These are indeed taken as vows during a vidhyarthi homa wherein every student takes an active part.
तपश्च तेजश्च श्रद्धा च ह्रीश्च सत्यञ्चाक्रोधश्च त्यागश्च धृतिश्च धर्मश्च वाक् च मनश्चात्मा
च ब्रह्म च तानि प्रपद्ये। तानि मे भवन्तु भूर्भुवःस्वरोम् महान्तमात्मानं प्रपद्ये॥
Let me take refuge in austerity, luminosity, shraddha, modesty, truth, absence of anger, sacrifice, steadfastness (dhriti), right course, speech, mind, the Atman and the Brahman. Let them all be established in me. Let me take refuge in this earth, the Heaven and the intermediate space, and in the great Soul as well.
Then the following five sankalpas (resolutions) are uttered one by one and oblations are offered into the sacred homa.
१. शरीरमाद्यं खलु धर्मसाधनम् इति नीतिवाक्यम् अवधार्य श्रमक्षमनीरोगशरीराय स्वास्थ्य विधिपालनपरो
भवितुमहं यथासाध्यं यतिष्ये।
ओजोऽसि ओजो मयि धेहि। बलमसि बलं मयि धेहि। पुष्टिरसि पुष्टिं मयि धेहि। ऊर्जासि ऊर्जां मयि धेहि।
पेशयो मे लोहसमो भवन्तु। स्नायवो मे अयांसीव भवन्तु हॄदयं मे वज्रसारं भवतु।
असीमतेजोरूपाय शौर्यवीर्यनिलयाय अनन्तशक्तिमूर्तये नमः परमात्मने स्वाहः।
1. ‘Body is the first (Primary) means of practising Dharma.
In view of this dictum of wisdom I shall try my best through observance of health-rules to keep the body healthy and capable of hard labour.
You are the essence of life. Make me vigorous.
You are potency. Make me potent.
You are enthusiastic. Make me enthusiastic.
Let my muscles be like iron, nerves like steel, My heart strong, as the thunderbolt.
I bow down to the Supreme Spirit, infinitely luminous, repository of valour and strength, embodiment of infinite power, and offer my oblation.
२. छात्राणामध्ययनं तपः इति स्मृतिवाक्यमवधार्य प्रतिभाविकासार्थमाचार निरतोऽध्ययनपरो
भवितुमहं यथासाध्यं यतिष्ये। मेधां म इन्द्रो दधातु। मेधां देवी सरस्वती।
मेधां मे अश्विनावुभावाधत्तं पुष्करस्रजौ। सर्वसिद्धिप्रदात्रे नमः परमात्मने स्वाहा॥
2. ‘Students must undergo the austerity called study.’ In view of this advice of Smritis, | shall try my best to devote myself to studies in a disciplined manner in order to bring out my talent.
May Indra (king of gods) bestow merit upon me.
May Goddess Saraswati bestow merit upon me.
May the twin Aswinikumaras, with lotus garlands bestow merit upon me.
I bow down to the destroyer of ignorance, embodiment of all learning, giver of all success, the Supreme Spirit and offer my oblation.
३. सत्यमेव जयते नानृतम् । सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः इति श्रुतिवाक्यमवधार्य कायेन मनसा
वाचा सत्यपरायणो भवितुमहं यथासाध्यं यतिष्ये। असतो मा सद्गमय तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय।
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय।
सत्यात्मकाय सत्यधर्माश्रयाय निखिलानृतमर्दिने नमः परमात्मने स्वाहा।
3. Truth alone wins, and not untruth. By truth is maintained for ever the path called Devayana (the path of gods).
Comprehending this Vedic dictum, ! shail try my best to be truthful in mind, speech and body.
From evil lead me to good From darkness lead me to light From death lead me to immortality.
I bow down to the Supreme Self whose soul is Truth, whose refuge is Truth, who is the destroyer of all falsehood, and offer my oblation.
४. स्वार्थो यस्य परार्थ एव स पुमानेकः सतामग्रणीः – इति मनीषिवाक्यमवधार्य नीचताक्रूरतादाम्भिकतादि
मलिनस्वार्थसन्ततीर्विहाय उदारचेता विनयी श्रद्धावान् देशभक्तो नरनारायणसेवानिष्ठो भवितुमहं यथासाध्यं यतिष्ये।
श्रूयतां धर्मसर्वस्वं श्रुत्वा चाप्यवधार्यताम्। आत्मनः प्रतिकूलानि परेषां न समाचरेत्।
` मातृदेवो भव। पितृदेवो भव। आचार्यदेवो भव। अतिथिदेवो भव। यान्यनवद्यानि कर्माणि तानि सेवितव्यानि।
नो इतराणि।
चित्तकलुषहराय करुणाघनमूर्तये प्रेममाधुर्यदायिने नमः परमात्मने स्वाहा।
4. ‘One who considers other’s interest as his own, is the great one among the good people’ -- in view of this utterance of great men I shall try to shelve all the impure tendencies born of my selfishness like mean- mindedness, cruelty, hypocrisy (showyness) etc., and try to inculcate in myself catholicity, humility, respect for others, love for the country, dedication to the service of man as God.
Listen to the essence of religion. Try to comprehend.
Don’t apply that to others whichever is harmful to you.
Know your mother, your father, your teacher, your guest to be different forms of God.
Perform those deeds which have never been condemned and don’t perform the condemned ones.
I bow down to the purifier of my mind, the embodiment of compassion, the bestower of love and beauty, the Supreme Spirit and offer my oblation.
५. सुपरिचालिता संहतिशक्तिरेव समाजकल्याणनिधानम्। अतः ऐक्यप्रतिष्ठामूलकं संहतिशक्ति जागरणात्मकं।
सङ्गच्छध्वं संवदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम् – इति श्रुत्यादेशमवधार्य सदुपायपरः सन्नहम् एतद्विद्याप्रतिष्ठान
गोष्ठीभूतैः सर्वैरैकयबद्धो भवितुं यथासाध्यं यतिष्ये।
5. Well-managed and well directed power of unity is the only means to achieve the good of the society.
Therefore ‘Be thou all of one mind, be thou all of one thought, speak thou in one voice’ - comprehending this Vedic dictum, which dictates the establishment of unity and evokes the power of integration, I shall resort to honest means and being a member of this institution, try to get all of us properly united.
विश्वरूपात्मकाय अखण्डैकतत्त्वाय सर्वलोकाश्रयाय नमः परमात्मने स्वाहा।
तत एभिर्मन्त्रैर्जुह्युः।
I bow down to Him whose veritable manifestation in this world, who is essentially one and undivided and who is the refuge of all the worlds, that Supreme Being, and offer my oblation.
संकल्पेषु एषु परमात्मा देवता मे सहायो भवतु स्वाहा।
स मे शुभाय भवतु स्वाहा।
भवतु शुभाय भवतु शिवाय भवतु क्षेमाय परमात्मदेवतायै स्वाहा।
ॐ विश्वानि देव सवितुर्दुरितानि परासुव।
यद्भद्रं तन्म आसुव स्वाहा।
Finally the last oblation is to be poured uttering:- May the Supreme God be helpful to me in keeping up these vows – Swaha. May He be the cause of the maintenance of my well-being – Swaha.
Om! O Sun! Cleanse me of all my sins, and endow me with all that is good for me – Swaha.
ततः पूर्णाहुतिः --
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
Om, That (outer world) is Purna (Full with Divine Consciousness). This (inner world) is also Purna (Full with Divine Consciousness). From Purna comes Purna (From the fullness of Divine Consciousness the world is manifested. Taking Purna from Purna, Purna indeed remains (Because Divine Consciousness is non-dual and Infinite). Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
We see that the approximate ambience of a traditional gurukula mode of education is best captured, in the modern context, through the development and nurturing of private student’s homes – those run with dharmic values as a solid foundation and in the least emphasizing a commercially successful venture both of the students and the Institution. Indeed such student’s homes alone succeed where the teachers truly lead an honest life both by precept and practice, and the commercial costs for the student is minimal. Any institution that honestly emulates the core values embodied within the Vidhyarthi Homa does indeed truly succeed in enabling youth to mould their lives on the lines shown by Swami Vivekananda.
Image Credits: Ronit Bhattacharjee via Flickr
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