Uniqueness of Gurukulam Method

Medha Gurukulam is unique in Tamil Nadu for two reasons: (i) It focusses on studying the Shastrams and (ii) it follows the traditional Gurukulam method of study. How different is a Gurukulam from contemporary schools and colleges?

The word Gurukulam literally translates to ‘family of the Guru’. In a Gurukulam the students live as part of the Guru’s family. This tradition is very ancient: we know that several millennia ago, even Sri Rama who was the prince of a powerful kingdom had to live in the forest with his Guru to study. Why is this method followed?

Why was the Guru not brought to the palace for the princes instead?

Objective

The only objective that is fulfilled in a Gurukulam is Vidya or attainment of knowledge. Reverence for knowledge is first and foremost. Therefore, each Shastram is considered sacrosanct by the student. Vidya has to be served (arthi); hence students are called Vidyarthi. In the Gurukulam tradition, ‘shraddha’ is the key to knowledge whereas in other systems one does not hear of ‘faith in chemistry or faith in mathematics’. Faith and dedication towards Shastram is the way learning happens.

Unlike contemporary schools, material facilities and infrastructure are immaterial. Things that do not directly support study are distractions and do not have a place in the Gurukulam.

In the Gurukulam, no association is made between study and the amount of money one can make. Here, once one starts studying, they have to complete. The attitude is, ‘What happens later is not for us to worry now. I must do what I am doing.’ This is not at all the case in contemporary study spaces.

Who observes who

The student observes the Guru from morning until the end of the day and the vice-versa happens. Thus, as the student learns through this observation, the Guru also learns. Both the Guru and the student are at their ideal best in a Gurukulam which makes it a wholesome place for study. The student observes that the Guru who is his instructor and guide, also spends hours studying; therefore, the Guru is also an active learner. This has a huge impact on the mind of the student. In a regular school where the teacher and student spend very little time with each other, such an opportunity does not exist.

Atmanirbhar

At the Gurukulam, only the bare essentials are provided. The student intuitively learns what is required and what he can do without. Self-sufficiency and minimal dependence on others is learnt in this way. This gives the student clarity and grit to face life even in extreme adversity. This is diametrically opposite to the education that is provided in schools where an accumulation of material wealth is the objective of the study.

Contentment

Contentment comes when one feels complete – it stays until the end. Happiness can be obtained with things- activity and situations but it does not continue. Gurukulam provides contentment.

Depth vis-a-vis Variety

Study in a Gurukulam is focussed on one subject until it is mastered. There is an emphasis on depth of knowledge; the Guru ensures that the student has covered all that there is in the subject. Progress of the student to further content is possible only when he/she has thoroughly covered the contents thus far. Study, understand, and take an examination under the Guru or with some other competent person and if the Guru is convinced that the student has got the text, then he will be allowed to study further. The student is not permitted to switch over to another Shastram or to study a second Shastram until he has completed studying the first Shastram entirely. This is in total contrast to contemporary schools where there is a change in subject at the end of every 40 minutes and all students have to cover only a preset syllabus. Even during graduation studies, students spend barely 5-6 hours at college with very little time with the subject instructor. It is quite common to see students switching their core areas of study. This apart, the subject studied as a Shastram in Gurukulam is offered as a paper in colleges; it is studied for a period of one semester which lasts only about six months.

Graduating also requires only a minimal pass percentage of marks. The other difference is that there is no Guru to evaluate the student; only an impersonal examination determines the score of the student irrespective of his/her actual grasp of the subject.

Thirst for Knowledge

Only students who desire to study can continue to study in Gurukulam. In contrast, we often come across students who study for the sake of earning a certificate irrespective of whether they like to study or not.

There is a shloka –

आचार्यात् पादम् आधत्ते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया ।
पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादं कालक्रमेण च ॥

which means –

Student learns one-fourth from Acharya, one-fourth by self-effort, one-fourth from other students (through discussions etc.) and one-fourth in course of time (assimilation into one’s life).

Peer learning is given great importance in the Gurukulam setup. The typical class is only for an hour every day. After that, the students spend several hours in chintanam (discussion) digesting and clearing doubts in that day’s lessons and connecting it to the earlier lessons. If there is something they are unable to resolve, they immediately clarify with the Acharya. The students spend many hours in self-study to revise in order to retain the lessons firmly in their mind. This method has proven to be very effective in assimilating the Shastras since it is learning-focused and not teaching-focused.

Authority in Subject

As the Gurukulam method is focussed on knowledge; it ensures that the student grasps, remembers and recalls everything that is learnt. Thus, at the end of the study, the student would know even the things that were learned during the early days of his study period. This revision and retention are reinforced automatically through teaching the juniors. The content is grasped, memorised and recalled extremely well by the students. In contrast, students at schools and colleges barely remember the things that they learned previously as learning is for the purpose of clearing examinations.

There are Shastraik courses offered along with Sanskrit by colleges and universities. However, these too fall short due to the fact that they follow the Western method. There is an emphasis on covering a wide variety of subjects rather than depth in any subject. What is known to a student who completes studying a Shastram at a Gurukulam at the age of 18 or 20 is way beyond what one would know with a Bachelor’s, Master’s or even a Ph.D. degree in Sanskrit. The student is also authoritative when it comes to the subject matter.