Gurukul Pratha : The Transition from Boyhood to Man.

How Guru Shisya Parampara played a critical role in shaping the glorious age of BharatVarsh.

The missing link in today' society.

A Thread
#HinduSadhus #Hinduism #Manhood

The Gurukul pratha served as the pillars on which cultural & spiritual advancement of Bharatvarsh rested, the systematic tradition of passing on knowledge from generations continued unhindered and eventually brought about remarkable breakthroughs in Grammar, Arts, Navigation etc

2/ Boyhood to Manhood :

Young children were sent out to Ashrams in the jungles and outskirts to develop under the guidance of a Guru, where they would learn about Vedas, Shastra Vidya, companionship and other necessary skills to fit into society.

3/ Destruction of Ego and building of Self :

In the ego-destroying principle of Prapatti ( "Throwing oneself down") the level of the submission of the will of the shishya to the will of God or the guru is sometimes extreme.

Karna silently bore the pain of a
wasp stinging...

4/ ...his thigh so as not to disturb his guru Parashurama.

Every day students were to go round the neighbouring villages begging food for himself and his Guru, collecting fuel for the maintenance of the sacred fire. This way the child was made to learn and taught humility.

5/ Brahmacharya and Transition into Manhood :

Sishyas had to live in a very austere environment, observe complete celibacy, practice yoga and
meditate under the supervision of the Guru. The fundamental spirit of Āshram was shram (labour) and
tapas (austerity).

6/ Knowledge on Kama and sexuality was imparted by the Guru himself and not restricted to the families, with the breakdown of the system in place a void was left in education on sexuality.

Youth today rely on virtual sources (p*rn) which has long term detrimental effect mentally

7/ Types of Guru Shishya Parampara are Advaita Vedanta, Śruti tradition, Shaktipat, Bhakti yoga, Prapatti.

Students studied the Vedas and subjects such as Śiksha, Vyākaran and Jyotisha, sciences like Arthaśāstra, Dharmaśāstra, Śastravidyā & Kala, For period of 9-12 years.

8/ When one could witness a significant decay in continuity of several other contemporary civilization of prominence, the oral transmission Parampara of Aryavarta ensured the great collective wisdom accumulated through the ages were given it's due diligence. It continued...

9/...to awaken human spirit across the length and breadth of nation. Alexandria’s book library got destroyed in 300 BC due to
which Greece and Rome had to suffer the loss of most of its written knowledge. The way of guru shishya Parampara was a secure way of teaching.

10/ As foreign invasions became more rampant and Islamic conquests led to the disorientation of the traditional systems of education, Gurukul pratha gradually was restricted in limited pockets across the country, in this age of foreign occupation Gurukul system was heavily ...

11/..discouraged and gatherings were brutally crushed as persecution of Pundits and Acharayas also became prevalent. The void thus left by the vanishing educational institutions lead to a cultural and spiritual decay. The eventual breakdown of the Gurukul pratha also ushered in..

12/ ..an age of ignorance and superstitions which bore witness to division of people rather than society leading to caste isolation.

There are many Gurukuls presently operating in India, some even retaining the traditional setting under the open sky.

@hathyogi1 @sukarma000