Preparing priests in service of Lord Venkateswara

Tirumala, Sept 24:

 Young lads with closely shaved heads with  vedic chants on their lips are a rarity. But  there were  650 of them  in the Veda Vijnana  Peetham, in the sylvan surroundings of  Dharmagiri, about   five kms   east  from the Srivari Temple at Tirumala.

From morning to  night,   they  strive their  best to get the  correct  pronunciation and proficiency  in  Vedas  to become eligible for temple jobs  in conducting Veda   parayanas  and also  rigid   rituals  and practices   as per  the Agama and Vaishankhayana and Saivite   customs.

Catch them young is the  adage  to prepare  purohit, archakas and    Veda  Parayana  specialists. “We  select students  from  tender age of    10  to 12 years  (equivalent of Fifth  to Seventh Std’s) so that they could be trained  and also molded in the best practices of Agamas  for posterity.”

G K Ramamurthy , the Principal (Pradanacharya) of the Peetham  says  Vedas  and rituals  are not  for proficiency in  pronunciation  and  memory  but  also   for  enhancing moral values  and social practices in the society.

Ramamurthy said  the  Sri Venkateswara, the 125-year-old  Veda Patasala,  had  trained  over 2,000 archakas and veda  exponents. Presently four  courses were taught. Veda Parayana, Divya Prabhanda, Archakatvam  and Purohitvam. While the Veda Parayana is  a  12 year course,  the remaining  eight are  for eight years.

This is a totally sponsored education as the TTD provides a stipend of Rs One lakh   per annum for the student’s education and also provided funds for their hostel and boarding. “We select students  from  aspiring  students  after a rigid  entry test,”says Mallikarjuna Avadhani, vice principal of the  patashala.

The pathashala  is spread over   24 acres of sylvan surroundings   with  a   rich faculty   50  pundits   in  21  departments.“We aim to introduce  seven new courses  like  Krishna Yajurveda (maitrayanam), Sama Veda (Ramayaneeya, Jaimainiya) Sroutam , Vaidikagamamam,” says Avadhani.

A  three  level examination system   held in  8-10 sessions   finally  eliminates  weaklings and produces  hard core  veda  exponents fit for any jobs  either as researchers  and also  archakas in numerous  temples  spread across the country and abroad. Avadhani says  non-brahmins were also encouraged to take a special course  designed for them  Chattada Srivaishnavagtamam  to  prepare them as  priests in various  temples and religious institutions spread across the  country. Principal Ramamurthy says that most of the graduates from the patashala have already been absorbed in the service of TTD  temples  and its  teaching institutions.

“We do not  keep our students  engaged in just   Vedas and rituals. We also teach them on use of computer  for their day to day  livelihood and activity,”he says. A four month course in computer operations is taught to all students with the help of personal computers donated by some software companies along with tutors.

“We are one of the best Veda schools in the country where the courses are both for practice, for livelihood and also research,” he says. Most of the  students   of  the Pathashala have become tutors  there itself  and also joined the Vedic University set up by the  TTD.