3. Brahmaswam Madham

Till about 1930 the custom was that the Samhita portion of Rgveda was taught either at the student's own home by his own father or elders. The students joined the Brahmaswam Madham [Brahmasvam Matham] only for higher studies particularly for the study of Pada, Krama, Jata and Ratha etc.. with correct 'svara' and 'sampradaya'. From 1932 the study of Samhita was also introduced in Brahmaswam Madham. The young students who had to spend their time fully for traditional Vedic education remained separated from the main stream education at that time. As a remedial measure, from 1951 onwards these students are given private tuition in language, science, social studies etc. So after completing the study of Rgveda Samhita the students are enabled to appear privately for school examinations and join the main stream of formal education in schools and complete their general education. The teachers and students of the Matham are given free boarding and lodging.° 5 At the primary stage, while chanting the Mantras the teacher holds the head of the student and moves it up and down, according to the rise and fall of the svara of each aksara in the Mantra. Head is in upward position during the uttering of udatta and downward position when anudatta is intended. So a teacher can teach only four or five students at one time. The Instruction is not with the help of books, but oral and based

164 on practice and memory, and also, with the help of Mudras (gestures). The use of Hasta Mudras (hand gestures) in Vedic chanting is seen only in the Kerala Vedic tradition. So to start a particular section the teacher need not say a word, but he shows the relevant Mudra. The student understands the word denoted by the Mudra and follow it properly without any mistake. Each Vedic student has to understand the whole Rgveda by heart. The following schedule is observed in the Math for vedic studies. In the early morning (at 5 a.m) the students rise up and recite Gayatri. Then they conduct 'Suryanamaskaram' with the chanting of Veda for on hour. After suryanamaskaram they observe for about 10 to 20 minutes Sree Krsna upasana since Krsna is the temple god of Brahmasvam. Again from 7.30 am the students join the Vedic classes. At present there are 25 students studying Rgveda. Two of them are natives of Maharashtra who came here to study Rgveda in the traditional style of Kerala. In the afternoon students learn other subjects like Sanskrit language, Mathematics, Science and Social science etc, to enable themselves to appear privately for school examination. Again from 7 p.m to 8 p.m they take the Vedic lessons. Upto the year 2005 Sanskrit education was imparted by scholars specially appointed for that purpose. They followed traditional methods in the teaching of Sanskrit also. But in the new scheme of studies, Sanskrit is taught as per the school syllabus. 6

165 Admission is strictly restricted to the Brahmana boys and they stay in the Matham along with their Brahmana gurus. This system of education in the Matham continues the two aspects of gurukula system, students lives with his guru and follows the oral tradition. But he is not living in the guru's house and following the strict codes of conduct. As mentioned earlier teachers and students are given free boarding and lodging. After the 'Upanayana' around the age of seven pupils are admitted to the Brahmasvam Matham [Brahmaswam Madham]. They study the samhita portion of Rgveda during the first five years. Those who want to continue education in the higher level start to learn Pada, Krama, Jata and Ratha and they are also given opportunity to have their school education in the manner explained earlier. As noted earlier, presently there are 25 students in Rgveda, four students in Yajurveda and five students in Samaveda. The teaching of Yajurveda and Samaveda was started recently. At present there are four teachers for the Rgveda. They are Vadakumpad Pasupathi, Oravankara Damodaran Namputiri, Madhuthazham Neelakandan Namputiripad, and Thamaranellur Purushothaman Bhattatiripad. In the past famous scholars like Kaliyath Parameswaran Bharathikal, Panthavoor Subramanyan Namputiri, Irinjalapilli Madhavan Namputiri, Meledam Sankaran Numputiri, Ezhikoden

166 Parameswaran Namputiri, and Parappuram Raman Numputiri were teachers in the matham. 7 When the students begin Vedic education they start the learning of Sanskrit also. First of all they give importance to oral method because the right pronunciation is very important in Sanskrit, especially in the chanting; Sravana, Manana, and Nidhidyasana are very important in the learning of Vedas. Memorising and concentration are essential in the oral method. At the beginning they teach the students Siddharupa, Sriramodanta, some cantos from Srikrsnavilasakavyam, Raghuvamsam, Kumarasambhavam, Narayaniyam and some parts of Amarakosa and Astadhyayi. All these are through the oral method. Preference is given to anvaya, anvayartha, and sarartha of the verses studied. The famous previous Sanskrit teachers of this institution were Puradam Haridathan Namputiri, K.N.M Divakaran Namputiri and Killimangalath Krishnan Namputiripad. Now Edamana Vasudevan Namputiri is the teacher of Sanskrit. He studied Sanskrit informally and privately from Prof. Ramakrishnan who was retired professor from Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur. 8 About 40 years back Brahmaswam Madham started a correspondence course for Rgveda namely 'International Correspondence Course in Rgveda'. Unfortunately after 2 or 3 years this course was stopped. Only sixty lessons were distributed to students. In 1995 these lessons were

167 collected and published in the form of a text in Malayalam titled Vedakiranangal by Dr. C.M Neelakandan and Paleri Narayanan Numputiri. The purpose of these lessons were to introduce Vedas to the ordinary people, who are without the knowledge of Sanskrit, through Malayalam medium. Steps are also being taken to make the study of the Vedas more comprehensive by including the study of Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanisads, Srauta and Grhya sutras relating to Rgveda in the scheme of 9 studies. The Matham has published some books in Malayalam like Vedadhvani and also published audio and vedio cassettes and CD. of 'Vedamantras', 'Sandhyavandanam' etc. During the summer vacation they give a systematic short term course in Tantra and other Kriyas meant mainly for the students outside the Matham. Recently the Bhrhmasvam Matham has begun to conduct seminars, discussions and 'Satsangam' frequently for the inmates and the public. It is very useful for the proper interaction of students and teachers with the public and experts and also helps for the infiltration of the knowledge in traditional Vedic culture into the public sphere with less religiosity and more academic and critical interest. Samaveda- As noted before in the Brahmaswam Madham, the study of Samaveda was introduced 4 years back and Yajurveda has just been

168 started recently. Samaveda has three students and one teacher namely Mamanna Sreejith Namputiri from Panjal. According to the teachers, compared to the students of Rgveda, the number of students in Sama and Yajus is usually low; some pupil could not continue the study as desired. 10 Samaveda is the source of ancient Indian music, it is totally rythmic in nature and related to Udgata priest. 11 Jaiminiya, Ranayaniya, and Kaudhuma are the three branches of Samaveda. Kerala Namputiri's follow the Jaiminiya branch. At present the condition of Samaveda tradition in Kerala is in a pitiable stage. There exist only one institution for Samaveda training apart from the Bhrahmasvam Matha in Kerala, namely Panjal Samaveda Gurukulam. Twenty five years back this Gurukulam was a common institution for teaching vedas. Now it is restricted for the study of Samaveda only. Situated in the Panjal Lakshmi Narayana Temple in Thrissur district, it is the only Samaveda gurukulam in Kerala. Very few number of students are studying in this institution. Nellikkal Vasudevan Namputiri from Panjal is conducting the Veda classes. 12 The teaching of Samaveda is confined to the families of Vedic scholars in two villages, Panjal in Trissur district and Kidangur in Kottayam. These Vedic centers are in a critical stage. There are only four

169 or five persons who know Jaminiya Samaveda completely and all of them are in their late seventies in age. Mamanna Sreejith the teacher of Brahmasvam Matham is the only one Samaveda student of new generation at Panjal. Yajurveda- Yajurveda is related to 'Adharyu' Priest and the subject of this veda is the karmas or rituals for the Yajus. Yajurveda is divided into two branches, Krsna and Sukla Yajurveda. Now the traditional teaching of Sukla Yajurveda is very rare. Srauta subjects like Agnyadhana are the main topics of the Krsnna Yajurveda. In Kerala there are only two places where Krsna Yajurveda is being taught. Kanchi Kamakodi Yajurveda Vidya Pitham at Irinjalakkuda and Kaimukkumana at Mattattur. The former is running as a Veda pathasala on the model of Brahmaswam Madham. At Kaimukkumana, students stay in the house of the teacher and the Gurukula mode is followed with the financial help of the Kanchi Kamakoti Vidyapitha, Irinjalakuda