Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
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Arsha Vidya Gurukulam is a set of
Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
teaching institutions founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1930 – 2015). A gurukulam is a center for residential learning that evolved from the Vedic tradition. ''Arsha Vidya'' translates to
knowledge Knowledge can be defined as Descriptive knowledge, awareness of facts or as Procedural knowledge, practical skills, and may also refer to Knowledge by acquaintance, familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called pro ...
of '' rishis'' (sages). Its current president is Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati (born 1940). Its three main centers in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
are the ''Swami Dayananda Ashram'' in Rishikesh, the ''Adhyatma Vidya Mandir'' in Ahmedabad, and the ''Arsha Vidya Gurukulam'' in Coimbatore. In the United States, its main center is the ''Arsha Vidya Pitham'' in Saylorsburg,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, about ninety miles west of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
.Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ( ...
,
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
, the
Veda upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
s and ancient Sanskrit texts. Over time, the institutes have broadened the scope of their libraries and curriculum to also include a number of traditional Indian disciplines. Some of the added disciplines include hatha yoga and meditation, as well as
ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...
and
astrology Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
. Courses range in duration from a single-weekend to three years, and instruction is in English, though advanced students study the original texts in Sanskrit.


Institutions

Arsha Vidya Gurukulam has two main teaching centers: The Saylorsburg campus was established in 1986, and the Coimbatore center was founded in 1990: *Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, P.O. Box 1059,
Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania Saylorsburg is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. Saylorsburg is located off Pennsylvania Route 33, northwest of Wind Gap. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,126. The vil ...
18353, USA *Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti, Coimbatore – 641108,
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, India The traditional teaching centers carry the banner ''Arsha Vidya'' or ''Arsha Vijnana'' (i.e., Knowledge of the Rishis). There is one more ''gurukulam'' in Maharashtra, located on the western half of India: *Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam, Amravati Road,
Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...
, Maharashtra, 410 033, India The word ''Arsha'' has also been used by many of Swami Dayananda's students in naming their facilities to mark their lineage. A 2012 estimate found there were at least sixty centers in India and abroad that carry on the tradition of Vedantic teaching under the banner of Arsha Vidya. In 2017, the lineage of teachers convened at their annual Rishikesh meetup and discussed the need to create a hub to organize the
sampradaya ''Sampradaya'' ( sa, सम्प्रदाय; ), in Indian origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and ...
(i.e., tradition). To that end, they have created the Arsha Vidya Sampradaya, which provides access to information maintains a directory of ''Arsha Vidya'' teachers.


Ashram

''Arsha Vidya Pitham'', also known as the ''Swami Dayananda Ashram'' is situated in Rishikesh across multiple acres of land. The ashram facilities include a bookstore, modern facilities for dining, as well as a 250 person lecture hall. It also maintains a library with over 5,000 titles on grammar and philosophy and the personal collections of Swami Dayananda Saraswati himself. The ashram exists on the grounds that have been around since as early as 1967. It was in 1982 that the ashram was expanded and officially named the ''Arsha Vidya Pitham''. It also runs a publication house, ''Sri Gangadhareswar Trust'' that produces books on
Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
,
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
, Hindu philosophy and literature, Paninian grammar, Indian history and related subjects. It houses the temple of ''Gangadhareswar'', a shrine situated close to the
Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
dedicated to Lord
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
. After the Swami's mahāsamādhi (i.e., death) in 2015, a shrine was built at the ashram, containing ''Dayanandesvara'', a consecrated
lingam A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary '' murti'' or devotional ...
for devotees, as well as the form of the Swami rendered into a statue. Several students and '' sanyassis'' (renunciates) who have studied at the centres, have gone on to spread Dayananda's teachings elsewhere and some have established '' ashrams'' of their own.


Programs

These residential centers conduct long-term courses, 1–2-week camps, weekend study programs and family camps throughout the year. Subjects covered include the major
Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
, Bhagavad Gita, several secondary texts of
Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
and the
Brahma Sutras The ''Brahma Sūtras'' ( sa, ब्रह्मसूत्राणि) is a Sanskrit text, attributed to the sage bādarāyaṇa or sage Vyāsa, estimated to have been completed in its surviving form in approx. 400–450 CE,, Quote: "...we c ...
. The study includes also the Sanskrit commentary of Sankara on these texts. Along with these studies, the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
language is also taught with Paninian grammar. The Gurukulas also conduct sessions of daily meditation and
satsang A satsanga (), also rendered satsang, refers to the practice of gathering in the company of good people for the performance of devotional activities. It also refers to an audience with a Satguru for yogic instruction. Satsangas are group events, ...
as. Additionally camps are conducted for teaching
Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
, Indian Classical Music,
Ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...
, Jyotisha and allied disciplines. The teaching centers conduct outreach programs to reach out to the public at large.


See also

* Gurukulam (film)


References


External links


Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Tamil Nadu
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Pennsylvania
Arsha Vidya Pitham, Rishikesh
{{coord, 30.1102073, 78.3083426, display=inline Uttarakhand
Arsha Vidya Sampradaya
index of ''Arsha Vidya'' teachers and alumni. Run by Swami Dayananda Ashram.
Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam
Maharashtra
AVG Sanskrit
!-- How does it relate to Arsha Vidya? --> Arsha Vidya Gurukulam schools Asian-American culture in Pennsylvania Hindu schools in the United States Indian-American culture Religious schools in Pennsylvania