Kaamakoti Yajurveda Paathasaala

Irinjalakuda
The Beginning
Irinjalakuda Graamam used to be the custodians of Yajurvedam and preservers
of its tenets, centuries ago. But the Vedic traditions and the Yaagam culture had
declined. visit to Kootalmaanickam temple in !"#$ b% the &ankaraachaar%a of
Kaanchi Kaamakoti Peettham, 'agadguru &ri 'a%endra &aras(athi &(aamikal, and a
later conference of Vedic scholars organised b% him at )ripunithura caused a spark of
revival of the lost traditions. *e suggested the setting up of a school +Paatthasaala, for
the stud% of Yajurvedam at Irinjalakuda and even pledged a monthl% grant for the same.
)hus (as born the Paatthasaala. Governing Bod% (as constituted (ith the
reno(ned Veda &aasthra scholar -&aasthrarathnam- Kirangat .ara%anan
.ambudiripad as president, .edumpill% )harananelloor Padmanabhan .ambudiripad
as vice/president, )hekkedath malloor )hrivikraman .amboodiri as secretar%,
.akaramannu Vallabhan .amboodiri as )reasurer, and (ith Panthal Vaidikan 0avi
.amboodiri, Kaimukku Vaidikan Parames(aran .amboodiri and Vadakkedath
1allisseri *aridathan .amboodiri as members. 2n the teaching facult% (ere the famous
scholars Panthal Vaidikan 3amodaran .amboodiri and )hottathil 1arathompill%
Krishnan .amboodiri.
)he Paatthasaala (as started at a time (hen children had lost interest in Vedic
studies, and even such learned ones had to look for other avenues and profession for
their livelihood. But, (ith the dedicated efforts of the organisers, (hat started off (ith
just five students, has t(ent% no(, hailing from Kasargod to )hrissur. )he present
facult% and most of the present/da% Yajurveda scholars (ere the old students of the
Paatthasaala. )he institution claims to have been instrumental in at least a partial
revival of Irinjalakuda4s earlier fame. In !"#", it (as registered under the
)hiruvithaamkoor/Kochi 3harmasthhaapanam ct.
Learning Method
)he students are selected from those (ho have started the Braahmachar%a
Vratham after 5pana%anam and the earlier &hodasakri%as as prescribed, and bet(een
the ages of 6 and !$. )he 77 Prasnams +Prapaatthams, (ith $#,888 Vaak%ams of the
Krishna Yajurveda &amhitha are taught in the si9/%ear course. )(o Prasnams are used
during the first %ear in order to familiarise the students (ith producing -&(aram- through
-1aathra- +a basic unit of time and rh%thm,
.
:earning starts at # in the morning, after &andh%aavandanam, pra%ers in temple,
.amaskaaram +prostration, and 'apam +chanting, and continues till !! (ith a break at 6
for breakfast. )he first session +# / 6, is held in Kootalmaanickam temple. fter an
!
hour4s break for lunch at !!, studies on Vedam continue from !$ to ;. )he% are taught
&anskrit for an hour from ; to 7, general studies from 7 to <, and again Vedam till =.
)hen after bath, &andh%aavandanam, temple visit, .amaskaaram and 'apam,
Vedam learning continues till 6 in the temple itself. 1eals bet(een 6 and " follo(ed b%
reading till "/;8 completes the dail% routine. )he Paatthasaala is located in the north/
east of temple. 1ost of the studies are conducted there, e9cept the couple of hours in
the temple, as mentioned above.
)he traditional Gurukulam method of learning directl% from the Guru +teacher, is
used for committing the te9t to memor%. )(ent% Panchaathis +of <8 Padams / s%llable /
each, are taught ever% da%, (hich the student repeats three times.
3uring the ne9t three da%s each Panchaathi is repeated $<, $8 and !< times on
the first, second and third da%, respectivel%. 3uring each of the ne9t five da%s the% are
repeated !8 times, and for the subse>uent fortnight the% are chanted once.
Day No of Times Cumulative
! ; ;
$ $< $6
; $8 76
7 !< =;
< !8 #;
= !8 6;
# !8 ";
6 !8 !8;
" !8 !!;
!8 ! !!7
!! ! !!<
!$ ! !!=
!; ! !!#
!7 ! !!6
!< ! !!"
!= ! !$8
!# ! !$!
!6 ! !$$
!" ! !$;
$8 ! !$7
$! ! !$<
$$ ! !$=
$; ! !$#
$7 ! !$6
$
Vaavu and Prathhama are holida%s, (hile on shtami, )hra%odasi and
?hathurdasi, (hatever (as learned till then is repeated once. @9aminations are
conducted b% e9perts at the end of each %ear. )he Paatthasaala offers also advanced
courses in Padam and Kramam, (hile learning Braahmanam +&aakha, takes four %ears.
.o( it also offers courses on Kshethra Pooja and )hanthra &aasthram.
Yajurveda Lakshaarchana
It (as this Paatthasaala (hich conceived the idea of Yajurveda :akshaarchana,
and conducted it in Kootalmaanickam temple in !"##, and ever% %ear thereafter. :ater,
it (as performed also in several other temples. )his school took the lead in conducting
such :akshaarchana in several temples outside the &tate such as Kaanchi Kaamaakshi
temple, the %%appa temple in 'alahalli +Bangalore, and Kodambakkam +?hennai,.
Thrisandha
n annual 2thoottu called )hrisandha based on Yajurvedam is being regularl%
conducted at 0apal &reekrishnas(aam% temple near Irinjalakuda, (ith major
participation b% the Paatthasaala, (hich participated also in those in )aliparamba and
Karikkad. Plans are afoot to conduct a Panchasandha in front of the reno(ned
&angamesan. )he school has taken up the responsibilit% of the dail% Yajurvedam
reading in Guruva%ur temple, and revived the )hrisandha at Kaithapram in Kannur
district.
Conferences on Vedam
)he Paatthasaala has activel% participated in a number of conferences on
Vedam and made a mark. Its facult% and students attended the Veda 1ahaa
&ammelanam at 3elhi in !"#;, and in the conferences at Kolkata, )irupathi, ?hennai,
5jjain, Kancheepuram, Pra%aga, 1umbai, etc., and in the &oma%aagam at
)hiruvananthapuram and the thiraathram at Kundur. )he% also participate regularl% in
the =/%earl% 1urajapam at )hiruvananthapuram Padmanabhas(am% temple.
)he Paatthasaala represented in the conference on Vedam organised b% the
Bharathee%a Vid%a Bhavan in 1umbai. Its students regularl% participate in the annual
ll India Veda &(aadh%aa%a &ibirams organised b% the 1aharshi Veda V%aasa
Prathishtthaan of 1aharashtra.
Funding ro!lems
)he Paatthasaala is being run (ith the financial support of several generous
individuals, institutions and governmental agencies b% (a% of monthl%, annual or one/
time grants. *o(ever, it is found to be >uite inade>uate for pa%ing salaries for the
teaching and non/teaching staff, scholarships for students and other e9penses. bout
$< persons are to be taken care of. )he salaries and scholarships need to be revised.
;
)he funding problem has been (orr%ing the organisers, especiall% because of their
strong belief that this humble and dedicated effort to continue to produce an arm% of
%oung Vedam e9perts should not be hindered at an% cost.
"#ilogue
In the continuing stud% of Vedams (hich are believed to be more than <,888
%ears old, three decades of the Paatthasaala4s (ork ma% relativel% appear to be an
instant. Yet, in terms of the human lifespan, running the Paatthasaala has been a long,
dedicated and arduous struggle (ith the singular aim to preserve the &anaathana
culture handed do(n through the Vedams. )his firm belief has indeed been the
motivating force behind the Paatthasaala activities.
.
AAA
$rticle !y B
$ T Narayanan Nam!oodiri,
&ecretar%, Kaamakoti Yajurveda Paatthasaala,
Irinjalakuda / =68 !$!,
)hrissur 3ist. Phone B 8766/6$=#!"
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