Sanskrit in the Everyday @sanskritintheeveryday - Tumblr Blog

Satya Jewelry

While searching Sanskrit words on the web, I typed in “satya,” and the first thing I got was “Satya Jewelry.” And I already knew that “सत्य” in Sanskrit means “truth” or “truthfulness.” So I thought that it meant “truthful jewelry.” Now, I don’t know about you, but to me “truthful jewelry” didn’t really seem to make much sense. To me, it meant something like “jewelry that tells the truth.” You know, like in a fairy tale, there’s a magical ornament that, when asked a question, it always tells the truth. Anyway, I’m rambling.

So, as you can see, I became curious, and wondered what the website’s explanation was. I went to their “About Us” page, and I found the answer to my questions. They didn’t really go into a lot of depth, but few words tell a lot in this case. Now before I go on, the meanings of the Sanskrit word “सत्य” that I found on Monier Williams were “true , real , actual , genuine , sincere , honest , truthful , faithful , pure , virtuous , good, successful , effectual , valid.”

In essence, Satya Jewelry is a benefactor of many children’s charities around the world. This alludes to the “genuine, virtuous, good, sincere” meanings of the word “सत्य” . In addition, I was reminded of a Sanskrit story we read in class, the old tiger and the traveller. While trying to persuade the traveller why he should take the bracelet, the tiger says when a gift is given to someone who is cannot repay it, then the gift is a "truthful,” or “real” gift.

In the case of Satya Jewelry, the gift is two-headed: it is the gift of jewelry and a gift of giving to children in need. This is what establishes the meaning of the Sanskrit word for truth as something that is genuine, good, and virtuous.

I really love this example of the connection of the Sanskrit word for truth to jewelry. I am happy that something as beautiful as jewelry can be used for an equally beautiful purpose, giving to children in need.

I also realize that the word “truth” doesn’t just mean something that isn’t false. This may seem silly, but whenever I thought of what truth meant, I always thought that it was the real, the actual, and the opposite of something that is wrong or false. By looking at the meanings for the Sanskrit word for truth, I realize that the word “truth” has a range of meanings beyond what I once thought.

To close, I believe that it’s cool how Sanskrit words can change your understanding of words you use all the time and think you know, but really have more deeper meaning than what you thought.

source: https://www.satyajewelry.com/

#jewelry #truth

Raksha, Inc

While looking up Sanskrit names, I typed in “raksha”, and I got this website. According to the website, the purpose of Raksha Inc is to strengthen South Asian communities through several different services.

Now, just to think about the Sanskrit itself, the word “रक्ष” means “guarding , watching , protecting , serving” according to Monier Williams.

My reaction when I saw the website was one of curiosity and I wondered whether the website itself would address a Sanskrit connection. But it didn’t. Nevertheless, I wanted to make the connection of the word to Sanskrit. I wondered whether the organization took the word from somewhere without knowing that it was from Sanskrit.

But, anyway, comparing the purpose of the organization and the meaning of the word, they are very similar. Therefore, the website seems to be using a very accurate sense of the word itself.

At the end of all of this, I am still left with the question: where did the organization get this word, and did they even know they were using a Sanskrit word? I still think that this does count as an instance of Sanskrit in everyday life.

source: https://www.raksha.org/

Vyaghra Kriya

I found this article while searching for Sanskrit words on the web, and when I typed in “vyaghra,” this nice mini-article is what I found.

Everyone knows that a vyaghra ( “व्याघ्र”; masculine noun, a-stem) is a tiger. The second word, kriya (“क्रिया”; feminine noun derived from verbal root “कृ”, class 8, “to do” ), means “action” or “performing”. A more suitable meaning in this case, from Monier-Williams, is “ bodily action , exercise of the limbs” or “ medical treatment or practice , applying a remedy , cure.” Well, I guess the term “medical treatment” is probably a better fit here.

The first thing I thought that “vyaghra kriya” meant was “to do the tiger,” or copy the actions of a tiger. It turns out, I was pretty close to the mark. The article’s definition for “vyaghra kriya” is “the tiger action of regurgitation.” It is a yogic technique to regurgitate spoiled food, or just food that was causing stomach pain. According to the article it is based on an action that tigers perform and was adopted by yogis : three hours after eating, tigers vomits out whatever wasn’t digested.

My initial reaction when I first saw the article was a mixture of amusement and surprise. I thought it was strange that there was a yogic technique based on an action of the tiger, but I thought it was even stranger when the article started talking about mimicing an action of tigers for vomiting. But when I continued reading, vyaghra kriya made a lot more sense. Plus, there seemed to be a lot of benefits to it - indigestion, heartburn, or even when you eat something poisonous! After reading the entire article, I thought “Wow! Who knew that the tiger and human’s digestive tracts were so similar!”

But anyways, back to the Sanskrit aspect of the words. I believe that, after reading that article, they were pretty accurate with their usage of Sanskrit words. And, with that, another really useful and cool way that Sanskrit shows up in everyday life!

sources: http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1977/emay77/vyaghra.shtml

#yoga

Rajasaurus

Following up on my post about Bruhathkayosaurus, the mysterious dinosaur whose name was Sanskrit-based, I decided to find more examples of dinosaurs with names that had Sanskrit origins.

I spent some time surfing the web when I came across the picture above and an article I found about Rajasaurus narmadensis (or just Rajasaurus), a dinosaur that was found in 1983 in a graveyard in Gujarat. According to the article, Rajasaurus was named due to the crown-like crest on its head, and the name “Rajasaurus” means “Royal Lizard,” and the “-saurus” part of the name being Greek for “Lizard” or “reptile”. Another reason the article gives for the use of the Sanskrit word “ राज ” in naming the dinosaur is that in the vicinity of the Rajasaurus fossil, there were also bones of other sauropods. Since sauropods are well known for their huge size, and long necks and tails, the paleontologists who discovered the Rajasaurus fossil knew that even the great sauropods were prey to this great dinosaur, so he was, in a way, like a king.

I recognized the word “राज” right away, as it was very familiar to me from seeing it so many times in our Sanskrit classes. The word is a masculine a-stem noun meaning “king.” Looking the word up in Monier-Williams, I got a bunch of other meanings, too - “ sovereign,” “chief” and “best of its kind.”

So to compare the alleged meaning of “ राज ” on the article with the meanings from Monier-Williams and the one meaning that I remember, the article pretty much hits the nail on the head.

Once again, I am very happy to see this example of Sanskrit in everyday life, and to see that, in naming this dinosaur, the paleontologists did not change the meaning of the Sanskrit words, or see a meaning in a Sanskrit word that is wrong or totally unrelated! Another reason I liked the use of this particular Sanskrit word, “ राज ” to name a dinosaur is I have always liked the sound of the word itself and that the grandness of the sound fits with its meaning. And I really think that “ राज” is a very suitable name for this dinosaur.

sources:

https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/learning/indian-dinosaurs-fossils-rajasaurus-5300209/

This scarf was given to me by a friend when we were traveling in India. We were in Varanasi at the time and my friend purchased this in a shop in Assi Ghat. Varanasi is known for being a special place in regards to Shiva because of the proximity of the Ganges River and the mythology that surrounds them both. Now that I am able to read the text I see it to say Om Namah Shivaya ॐ नमः शिवाय which is a popular Hindu mantra for Lord Shiva, and a very popular mantra within Shaivism in particular. Translated, the mantra means something along the lines of “adoration to Lord Shiva.” Brief research shows that this mantra appears as 'Na' 'Ma' 'Śi' 'Vā' 'Ya' in the Shri Ridram hymn, a section of the Krishna Yajurveda. It also appears in the Rudrashtadhyayi which is a part of the Shukla Yajurveda. I love that I am now able to read and understand the script on this scarf because I have an even greater appreciation for it. It is my favorite scarf because my best friend gave it to me, and it was purchased during our trip in India, which was a very special time for me. However, being able to bring together my appreciation and understanding for the scarf and the iconography of Shiva and Parvati allows me to have a deeper love for it!

Pranaa Ayurveda Spa

I was talking to my mom about a massage she had scheduled the other day, and she mentioned the same of the spa was “Pranaa”. Intrigued, I decided to research more about the meaning of the word and how it was derived. I knew the spa practiced ayurvedic medicine, therefore I concluded the word must have a Sanskrit root.

The word Prana, प्राण, prāṇa, has the most direct meaning of “life force” or “vitality” and can sometimes be tied to a form of controlled breathing. I dug a little deeper and found that prana can also be used in literature as originating from the sun and connecting the elements. Another connotation of prana refers to the five vayus, or five pranas, and vayu means “wind” or “air” usually used in the context of breathing. Prana is one of the five vayus and is often considered the original vayu from which the remaining four originate. It can be said that prana is the generic name for the different types of breaths. The other four vayus are Apāna , Uḍāna , Samāna , and Vyāna. Meaning outward energy, rising energy, heat from digestion, and energy from circulation, respectively. Vayus are just one of the many different interpretations of the word Prana. It has a diverse meaning depending on the context, however I found vayus to be the most interesting.

I think this was a very carefully chosen name for the spa. Yoga and massages often focus on breathing techniques, especially ayurvedic medicine. Using the word prana to refer to the movement of air in and out of the body was very clever. When I see Sanskrit used in these contexts, I enjoy learning more about how the names or words were chosen because there is usually an interesting back story. I applaud this specific spa for doing their background research and choosing an appropriate name for their business!

In response to another post, there are a few dinosaurs with names of Sanskrit origin.

The first dinosaur I'd like to discuss is Citipati, an oviraptorid from the late Cretaceous Period. It was found in the Gobi Desert. It is named after Citipati, in Tibetan Buddhist folklore. Citipati were two monks, beheaded by thieves.

They are often shown as dancing skeletons surrounded by flame. If you were to look at preserved skeletons of oviraptorids, their skeletons are long and lanky, and unfortunately are missing their heads quite often. These skeletons are also found in the brooding position, with their limbs spread out. So that's the link to Tibetan Buddhist folklore. The name "Citipati" चितिपति is चिति ("funeral pyre") and पति, "master".

The second dinosaur I would like to talk about is महाकाल Mahākāla omnogovae. This tiny dinosaur is a dromaeosaurid the size of a squirrel. It was found in the Gobi Desert. Its name comes from one of the eight protector deities (dharmapālas) in Tibetan Buddhism, Mahākāla. Dharmapālas are wrathful gods in Buddhism. In Vajrayana iconography, they are fearsome beings, with many heads, hands, or feet. They have blue, black, or red skin, and a fierce expression; however, they are bodhisattvas, embodiments of compassion.

This dinosaur is one of the most basal of all the dromaeosaurids (it’s one of the earliest). If you wanted to wax poetic, you might say this itsy bitty dinosaur is the “guardian” of its lineage.

The next dinosaur I would like to talk about Haya griva. This is a basal neornithischian dinosaur found in Mongolia. It is known from well preserved skulls and crushed skulls. Its name comes from Hayagrīva, who is one of the avatars of Vishnu, with a horse's head. The skull of this dinosaur is elongated and horse-like. The appearance of Hayagriva in Buddhist Mongolian art inspired this name.

“Classical” languages such as Greek and Latin are used all the time to name dinosaurs. I think it’s charming that Sanskrit, another “Classical” language, is being used in this way. It's also good that the names given to these dinosaurs are pertinent to the animal in some way.

Gondwana (also called Gondwanaland) from SanskritGondavana(vana=forest, Gonda=Sanskrit name of a Dravidian people, i.e. “forest of the Gonds”) was an ancient supercontinent. Gondaoriginates from the Gondi or Gond people are a scheduled tribein central India that speak a language belonging to the Dravidian family of languages, and is most closely related to Telugu.

The landmasses that contemporary humans would recognize as making up Gondwana would include Africa, Australia, Antarctica, South America, the Indian Subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula. This supercontinent existed from the Neoproterozoic era (approximately 550 million years ago) and broke apart during the Jurassic period (approximately 180 million years ago). This supercontinent was named by Eduard Suess in 1887, an Austrian scientist. He developed the concept for the name from the Gondwana region of central India, where geological formations match those of similar ages in the southern hemisphere. However, the name had been previously used by geologist H.B. Medlicott in 1872 when he described the Gondwana sedimentary sequences in the Triassic era.

I found this really interesting for two reasons, the first being that I was ignorant to the fact that there were multiple supercontinent besides Pangea, and two, I was interested to see the use of Sanskrit vocabulary in Geology.

Vhictoria?

Sanskrit tattoos are super popular - I sport one myself. I think in western culture, Sanskrit is commonly associated with serenity and spirituality because it is a dead language many think only exists in spiritual texts. By this fashion statement, many ink themselves with Sanskrit.

Unfortunately, what is also just as common is misspelling Sanskrit. It is especially bad because tattoo ink is permanent. Below is a picture of David Beckham’s tattoo. If you read it, it says something along the lines of “Vhictoria”. A tattoo he meant as a tribute to her is now just a messy typo. Aside from the fact that it is a typo, it’s near impossible to pronounce since the semivowels do not have a stressed form.

What do you think of this tattoo?

sanskritintheeveryday

I found this veggie wrap at my work. We sell a variety of sandwiches and wraps made by the local company GreenCart, this being one of them. ब्रह्मन् is the Sanskrit word (ntr.) for “the universal soul, divine essence”(Ruppel, 422) Not to be confused with ब्राह्मण (m.) “wise man, brahmin” (Ruppel, 422) This is an interesting use of Sanskrit vocabulary for a couple of reasons. The first reasoning which provokes serious inquiry is the reason that this word was used. As an employee of a shop that receives many of these GreenCart products, I have never seen any other product that refers to Sanskrit vocabulary. The rest of the products that I have seen are straight forward, such as “Havarti Basil” or “Ham and Swiss” as the titles, with the list of ingredients below it in smaller text (similar to the wrap I posted above). The only other item that is named as something not straightforward is another wrap, called the “El Sol Rojo.” This is interesting as well. It is important to note that both wraps contain the EXACT same ingredients except, the “brahman” contain curry hummus, while the “El Sol Rojo” contains roasted red peppers. I am interested in discovering why this company chose to name two products after two different cultures; is it due to one of the ingredients in each of the wraps being stereotypically relevant to those cultures? For example, curry hummus in India and roasted red pepper in Mexico? Is this use of Sanskrit vocabulary, especially a word denoting such an important and central aspect to many sects of Hinduism, appropriate to put on a veggie wrap made by a company in the Western world? Is this another example of appropriation? Or, rather, is this an example of globalism? Is the usage of Sanskrit vocabulary in a popular, local Austin whole-seller and catering company encourage the ancient tradition of Sanskrit language in contemporary life and society? I am inclined to side with the former of these two assessments, the perhaps inappropriate use of this word, specifically because of its great important culturally and religiously. As I stated in my last post, it is difficult to impose judgement of cultural appropriation onto an object when you do not have all of the information of who made/designed said product. If the company is owned or run by people who understand and respect this word, especially those who have immediate cultural ties to it, or even if this particular wrap was created by an individual who fits those criteria, is it still appropriation? This is where the situation becomes muddled. However, I think it is important to always keep in mind this notion of cultural appropriation. Is this representation of culture X (whatever that may be, usage of vocab, dress, etc.) appropriate or offensive in some regard to individuals of that culture? If the answer is ever yes, then you have your answer. Although, it could be argued that his usage of Sanskrit vocabulary exposes people of the contemporary age to a language that they may not have otherwise known. This argument can be valid in many regards, however, my assertion that this specific word “brahman” is perhaps too sacred to be used as a marketing tool for the western world. This word specifically, and the seemingly inappropriate reason that it was named this (curry humus??) is really what makes this usage of Sanskrit language in contemporary life inappropriate, and can even be seen as appropriation. What do you all think, both as students of Sanskrit, and, for many of us, products of western society, is this acceptable or not? Is this proper usage of Sanskrit or not? Is it appropriation or a product of globalization, linking people to an ancient language?

sanskritintheeveryday

I loved reading this post and hearing your thought process on this topic! I agree with you that this particular wrap stands out, given that the remaining products this company sells have straight forward names. It stood out to me when you mentioned one of the ingredients is “curry hummus” because the word curry is so strongly correlated to the Indian culture. In fact, recently on Facebook the term “curry” is now used to describe a group of people/ethnicity. Indians are identifying themselves as “curry kids” or their “curry parents” and this was all started by Indians themselves. We often go around chastising others for disrespecting Indian culture, but when other Indians do it then we say it is acceptable. As an Indian I see it happen all the time and I even participate in these activities and go along with the majority. However, there is always a limit to how far a joke can go before it is seen as offensive. You mentioned in your post that we do not know who runs this company and who approved this wrap to be sold with name “brahman” and that makes it hard to judge where they were coming from. Regardless of that fact, I believe there are boundaries that should not be crossed. If they name each wrap with a culturally significant name then this would not be an issue. The problem is that they singled out one culture, if this was intentional or not we can never know, but it comes across as ignorant. As a company, this should be a major focus when they sell products, despite their intentions, the way a product is portrayed and the way it is interpreted by consumers takes precedence. The least they could have done, as you mentioned, is capitalize the word “brahman” and give it the respect it deserves. Overall, I think you made a great point about the way cultural appropriation can manifest in different ways and the importance of awareness.

John Lennon Signature Box contains 9 Albums, all the singles, a disc of rarities & a book from Yoko, Julian & Sean. Available on Amazon: http://bit.ly/JLbox ...

Karma derives from “karman” -- “former act as leading to inevitable results , fate (as the certain consequence of acts in a previous life)” (Monier-Williams).

Perhaps the most familiar Sanskrit word in the United States, in terms of general knowledge and presence in popular culture, is the term karma. This term is directly related to verbal root kŗ, meaning to do, make, perform, etc., in a nominal form. Karma has meant many things to many people, constantly changing and taking on new meanings through history. The karma of the Vedas is not the karma of the epics or Purāṇas; karma for a Buddhist is not karma for a Jain or Hindu. It is amazing that such a technical sacrificial/ritual term at inception has proliferated through history into so many interesting and impactful forms. It is with this lens that I choose to view the shirt pictured above. It is not a corruption or appropriation necessarily of some static notion, but rather the latest in a long line of iterations. Here it is being understood as “bad actions have bad consequences” and “what goes around comes around.” The term karma has embedded itself into yet another discourse, absorbing foreign elements while still remaining true to its core of action. Something about the connotations of the term is difficult to ignore, and this can clearly be seen through its long, complex, and continuing history.

Bruhathkayosaurus

I just happened to stumble across this dinosaur while surfing the web for dinosaur names. It’s name is Bruhathkayosaurus. Bruhathkayosaurus is a dinosaur that found in 1989 in Tamil Nadu, India. Only one fossil of the mystery dinosaur was ever found, but it was believed to have been lost or destroyed in a tsunami. Because of this, no one really remembers how big the dinosaur really was, or what it looked like. There was also a lot of controversy over its discovery, and people debate whether it really existed or not, as the first report on it was very vague.

The name “Bruhathkayosaurus” is Sanskrit except for the “sauros“ part of its name - which is Greek for “lizard.“ “ Bruhathkayosaurus “ is composed of “बृहत्“ and “काय.“ Supposedly Bruhathkayosaurus means “huge” or “heavy-bodied lizard.“ According to Monier Williams, “बृहत्“ means “great, wide, vast“, and “काय“ is masculine and means “body.” So if the artist’s impressions like the one shown above are correct, then Bruhathkayosaurus is a pretty accurate name for this mystery dinosaur.

This, to me, is very cool. I think that it’s really nice to use Sanskrit to name a dinosaur. It’s even better that the Sanskrit words were used properly. While I am a bit disappointed that the dinosaur’s only fossil no longer exists, and that the dinosaur may not have existed, I’m still really happy at the prospect of using Sanskrit to name dinosaurs. Before this, I wasn’t aware that Sanskrit was used to name dinosaurs!

sources:

http://dinosaurpictures.org/Bruhathkayosaurus-pictures

Response to “Game of Sanskrit Heroes?”

Assuming that these names are deliberately taken from Sanskrit by GRRM, I’ll try to offer an interpretation. Ᾱrya does indeed carry the connation of honorable, pure, excellent, etc., but it is above all a reference to the Aryan people. Being an Aryan would mean being all of these things, as well as a member of the cultural group proper confined to a particular geographic area. The term applied especially to the upper three twice-born (dvija) classes in traditional Aryan society. I wouldn’t say that Arya Stark is a particularly honorable or pure character, but she does come from a noble and pure house. House Stark is especially tied to honor, heritage, and legacy, all of which are conveyed by the term ārya. So, in this case, the name could be a reference to her heritage rather than to her personal traits. The Aryans also entered the subcontinent from the north, bringing with them their own religion, technology, and customs, all of which resonate with House Stark. Meera Reed is also a Northerner, so GRRM could be using Sanskrit words for people connected to the North or the First Men. The Sanskrit term mīra can mean an ocean or a sea. This could be a reference to The Neck, her homeland, which is sandwiched between two large seas. It could also be referencing the wet climate of The Neck, with it mostly consisting of swampland. She is also directly connected to Crannogmen, people who have adapted to living in the swamps. A swamp is not a sea or an ocean, but it does keep with the water theme. In both of these cases, the names seem to reference their home or heritage.

हिंस – “mfn. injuring , injurious , mischievous , hostile” (Monier-Williams). With the addition of the negative prefix “a,” the word ahimsa takes on the meaning of “non-injuring” or “non-violent.” It is in this form that the word is used by the California restaurant called Ahimsa Vegan Café.

The front page of their website defines ahimsa: “(In the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain tradition) the principle of nonviolence toward all living things.” This name clearly puts the focus on the ethical commitment of the restaurant towards animals as central to their brand/identity. Calling upon ahimsa, however, does more than point to nonviolent values. It adds to those values an association with what is ancient, sacred, and perhaps exotic. The restaurant, though having some common items of Indian cuisine on its menu, also has Vietnamese dishes, Mediterranean entrees, Thai-style foods, and a line of items featuring the title “Fiesta.” Thus, ahimsa is being presented as a certain cross-cultural and universal value.

Interestingly, the dictates of vegan ideology are a relatively recent development in Western animal ethics discourse, responding in many ways to modern conditions in factory farms, vivisections and lab testing, and large fur and leather industries. Indian religion, though in many instances critical of animal slaughter and consumption, generally allowed for the use of by-products like milk from cows. However, as these discourses meet in the today’s globalized world, some Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains are viewing veganism as the appropriate way to enact their religious ethics in a contemporary setting. Meanwhile, exposure to Indian religious systems such as the three mentioned above, by presenting a worldview that conceptualizes human-animal relations differently from the Abrahamic faiths, can serve (as it did for me) as an impetus in transitioning towards a vegan diet. Ahimsa Vegan Café, then, continues this recent convergence of this ancient Indian ethical concept and the nascent vegan movement.

Game of Sanskrit Heroes?

Game of Thrones has recently been the most interesting cultural phenomenon. People of all ages have been looking forward to the final season of this top grossing show. Game of Thrones has changed the marketing and advertising landscape - marketers position their products with a Game of Thrones theme (for example, a Game of Thrones coffee menu or a Game of Thrones line of makeup) and advertisers keep high alert of the one hour block that Game of Thrones airs to avoid advertising before, during, and directly after this TV time because the target audience is likely not seeing this advertisement at all. It is such an influential show in pop culture and has some very influential characters as well.

What nobody discusses is the names of some of these characters. I want to discuss two different characters’ names and their personalities how they relate to their names.

Arya Stark - ārya means “loyal to their own country”; Arya Stark shows no signs of this loyalty. Her defining characteristic is not her country loyalty or loyalty to anything. She is a very strong woman and a good fighter which is her defining characteristic. However, the plot point that is most important with her is that she is struggling to get back to her town.

Meera Reed - mīra means “ocean, sea”; In what I have seen so far of the show, there are no references to an ocean and she is nowhere near the sea. This is also a common Sanskrit name in general which may have been GRRM’s intention- to just include names from different origins.

Is it okay that GRRM uses these Sanskrit names in his text or is it a type of cultural appropriation? Let me know below!

GuruCool

gurukulam is the sanskrit term for an education system in Ancient India. This word comes from guru + kula. Guru is the sanskrit term for a teacher and kula is the Sanskrit term for a family. The gurukula tradition involved sisyas, students, living with or in close proximity to the guru so they can adopt their lifestyle. Practices seen many ages ago in aclassical gurukula include sitting around a guru to listen to him lecture. Students eat together and practice Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and other religious/spiritual values together in the same setting. At the end of their experience, a student provides their teacher with a gurudakshina, or a payment for their services. Gurudakshina is never a fixed price nor is it required - just a duty as a student to provide this to the guru. It is a very immersive style of education that we rarely see now in the modern world.

Modern world did, however, show me “GuruCool”, a tutoring center in Sugar Land. My best guess is that this brand name was a play on the word of gurukula to entice a south-Asian customer base, however, when I walked in, I did not see any south-Asians. I also hoped to see an interesting similarity between a gurukula and GuruCool, but it was a normal tutoring center with no overlapping practices. Tutors helped students with homework, the program was far from immersive as students left after their one hour was done. Gurudakshina was not recommended, it was required.

I also thought about how realistic it is to introduce a real “GuruCool” in modern America. Could students immerse themselves day and night into their teachers’ lives and homes? Could teachers preach the historical values free of a required charge? Who would be interested in an education system like this and could it be set up?

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Sanskrit in the Everyday