Gurukulam

गुरुकुलं
अद्ध्य हिन्दि पत्रिकायां मम दृष्टि पदमायात  विषय: – आधुनिक माता पितर: स्व सन्तान विद्ध्याभ्यासं ’बोर्डिंग स्कूल’ अथवा गुरुकुल शिक्षां अधिक श्रॆयस्करं मन्यन्तॆ – इति. सत्यमॆव. विद्ध्यार्थिनां सहपाठीनां मध्यॆ अन्यॊन्य भ्रातृ भावं वर्धयॆत् तथा उद्धरॆदात्मनात्मानं इति गीताचार्यस्य वचनानुसारं स्व पुस्तक वस्त्र इतर वस्तून्यपि स्वयं परिपालितुमपि यॊग्य: भवॆदिति, पाठ्य विषयॆ जाग्रत:, उत्सुक: अग्रगण्य: च आगमिष्यति – इति तॆषां आशा ।         न सन्दॆह:| नाहं अत्र  विषयॆ समर्थनं अथवा निषॆधार्थं किञ्चित् वक्तुं प्रव्रुत्ता । मम स्मरणं कतिपय वर्षाणां पूर्वं ऎको बालक: प्रह्लादस्य चरित्र श्रवनानन्तरं अत्यन्त चिन्ताग्रस्त: आसीत् – तत्र गतं । अहं तस्य चित्त्र पुस्तकात् प्रह्लादचरित्रं पाठयति स्म । स: हिरण्य कशिपु राजानं, पितास्थानॆ ऎव द्दष्ट्वा, तस्य पक्षॆ आसीत् । कथा प्रसिद्धमॆव – पिता पुत्त्रं वात्सल्यॆन अङ्कॆ कृत्वा  पुत्र ! अद्ध्य शिक्षितस्य श्रॆष्टं किं  वदॆति पृच्छति सति पुत्र प्रह्लाद:  अवदत् – ध्यॆयं नारायणमिति । तत: क्रुद्धॊ राजा गुरुपुत्रं आदिशति किमिदं शिक्षितं ? मम पुत्रस्य नारायण स्मरणं कथमागत: यदा तस्य पितरादन्य: न भूत: न भविष्यति इति शिक्षणीयमासीत् -इत्यादि ।
तदा अयं बालक: मामपृच्छ्त् – आर्यॆ ! किमिति तद्पिता आचार्यं स्वगृहमानीय पुत्रं स्वमतानुसारं शिक्षयतीति ।

Translation:

Today’s Hindi news paper ‘Jagran’ carried a news item wherein it was written that parents are willing to send their wards to Boarding schools – modern day Gurukulam – where the children learn to be together and learn to be responsible besides being friendly and well behaved.  There will be competition and they will try to come first and all that. It may work well for the working ladies who have no helping hand at home, an elderly grand mother or grand father – but here my intention is not to dwell with the merits and demerits of the system. I was reminded of a small boy to whom I was narrating the story of Prahladha and his father Hiranya kasipu, the legendary dialogue between the father and the son from a picture story book, he was absorbed in his thoughts. For him Hiranya kasipu was simply a father, so he took his side. The story goes like this – The father, took his beloved son on his lap and asked ‘son! what did you learn today – tell me what you liked the best. The son Prahladha said ‘Always praise the Almighty Narayana’ – Hiranya kasipu got angry and shouted at the Guruputhras who had broght the child to his father for their weekly meeting. What is it you have taught my son – how come he chants the name of Narayana, whereas he was to be taught of me – the great king, all powerful and all that ‘ The boy asked me innocently  ‘Madam ! Why not that father arrange for home tuition – he could have brought the teacher home and educate his son according to his wishes.