Saturday, July 19, 2008

BRAHMIN'S DUTY



Hence as a Brahmin, it was his duty to accept charity and at the same time he should, in turn do charity also for a deserving cause. This gave rise to a thought in his mind that he could very well make use of the charity by spending it for the upliftment of the cultural heritage. This is a prime responsibility of a Brahmin. He also thought that by refusing, he might be able to earn a reputation for renouncing such charities but at the same time what good would such a reputation be if he had to fall back on his responsibilities enjoined upon him by the scriptures. So he started looking for an outlet, which would give him the satisfaction of executing this responsibility.

In his pursuit to find such an outlet a thought crossed his mind, that so far he had been devoting his entire time to reciting kathas, so why not now use some of this time to do something, which would help the society in developing assets within themselves. Such an opportunity soon lay at his feet when he was invited to Porbandar to recite a Bhagwat katha. Porbandar is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, a town in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat State on the West Coast of India. It is also the birth place of Sudama, a dear friend of Lord Krishna.

The locals of Porbandar requested him to visit the Sanskrit school in a village called Babada, close to Porbandar. It was during this visit that he immediately decided that this is what he would like to do and this is exactly what he should be doing. That is to run a school, which would teach Sanskrit and develop in the students the cultural heritage and induct lineage into them. At the request of the locals, he accepted the trusteeship and started infusing funds into the school, which very soon gained recognition and the number of applicants to it increased. He was later appointed Chairman of the trust. In order that he could accept more applications for admission he started looking for a new place to house the school.

The government of Gujarat was kind enough to give him 85 acres of land opposite the Porbandar airport for this purpose. More trustees were chosen by Bhaishri and inducted into the trust called Shree Bhartiya Sanskruti Samvardhak Trust, which was responsible for running the school. The trustees under the guidance of Bhaishri went all out to develop this school into a Vidyaniketan (residential college).

Goals

Plans were formulated to set up a complex with total amenities to house 500 students on the campus and to have their education in Sanskrit, grammar and other essential modern subjects necessary to become capable and virtuous Brahmins. The college would be called Rishikul and the teaching would be given as per the ancient Vedic Tapovan system.

In the modern context, the society is unable to get educated Brahmins who are well versed in scriptures and can conduct religious functions and rituals. Bhaishri noticed that practicing Brahmins did not even have sufficient knowledge of Sanskrit, leave aside conversing in Sanskrit. Hence Bhaishri thought that his Vidyaniketan will fill the void and produce proficient Brahmins with the following qualities:

SANDIPANI VIDHYA NIKETAN

Holding discourse on Geeta

An event associated with his childhood is still alive in the minds of the villagers of Devka. At the age of 13 years when Bhaishri was studying in standard seven, he collected friends of his age to organize a seven-day discourse on the Geeta on an amateurish scale. They collected donations of one rupee each to meet the expenses. A large tent was set up and invitation cards were distributed in person. Bhaishri still has a copy of this invite. Offerings of all kinds e.g., water, flower, prasadam, etc. were brought. To organize the whole program, committees were set up headed by one or two boys. A Vyaspeeth, which basically is a throne on which, normally a saint would sit to deliver his teachings, was installed to accommodate the preacher. Bhaishri would then take the Vyaspeeth preach the teachings of Geeta to the children. On the first day, the importance of Geeta was stressed and rest of the six days the eighteen chapters of the Geeta were completed in two sessions each day. In the beginning the village folk thought that this was just another childish prank and would get over no sooner it started, but to their dismay they observed that day by day numbers kept rising and the elders also started participating in the event. The discourses were extremely popular and included singing of bhajans and chanting of ‘mantras’.


Bhaishri was admitted to a Sanskrit school named Tatvajyoti in a nearby town called Rajula. During the very first year of his education in the school he exhibited signs of what he is today. The family culture, devotion of his grandmother and the environment in which he resided contributed to his disciplined, dedicated and devotional upbringing, which has made his life so divine and exemplary.

Thereafter he was admitted to a school in a town called Dungar for a short period. Here he completed standard nine and then came to Bombay, secured admission in the tenth standard and stayed in Bombay with his mother and father. After completing school he took commerce at college. It is noteworthy that during his entire span of academic activity he always stood first in his class. Never allowing any spare time for himself he was continuously engaged in studying Bhagwat, Ramayana, the Holy Geeta and several other religious texts. At other times he would sit quietly to meditate and engross himself in thoughts arising from the teachings of these texts and also from what he heard from the various saints that he kept interacting with.

Bhaishri grew into a smart young man, with radiance on his face, observant, attentive and intelligent. Nature endowed him with a melodious voice and a clear reverberating speech. He developed a unique style of oration, which held the listener’s attention and left him enchanted. His singing added to his personality, keeping listeners enthralled. His very presence emanated a glow suffused with spirituality, making a person feel so much a part of him, unmindful of his own identity.

Universal in appeal Bhaishri is accessible to just anybody. Time knows no limits with him and when one meets him, one feels he has all the time for them in the world. Logical in his presentation, he issues no commandments, says so little yet means so much. His messages are inspiring and thought provoking, helping people to transform radically into better human beings.

Bhaishri has now become synonymous with youthfulness and his scholastic aptitude, in depth thinking and pious life has given a tremendous boost to his personality akin to a fresh blooming rose in a divine garden. A true representative of Indian sainthood, he has the blessings of "Maa Saraswati" the Goddess of learning. Impressed by his intellect and spiritual awareness, saints from far and near conferred upon him various titles like ‘BhagwatAcharya’, ‘BhagwatBhushan’, ‘BhagwatRatna’. Despite his prodigious achievements Bhaishri is totally unassuming. He revels in simplicity and wholly detached from the trappings of luxury or self-glorification. This is the reason why he accepted to be called just "Bhaiji" or "Bhaishri" and nothing more than that.

Spiritual Development

From his early childhood, Bhaishri’s father inculcated in him the habit to recite Bhagwat Geeta daily. He thus developed a very special love for Geeta and this one book alone is the major driving force in his life. Bhaishri’s Uncle Shri Jeevraj Bhai Oza was himself a reciter of the Bhagwat katha. During his vacations after Std. seven Bhaishri would go to his uncle’s place to stay and travel along with him wherever he went to recite the Bhagwat. He gained considerable experience and confidence from accompanying him, coupled with his own study he was able to conduct discourses on Geeta right from his childhood at the age of a mere 13 years.

It was at the behest of his uncle that he was admitted to the Sanskrit school, which initiated him into the realm of spirituality. During his college days he used to attend the daily pravachans by his uncle, held in Borivali locality of Mumbai and on several occasions his uncle used to pass on the cord to him to do the pravachan. During such discourses there were recitations from the Mahabharat, Ramayana, Shivpuran, Bhagwat etc; he used to pick up the recitation from wherever his uncle left. In the evenings Bhaishri used to hold pravachans in the college at some place or the other and his fellow students would sit in front of him to listen to him ever so intently.

Destined to transform the lives of mankind Bhaishri’s interest started veering away at a tangent from his college studies. Initially he had decided to select science as his subject, planning to become a doctor but landed up in commerce to become a Chartered Accountant. By the time he reached the final year of his graduation academics appeared dry and uninteresting. The ‘adhyatmic sanskaras’ of childhood blossomed and his interest in Kathas caught on, taking him still closer to the Almighty Lord.


The first katha outside Bombay took place in a town called Mandvi in Kutch, a district in the state of Gujarat. In the beginning he started with 5-6 kathas a year and by the time he completed his graduation he became totally occupied, also because of the pravachans which kept taking place alongside with his uncle.

Now there was no stopping him. As Bhaishri followed in the footsteps of his Uncle who was also reciting the Bhagwat himself, he took to recitation of Bhagwat as his main subject. The underlying fact remains that while studying the Geeta, Bhaishri developed a very special attachment to Lord Krishna, which made him choose his path through Bhagwat.

Due to Bhaishri’s very special style of presentation and blessed by the nature with a beautiful musical voice, every body and anybody who listened to him got energised by the impact of his select verbosity and resonant voice, singing simultaneously with great feeling. The entire environment appeared so pure and serene that the listener could easily assimilate whatever was said. His in depth knowledge blossomed forth during the recitation of the kathas overwhelming the listener with his vast knowledge. The flow of well selected spiritual words held the listener in a trance, transporting him into a world of unalloyed joy and happiness.

Enlightenment of the general public became the focal point of his life. To achieve this he found Bhagwat, a very effective medium and also to develop feelings of love and devotion in the devotees towards the Almighty.

Many a time Bhagwat is recited in the house of a family after the death of an elderly family member so as to sanctify the departed soul. In fact what actually transpires is that the young ones get to hear the recitation of the Bhagwat and through this medium, prepare themselves to step confidently into the mainstream of life without the protective umbrella of the elderly who remain no more. It prepares them in stepping into the shoes of their departed elder and from then on to lead their life with responsibility and to hold the reigns of the family.

Pujya Shri Rameshbhai Oza -BHAI SHRI

Pujya Shri Rameshbhai Oza


Pujya Shri Rameshbhai Oza, popularly known as Bhaishri or Bhaiji, has been all his life the supreme propagator of faith. Faith in oneself, faith in the Almighty and the spiritual power. Bhaishri has been a lifetime crusader for humanness in humans. At the Sandipani Vidyaniketan Bhaishri is creating an atmosphere for students to inculcate lineage, virtues and attributes directly from the Vedas and the Upanishads. After completing their studies, these students will be the persons who will be competent enough to preach and guide, to lead people on the path of love, goodness and spirituality. They will be such persons who know only to give and will never ask.

Pujya Bhaishri

Though a revered name, Bhaishri has never portrayed himself as a Godman or clergyman. He never desired to be addressed as a Guru or Maharaj. "Bhaishri", a name with which he is addressed, is a salutation to an elder brother. True to his name, he is the elder brother who gives advice and guidance, which is precisely what he intends to portray. His goal is to educate humans into enriching this world through their own lives. He wishes to show the path to see within, take an insight into the human nature, so as to evolve goodness and reject evilness.

Few would have guessed that some day this name would resound in every nook and corner of India and even transcend it’s boundaries. He has carved an enviable niche in the hearts of millions in India and abroad and he is determined to make the Indian culture flow like an eternal river, only to bring peace, happiness and sense of responsibility into the lives of humans through knowledge, awakening and spirituality.Born in a small village named Devka, on the 31st day of August, 1957 A.D. Bhaishri was nursed and nurtured in an unparalleled stream of life learning early in life the consciousness about the inner self. The village Devka is situated in the elitist coastal district of Saurashtra, in the state of Gujarat, having its boundaries on the west coast of India, which is north of Bombay, now known as Mumbai.

His father, a modest Brahmin, hailed from the "Audichya" community. Late Shri Vrajlal Kanjibhai Oza and his mother Smt. Laxmi ben Oza were overjoyed over his birth in their family as their second son, in a family of four brothers and two sisters.

Bhaishri’s grandmother, Smt. Bhagirathi ben, a staunch follower of Bhagwat, was devoted to educating and teaching the uneducated elderly folks of the village. She would practice different ways and means to evoke religious feelings in the villagers. Bhagirathi ben had a very strong desire to have a recitation of the Bhagwat in her house but the financial position of the family at that time would not allow such an event. Obsessed by the strong desire she took a very special vow that she would eat her meals by bringing her hands from below the knees while sitting in a squat posture and that she would continue to eat like this till the time her vow was fulfilled.
It took full seventeen years for such an event to take place. The best narrator of Bhagwat, the honorable Shri Mohanlalji Shastri accepted the holy seat of the "Vyas Peeth" and concluded the Bhagwat Yagna to show his regard and love for Smt. Bhagirathibain whom he looked upon as his sister.

At this juncture, Bhaishri was four months in his mother’s womb. It is believed that whatever the mother does, hear and think, directly affects the embryo in the womb during it’s 3rd- 4th month and that is the time when the "sanskars" (values) are inculcated in the child over and above the genes of the parents. This fact is indeed vouchsafed by the way Bhaishri developed into a totally unique person with remarkable qualities evidently inherent in him since birth.


Five months after this katha Bhaishri took birth. Bhaishri’s mother is of the belief that the birth of this son of hers was a result of seventeen years of unending devotion and dedication of her mother-in-law whom she looked upon as her own mother.

Brought up in a Brahmin family as per the Vedic Traditions, Bhaishri took to religious activities right from childhood. His mother very proudly recollects that when Bhaishri was young he was never involved in any kind of naughtiness or pranks. He never troubled the village people nor did she ever receive any complaints about him from anybody. While the other children would play, he would according to his own way of thinking create YagnaVedis, as if to perform a yagna, the religious sacrifice. He would collect his friends and ask them to gather dry leaves and small sticks with which he would enact the performance of a Yagna chanting the sacred word ‘SWAHA’. His mother Laxmiben never had the faintest idea that some day this young boy would carry the sacred torch of Indian culture through out the entire world, raising devotional feelings through the Bhagwat, showing the way of life through the Ramayana and spreading the spiritual teachings of the Geeta.

SANDIPANI VIDHYA NIKETAN - PORBUDER



Pujya Shri Rameshbhai Oza, popularly known as Bhaishri or Bhaiji, has been all his life the supreme propagator of faith. Faith in oneself, faith in the Almighty and the spiritual power. Bhaishri has been a lifetime crusader for humanness in humans. At the Sandipani Vidyaniketan Bhaishri is creating an atmosphere for students to inculcate lineage, virtues and attributes directly from the Vedas and the Upanishads. After completing their studies, these students will be the persons who will be competent enough to preach and guide, to lead people on the path of love, goodness and spirituality. They will be such persons who know only to give and will never ask.

Pujya Bhaishri

Though a revered name, Bhaishri has never portrayed himself as a Godman or clergyman. He never desired to be addressed as a Guru or Maharaj. "Bhaishri", a name with which he is addressed, is a salutation to an elder brother. True to his name, he is the elder brother who gives advice and guidance, which is precisely what he intends to portray. His goal is to educate humans into enriching this world through their own lives. He wishes to show the path to see within, take an insight into the human nature, so as to evolve goodness and reject evilness.

Few would have guessed that some day this name would resound in every nook and corner of India and even transcend it’s boundaries. He has carved an enviable niche in the hearts of millions in India and abroad and he is determined to make the Indian culture flow like an eternal river, only to bring peace, happiness and sense of responsibility into the lives of humans through knowledge, awakening and spirituality.Born in a small village named Devka, on the 31st day of August, 1957 A.D. Bhaishri was nursed and nurtured in an unparalleled stream of life learning early in life the consciousness about the inner self. The village Devka is situated in the elitist coastal district of Saurashtra, in the state of Gujarat, having its boundaries on the west coast of India, which is north of Bombay, now known as Mumbai.

His father, a modest Brahmin, hailed from the "Audichya" community. Late Shri Vrajlal Kanjibhai Oza and his mother Smt. Laxmi ben Oza were overjoyed over his birth in their family as their second son, in a family of four brothers and two sisters.

Bhaishri’s grandmother, Smt. Bhagirathi ben, a staunch follower of Bhagwat, was devoted to educating and teaching the uneducated elderly folks of the village. She would practice different ways and means to evoke religious feelings in the villagers. Bhagirathi ben had a very strong desire to have a recitation of the Bhagwat in her house but the financial position of the family at that time would not allow such an event. Obsessed by the strong desire she took a very special vow that she would eat her meals by bringing her hands from below the knees while sitting in a squat posture and that she would continue to eat like this till the time her vow was fulfilled.
It took full seventeen years for such an event to take place. The best narrator of Bhagwat, the honorable Shri Mohanlalji Shastri accepted the holy seat of the "Vyas Peeth" and concluded the Bhagwat Yagna to show his regard and love for Smt. Bhagirathibain whom he looked upon as his sister.

At this juncture, Bhaishri was four months in his mother’s womb. It is believed that whatever the mother does, hear and think, directly affects the embryo in the womb during it’s 3rd- 4th month and that is the time when the "sanskars" (values) are inculcated in the child over and above the genes of the parents. This fact is indeed vouchsafed by the way Bhaishri developed into a totally unique person with remarkable qualities evidently inherent in him since birth.


Five months after this katha Bhaishri took birth. Bhaishri’s mother is of the belief that the birth of this son of hers was a result of seventeen years of unending devotion and dedication of her mother-in-law whom she looked upon as her own mother.

Brought up in a Brahmin family as per the Vedic Traditions, Bhaishri took to religious activities right from childhood. His mother very proudly recollects that when Bhaishri was young he was never involved in any kind of naughtiness or pranks. He never troubled the village people nor did she ever receive any complaints about him from anybody. While the other children would play, he would according to his own way of thinking create YagnaVedis, as if to perform a yagna, the religious sacrifice. He would collect his friends and ask them to gather dry leaves and small sticks with which he would enact the performance of a Yagna chanting the sacred word ‘SWAHA’. His mother Laxmiben never had the faintest idea that some day this young boy would carry the sacred torch of Indian culture through out the entire world, raising devotional feelings through the Bhagwat, showing the way of life through the Ramayana and spreading the spiritual teachings of the Geeta.

Holding discourse on Geeta

An event associated with his childhood is still alive in the minds of the villagers of Devka. At the age of 13 years when Bhaishri was studying in standard seven, he collected friends of his age to organize a seven-day discourse on the Geeta on an amateurish scale. They collected donations of one rupee each to meet the expenses. A large tent was set up and invitation cards were distributed in person. Bhaishri still has a copy of this invite. Offerings of all kinds e.g., water, flower, prasadam, etc. were brought. To organize the whole program, committees were set up headed by one or two boys. A Vyaspeeth, which basically is a throne on which, normally a saint would sit to deliver his teachings, was installed to accommodate the preacher. Bhaishri would then take the Vyaspeeth preach the teachings of Geeta to the children. On the first day, the importance of Geeta was stressed and rest of the six days the eighteen chapters of the Geeta were completed in two sessions each day. In the beginning the village folk thought that this was just another childish prank and would get over no sooner it started, but to their dismay they observed that day by day numbers kept rising and the elders also started participating in the event. The discourses were extremely popular and included singing of bhajans and chanting of ‘mantras’.


Bhaishri was admitted to a Sanskrit school named Tatvajyoti in a nearby town called Rajula. During the very first year of his education in the school he exhibited signs of what he is today. The family culture, devotion of his grandmother and the environment in which he resided contributed to his disciplined, dedicated and devotional upbringing, which has made his life so divine and exemplary.

Thereafter he was admitted to a school in a town called Dungar for a short period. Here he completed standard nine and then came to Bombay, secured admission in the tenth standard and stayed in Bombay with his mother and father. After completing school he took commerce at college. It is noteworthy that during his entire span of academic activity he always stood first in his class. Never allowing any spare time for himself he was continuously engaged in studying Bhagwat, Ramayana, the Holy Geeta and several other religious texts. At other times he would sit quietly to meditate and engross himself in thoughts arising from the teachings of these texts and also from what he heard from the various saints that he kept interacting with.

Bhaishri grew into a smart young man, with radiance on his face, observant, attentive and intelligent. Nature endowed him with a melodious voice and a clear reverberating speech. He developed a unique style of oration, which held the listener’s attention and left him enchanted. His singing added to his personality, keeping listeners enthralled. His very presence emanated a glow suffused with spirituality, making a person feel so much a part of him, unmindful of his own identity.

Universal in appeal Bhaishri is accessible to just anybody. Time knows no limits with him and when one meets him, one feels he has all the time for them in the world. Logical in his presentation, he issues no commandments, says so little yet means so much. His messages are inspiring and thought provoking, helping people to transform radically into better human beings.

Bhaishri has now become synonymous with youthfulness and his scholastic aptitude, in depth thinking and pious life has given a tremendous boost to his personality akin to a fresh blooming rose in a divine garden. A true representative of Indian sainthood, he has the blessings of "Maa Saraswati" the Goddess of learning. Impressed by his intellect and spiritual awareness, saints from far and near conferred upon him various titles like ‘BhagwatAcharya’, ‘BhagwatBhushan’, ‘BhagwatRatna’. Despite his prodigious achievements Bhaishri is totally unassuming. He revels in simplicity and wholly detached from the trappings of luxury or self-glorification. This is the reason why he accepted to be called just "Bhaiji" or "Bhaishri" and nothing more than that.

Spiritual Development

From his early childhood, Bhaishri’s father inculcated in him the habit to recite Bhagwat Geeta daily. He thus developed a very special love for Geeta and this one book alone is the major driving force in his life. Bhaishri’s Uncle Shri Jeevraj Bhai Oza was himself a reciter of the Bhagwat katha. During his vacations after Std. seven Bhaishri would go to his uncle’s place to stay and travel along with him wherever he went to recite the Bhagwat. He gained considerable experience and confidence from accompanying him, coupled with his own study he was able to conduct discourses on Geeta right from his childhood at the age of a mere 13 years.

It was at the behest of his uncle that he was admitted to the Sanskrit school, which initiated him into the realm of spirituality. During his college days he used to attend the daily pravachans by his uncle, held in Borivali locality of Mumbai and on several occasions his uncle used to pass on the cord to him to do the pravachan. During such discourses there were recitations from the Mahabharat, Ramayana, Shivpuran, Bhagwat etc; he used to pick up the recitation from wherever his uncle left. In the evenings Bhaishri used to hold pravachans in the college at some place or the other and his fellow students would sit in front of him to listen to him ever so intently.

Destined to transform the lives of mankind Bhaishri’s interest started veering away at a tangent from his college studies. Initially he had decided to select science as his subject, planning to become a doctor but landed up in commerce to become a Chartered Accountant. By the time he reached the final year of his graduation academics appeared dry and uninteresting. The ‘adhyatmic sanskaras’ of childhood blossomed and his interest in Kathas caught on, taking him still closer to the Almighty Lord.


The first katha outside Bombay took place in a town called Mandvi in Kutch, a district in the state of Gujarat. In the beginning he started with 5-6 kathas a year and by the time he completed his graduation he became totally occupied, also because of the pravachans which kept taking place alongside with his uncle.

Now there was no stopping him. As Bhaishri followed in the footsteps of his Uncle who was also reciting the Bhagwat himself, he took to recitation of Bhagwat as his main subject. The underlying fact remains that while studying the Geeta, Bhaishri developed a very special attachment to Lord Krishna, which made him choose his path through Bhagwat.

Due to Bhaishri’s very special style of presentation and blessed by the nature with a beautiful musical voice, every body and anybody who listened to him got energised by the impact of his select verbosity and resonant voice, singing simultaneously with great feeling. The entire environment appeared so pure and serene that the listener could easily assimilate whatever was said. His in depth knowledge blossomed forth during the recitation of the kathas overwhelming the listener with his vast knowledge. The flow of well selected spiritual words held the listener in a trance, transporting him into a world of unalloyed joy and happiness.

Enlightenment of the general public became the focal point of his life. To achieve this he found Bhagwat, a very effective medium and also to develop feelings of love and devotion in the devotees towards the Almighty.

Many a time Bhagwat is recited in the house of a family after the death of an elderly family member so as to sanctify the departed soul. In fact what actually transpires is that the young ones get to hear the recitation of the Bhagwat and through this medium, prepare themselves to step confidently into the mainstream of life without the protective umbrella of the elderly who remain no more. It prepares them in stepping into the shoes of their departed elder and from then on to lead their life with responsibility and to hold the reigns of the family.

The Ramayana

While moving around Bhaishri also heard other saints who recite the Ramayana and though his main subject was Bhagwat, he developed an interest in Ramayana too. Slowly but imperceptibly Bhaishri’s love for the Ramayana started taking shape and he commenced reciting the Ramayana. Bhaishri felt the necessity of inducing the sense of responsibility, good conduct and behavior in the minds of general public. He found Ramayana an effective medium to achieve this, as Ramayana glorifies the life of Lord Ram as an ideal personality which the individuals of the society could follow and understand the fundamentals of co-existence in a society, country and the world.

The Geeta

Bhaishri is well versed in the Geeta and also due to his admiration and love for Lord Krishna has been its staunch follower. Since Geeta is the basis of all epics and provides the finest knowledge, Bhaishri started giving discourses on Geeta. Geeta is not recited like a katha but is explained. Geeta needs to be understood thoroughly to provide the real impact. Only a person of Bhaishri’s caliber can bring out the intricate and deeper meanings of the sayings in Geeta.

To effectively explain the verses of Geeta Bhaishri started conducting ‘Geeta Panchaha’, which is a five-day discourse on Geeta. In each such Geeta panchaha he speaks on the shlokas of a chapter in Geeta. He found that the Geeta has been explained in two main epics; they are the Bhagwat & the Ramayana. The Geeta infact has been characterized in these two colossal epics depicting the cultural heritage of India. During the recitation of Bhagwat, Bhaishri uses the scriptures from Geeta and the Ramayana.

According to Bhaishri while Bhagwat is devotional, the Ramayana emphasizes responsibility, conduct and behavior and the Geeta total spiritual knowledge. Hence one assimilates knowledge from Geeta, the art of living from Ramayana and devotion from Bhagwat. These three elements are vitally essential to one’s life and lead a person into a perpetual state of bliss.

One gains blessings of God by hearing the Bhagwat, from Bhaishri, access to mastery of life by listening to the Ramayana and spiritual knowledge by understanding the Geeta.

Importance of kathas

Recitation of Kathas became a way of life for Bhaishri. He made up his mind and vowed to himself that kathas would be his life’s mission. To Bhaishri, Kathas are not a system to support his life but an integral part of his life and he was determined to help others by inducing the teachings from the Kathas in their own lives for their spiritual well being.

Initially quite a few kathas were privately organised for the specific purpose of blessing the departed soul of the demised elderly member of the family. In such kathas Bhaishri noticed that, though a lot of persons would come to listen to the katha, the family members themselves were more engrossed in their duties towards the invited guests and accompanying them to their seat and leading them to the door when they were leaving. This was not the discipline that Bhaishri had in mind. He realised that the very purpose of the katha was being lost. The family members who had organised it to bless the departed soul were not even able to bless themselves and as such hardly achieved anything out of it. The Katha became only a meaningless ritual. He therefore opted out from such private kathas.

Bhaishri now accepted only Katha recitals, which were organised by organizations dedicated to some cause. Some charitable institutions would do it for raising funds, others for social causes like building hospitals, schools etc. Such kathas gave greater satisfaction to Bhaishri as against the privately organised kathas. He thought that in such kathas, while his messages helped the masses, funds for charities were received through donation and helped the organisers in achieving their social goals.

As would have been the outcome of this too, after some time, Bhaishri felt that the Kathas had become a byproduct to his main aim. Collecting money for charities appeared to take the front seat rather than benefiting mankind. He felt that this was insulting to the knowledge and the sanctity of the Katha. Katha is devotional. It is for Godliness and for self-enlightenment. It is to induce humanness in humans and to show how one should conduct one’s life, how one should draw inspiration to achieve coherence and finally how one could make one’s life fully meaningful.

Bhaishri often recites a "shlok" from the vedas
"om bhadram karnebhihi shrnuyam devaha
bhadram pashye maksh bhir ya jatraha."
This means that we should listen and look at that which is appropriate. The explanation given is that whatever a person continuously listens or continuously sees is what he becomes. Whatever we see or listen an impression remains on our minds and form part of our lineage.

Effect on mankind

By listening to the katha, the soul attains purity. Listening to the katha is akin to periodic servicing and overhauling of machinery in a factory. The katha helps to maintain our lineage intact. In one’s life, certain very common but pertinent questions, dominate our thinking such as: why should we act only as to what pleases us; why not according to what pleases others, why care only for our feelings and not care for the feelings of others, provoking questions from oneself, like, this is the way I acted, am I making a mistake? am I becoming self-centered and selfish?
Questions such as these bring discordance in life. It leaves a person dissatisfied, despoiled and disturbed. Contrary to this, if one were to take to the path of Godliness listening to the Bhagwat, it is possible that such questions will never plague the mind and would never have to be answered. The answers are found in the drastic change that takes place in one self. This process does not leave any space for existence of such questions, since, by then, you have already changed dramatically and as a rule such questions lose their very relevance.

Results from Kathas

Many people who have been benefited by the kathas have shared their experiences with Bhaishri through letters and personal meetings. Some of them were on the verge of suicide after accepting defeat due to severe problems in life, which were unbearable. The very same persons are today fighting problems like Arjun did in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The very thought that the God is with them has changed their outlook towards life. Many of those who had disassociated themselves from their duties have now become responsible, duty-bound and have developed a sense to be on the job whenever called. The katha definitely stops a person from failing in his moral values. It is indeed a school for mass education for intense betterment.

It is an agreed fact that katha alone cannot convert a corrupt person into a good person, not because the katha is incapacitated, but because whenever people find the law and systems not suiting them, they do indulge in corrupt practices, not due to willfulness but due to helplessness. With the medium of katha, in such cases this much has been achieved that what one is doing under pressure and helplessness accepts that what he is doing is not right. This fact remains in his heart. An illness which when recognized as an illness is the first sign of becoming well because till such time one keeps on justifying his ill health into believing it as good health, the illness persists. In such a case there is no remedy to make one healthy. By listening to the katha, one atleast attains the vision to see what is not right and probably at some point of time in his life, he could get over his helplessness and adopt the righteous path. A human being is the likeness of God and one day he will attain the Godliness of his origin.

Bhaishri had decided that the kathas were his life but not a means of living. He would accept offerings, considering them to be God’s wish, but only those, which were offered while he was sitting on the Vyaspeeth and nothing other than this. In India there exists a custom where saints are called to the house and several offerings are made to them. Bhaishri however would refuse these offerings. Probably on one of such occasions a family member could not understand his refusal and asked him a direct question with reference to in one of Bhaishri’s teachings where he had suggested that each earning member should part with 10% of his earnings and offer it as charity for the need of others. The family member quipped to say that if he kept on refusing such offerings and if all the others were to do the same, where would the opportunity be to do charity? He further added that Bhaishri could use it for any deserving cause as he may deem fit.

This small incident reminded Bhaishri of the "Dharma" of a Brahmin. Brahmin is one of the four sects of people defined in the Vedas. A Brahmin has six dharmas (duties).


To impart knowledge To gain knowledge
To perform yagna To make people perform yagna
To accept charity To do charity
Hence as a Brahmin, it was his duty to accept charity and at the same time he should, in turn do charity also for a deserving cause. This gave rise to a thought in his mind that he could very well make use of the charity by spending it for the upliftment of the cultural heritage. This is a prime responsibility of a Brahmin. He also thought that by refusing, he might be able to earn a reputation for renouncing such charities but at the same time what good would such a reputation be if he had to fall back on his responsibilities enjoined upon him by the scriptures. So he started looking for an outlet, which would give him the satisfaction of executing this responsibility.

In his pursuit to find such an outlet a thought crossed his mind, that so far he had been devoting his entire time to reciting kathas, so why not now use some of this time to do something, which would help the society in developing assets within themselves. Such an opportunity soon lay at his feet when he was invited to Porbandar to recite a Bhagwat katha. Porbandar is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, a town in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat State on the West Coast of India. It is also the birth place of Sudama, a dear friend of Lord Krishna.

The locals of Porbandar requested him to visit the Sanskrit school in a village called Babada, close to Porbandar. It was during this visit that he immediately decided that this is what he would like to do and this is exactly what he should be doing. That is to run a school, which would teach Sanskrit and develop in the students the cultural heritage and induct lineage into them. At the request of the locals, he accepted the trusteeship and started infusing funds into the school, which very soon gained recognition and the number of applicants to it increased. He was later appointed Chairman of the trust. In order that he could accept more applications for admission he started looking for a new place to house the school.

The government of Gujarat was kind enough to give him 85 acres of land opposite the Porbandar airport for this purpose. More trustees were chosen by Bhaishri and inducted into the trust called Shree Bhartiya Sanskruti Samvardhak Trust, which was responsible for running the school. The trustees under the guidance of Bhaishri went all out to develop this school into a Vidyaniketan (residential college).

Goals

Plans were formulated to set up a complex with total amenities to house 500 students on the campus and to have their education in Sanskrit, grammar and other essential modern subjects necessary to become capable and virtuous Brahmins. The college would be called Rishikul and the teaching would be given as per the ancient Vedic Tapovan system.

In the modern context, the society is unable to get educated Brahmins who are well versed in scriptures and can conduct religious functions and rituals. Bhaishri noticed that practicing Brahmins did not even have sufficient knowledge of Sanskrit, leave aside conversing in Sanskrit. Hence Bhaishri thought that his Vidyaniketan will fill the void and produce proficient Brahmins with the following qualities:
Well educated in all subjects mainly Sanskrit and Grammar
Have consummate knowledge of the Vedas
A person who can conduct his life with ‘niyam’ and ‘sainyam’ i.e. with discipline and restraint. A true Brahmin who would regularly do ‘sandhya’ and ‘tapasya’ i.e. who undertakes regular prayers and performs religious sacrifices.
He will not be a seller but a distributor of knowledge i.e. one who will not have a mercenary mentality but will be a person, righteous, virtuous and of good conduct and behavior.
He will be the ambassador for teaching and inculcating and spreading the Vedic cultural heritage and the one who will induce human values and lineage.
Unlike the Rishikul, which will produce Sanskrit scholars a Gurukul will also be set up
to impart modern education in the English language, to produce professionals. In today’s society one gets good engineers, doctors, lawyers but it is seen that somewhere on their way to graduation the humanism in them is lost. Hence with this Tapovan system the aim of the Vidyaniketan would be to produce students with a strong cultural foundation who later while practicing their profession would do so with humanism and remain committed to the over all well being of humanity.
People who would strive to make a difference for the better and not just continue to exist.
People who would perform deeds and get satisfaction from them that their life has been meaningful.
The education at the Sandipani Vidyaniketan will be based on Sanskrit and will also lay stress on grammar as a subject. Grammar is the fundamental base and foundation of any language. Any priest performing religious rituals or prayers, a teacher, a preacher whichever role one adopts, if his grammar is not good enough he would not be able to recite any verses correctly, only correct grammar can enable a person to speak correct Sanskrit and scriptures with correct hymns. Bhaishri notices that these days grammar is believed to be a dry subject and hence it’s importance has been minimised. Since grammar is difficult, Bhaishri does not wish the very base to become weak and hence wants students to take up this subject to become Aacharyas and not directly through Vedanta, which is an easier route. Bhaishri wishes to preserve the Vedas in their original and basic forms, which he thinks can be done if his students know grammar well. He says if one masters grammar one is able to master any other stream of knowledge and excel in it. Bhaishri feels that if people were to say that if one wants to learn grammar one should go to Sandipani, then undoubtedly, the importance of both grammar and Sanskrit will rise.

Accomplishment

Graduates of Sandipani are leading in all activities and are recognized as good Brahmins, priests, teachers, professors and kathakaars (who recite religious epics). Aacharyas of Sandipani are being called upon by various organisations in India as well as abroad for becoming priests in temples, give discourses, become teachers and conduct religious sacrifices. The students of Sandipani are gaining reputation and prestige and are preferred over others anywhere.

The students of Sandipani excel in four different types of activities both in India and abroad.
Teachers and professors
Priests in India and abroad
Kathakaars
Karma kaand (religious crifices)
It may be mentioned with pride that some of them have become profound kathakaars of the the Shrimad Bhagwat and also of the Ramayana. True to their teaching they have become distributors of knowledge and not sellers. It is reported that in one such katha where the Rishikumar was reciting from the vyaspeeth, when an announcement was made that Shastriji had narrated the katha very effectively and who so ever wished to give anything may kindly put the same in the ‘jholi’ (collection bag). The Rishikumar spoke from the Vyaspeeth acknowledging the feeling and the goodwill of organisers withdrew the jholi saying that the institution to which he belonged had taught him not to ask for anything but only to accept whatever is gifted to the Vyaspeeth as a gift for God which is sufficient to meet one’s needs. He said he was there to create vistas for people to come close to God and to spread his glory. He further added he was not there to sell anything.

This and many other such reports are self-depicting. The impact of teaching at the Sandipani is gaining recognition. The work conducted at the Vidyaniketan, the emotions infused and knowledge imparted is speaking for itself. Bhaishri feels that it is by the grace of God that his work is proceeding in the right direction and that the Sandipani Vidyaniketan is able to bring out bright learned and contented Brahmins who lead ascetic lives possessing thorough knowledge of their work.

Future

Phase 1 of Vidyaniketan which is the Rishikul. The Rishikul is complete and the entire infrastructure has been installed. Work on the Phase II which is the Gurukul will commence as soon as the plans for its formulation are completed and appropriate staff are appointed to execute the plan.

Through the Rishikul, Bhaishri wishes to produce a crop of good Brahmins for society who will spread the knowledge of Vedas, keep the cultural heritage intact, and through the gurukul, Bhaishri wishes to breed competent professionals for society, people who would execute their work with commitment and human values.

Broadly Bhaishri sees the future of the Sandipani Vidyaniketan as a field for raising a crop of good human beings. To keep pace with changing times, Bhaishri feels that it is quite all right if the system of education is changed, if it is beneficial. But wherever the student of Sandipani enters, in whichever field of activity he officiates he should become a point of reference, a role model, an ideal, a matter of pride for the country by virtue of his solid commitment and integrity. His opinion should matter in all fields. Anyone having any doubts on any aspect should say, "what would people from Sandipani Vidyaniketan have to say in this matter?" People should feel that if someone is from Sandipani he need not be interviewed. Just employ. Such should be the reputation of Sandipani Vidyaniketan that it speaks for itself.

Message

In the modern context where everything has been commercialised, people have to pay for each and everything and every person demands his own price, but a learned person who executes his job proficiently professes emphatically that whatever he has is a gift from God. Bhaishri lays stress on this aspect and evokes these feeling in the minds of the students of the Rishikul by saying that without having to spend a single paise they are able to study, stay and have their meals. This is because of the grace of God who has made all these provisions and arrangements. God is prevalent in every one’s heart and it is from there that he inspires people to support the Vidyaniketan. This is an investment that Godly people of society are sponsoring and that the students have to pay the debt back to society by preparing themselves thoroughly to serve it.

In the good old days even the Rishikuls were functioning in the same way and were not dependent on the kings for their existence. The Rishis never had to go anywhere to ask for donations. Believing in the same system, Bhaishri had decided that neither himself, the institution nor any member would ever indulge in fund raising. The members are permitted only to inform people but never to appeal. Bhaishri is satisfied that with the grace of God everything is arranged for by itself and that the almighty from time to time has fulfilled the needs of the Vidyaniketan. Any and all contributions that come in are treated as God’s prasadam, i.e. as his gift.

With this view Bhaishri lays stress that his students from the Rishikul of the Vidyaniketan will never sell knowledge but only distribute it. They will never think of selling knowledge for a price but will remain distributors of knowledge for the benefit of mankind at large.

Notwithstanding the motto laid by Bhaishri, 10% of them may get influenced by the modern commercial thinking, but that is a matter of discordance. One needs food, water and air but though God has provided for this, one still pays a price for them. So, when God has gifted the Vidyaniketan, the Rishikumars have no right to sell any of the knowledge gained by them at the Vidyaniketan. Even in the Vedic scriptures, selling of knowledge has been considered a sin because when knowledge is sold for a price one gets greedy and impartation of true knowledge gets lost in the process. It is because of the strict observance of this rule that the Rishikumars of the Vidyaniketan after having completed their education are revered and sought after so much.

There is a hidden message in the rules laid down by Bhaishri that to accept anything and everything with true spirit, is that, it is a gift from God and hence never should it be sold, neither in its existing form nor in any of its resultant forms. What one receives must be passed on to the other without any commercial considerations but with value addition.
The History of the Vidyaniketan commences from a small school situated at a village named Babada about 35 kms north of Porbandar. This school was started by the teachers themselves who migrated from Ahmedabad to pursue the teachings to the eager students of their school in Ahmedabad, which got closed abruptly.


Bhaishri's dream comes true

At the request of the teachers of the school and the local people who took interest in the school, Bhaishri visited the school. He appreciated the efforts being made by the teachers and the locals in such difficult circumstances with meager funds at their disposal. Having accepted the trusteeship Bhaishri then decided to support the school, not only because the school needed support, but also because Bhaishri too had it in mind to take up such a task of educating students; those who are keen to gain knowledge of the Vedic system and those who would be capable of holding the flag high of the esteemed Indian cultural heritage.

Very soon thereafter Bhaishri was appointed the chairman of the trust running the school to take complete charge and to lend his vision for its fulfillment. Gradually, the pressure started increasing on the school and there were many more applicants than what the school could accommodate. Bhaishri decided that it was now the right time to adopt the school and relocate it in a larger area for its further development for it to be more constructive and useful to the student community.

Expansion of the Trust

After carefully selecting, Bhaishri appointed fifteen trustees to the trust named Shri Bhartiya Sanskruti Samvardhak Trust, which existed since the year 1984. The trust was given the entire responsibility for supporting and running the school. Despite this, the pressure was tremendous and Bhaishri decided that since the place was too small, it had to be set-up in a larger place.

Vidyaniketan - an educational institution

Having decided to choose another suitable place, Bhaishri made up his mind to set up a Vidyaniketan, which he emphasized, would be run like an Ashram and would be called RISHIKUL. This was the ancient way of imparting education in India. Life in the Vidyaniketan is self-dependent with set routines carried out with strict discipline. All his students will be called RISHIKUMARS, said Bhaishri, who, after having completed their studies from the Rishikul would become assets to society. Assets such as those, who knew not to ask but only to give. Bhaishri said, the motto of the Vidyaniketan would be "GYANARTH PRAVESH, SEVARATH PRASTHAN". This implies that a student would enter the school vowing to gain knowledge and would leave the school covenanted to be of service to mankind at large.

Relocation of the school


Bhaishri then approached the Government of Gujarat requesting for an adequate piece of land to set up this Vidyaniketan. Deeply concerned by the endeavor of Bhaishri, the Government of Gujarat was kind enough to allot 85 acres of land to the trust to set-up this Vidyaniketan at Porbandar, a town in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat State on the West Coast of India. It may be recalled that Porbandar is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation. Even Sudama, a childhood friend and a schoolmate of Lord Shri Krishna hailed from Porbunder. It is since then that the city gained its importance because of the devotion and faith of Sudama in his friend Lord Shri Krishna.
Incidentally Sudama and Lord Shri Krishna took their primary education in the same Vidyaniketan and their guru was Rishi Sandipani. Since Bhaishri has great devotional love for Lord Shri Krishna whose teacher was Rishi Sandipani, Bhaishri named the Vidyaniketan after his beloved Lord Krishna's Guru, "SANDIPANI VIDYANIKETAN".

Having received the land from Govt. of Gujarat in 1991, the Vidyaniketan started conducting its activities from the auspicious sixth day of February 1992. Since then the Sandipani Vidyaniketan has been continuously expanding its activities and running the institution on strict disciplinary lines. The discipline adopted by the Vidyaniketan is based on the system of ancient education of Vedic culture specifically termed 'Tapovan'. Ofcourse, times have changed and the facilities are of a much larger magnitude in keeping with modern times.

The Sandipani Vidyaniketan endeavors to lay stress on the rich Indian heritage and culture. The emphasis of the Vidyaniketan is to rekindle humanity through education based on the prestigious and traditional Indian values, which will eventually benefit the world. It strives to achieve the highest standards of learning in Sanskrit and for establishing cultural and humanitarian values.

Sandipani Vidyaniketan is not just a school but an institution in its self. The Vidyaniketan imparts education to students right from standard VIII to graduation at Standard XIII and then further to post graduation at standard XV. Graduates are called 'SHASTRIS' and post-graduates 'AACHARYAS'. The basis of education is primarily Sanskrit with faculties for learning Grammar and Veda. The knowledge of grammar is considered most important since Sanskrit is a language of vibration and reverberation, the pronunciation of which is designed to bring positive effects into the body and the soul of a person. Sanskrit in the modern context, has been acclaimed as the most scientific language; totally compatible with computer language.


Though the medium of instruction is Hindi, students gain knowledge not only of vedas and upanishads and grammar but also of English and subjects like mathematics, modern science, computers, arts and crafts, classical music etc. The students are well exposed to health maintenance and physical development through regular physical and Yogic exercises and games like football, volleyball, cricket etc. They are subjected to a well-chalked out routine for the entire day commencing at 6.00 a.m. in the morning to 10.00 p.m. in the night.

The uniform comprises of the most modest, comfortable and environmental friendly, traditional Indian dress of white kurta and dhoti with an orange upvastra. The students adorn their forehead with a paste made from CHANDAN and KUMKUM called TILAK. This tilak when dry causes shrinking on the skin which creates a light pressure on the very place where the center of our nervous system is located, i.e. in the middle of the forehead. This keeps the nervous system constantly active, transforming the subject into a thoughtful being. The students also maintain a tuft of hair at the back of the head, which hangs proudly. The hair is tied in a knot and kept neat. This maintains a light pressure at the back of the head and provides a backpressure on the brain cells, which enhances comprehension and peace of mind.

The Vidyaniketan consists of various faculties such as Veda, Grammar etc. and further provides adequate facilities for the overall growth of the student transforming him into a complete human being with a multidimensional ability, ready to disseminate knowledge and preserve the heritage. Receiving education in such an environment, students attain a status, which is Vedic yet modern.


Apart from basic education, the students are exposed to various other facilities such as: computer education, classical music, arts and craft, painting, etc. The students also indulge in extra curricular activities such as: staging plays, debates and elocution competitions, instrumental and vocal music competitions, outdoor sports and indoor games and providing services during festivals and conferences organized by the Vidyaniketan.

The students in the institution are groomed to become self-reliant and independent. While strictly on time for each activity, they also help themselves by completing their daily chores of washing their clothes, making their beds, cleaning their rooms, and helping in maintaining the campus neat and orderly.

The students are actively involved in organizing various functions held on the campus of the Vidyaniketan. In organizing such functions they work harmoniously in a hierarchical system where the seniors have the main responsibilities and the juniors execute the jobs entrusted by the seniors. This inculcates sense of leadership in the seniors and efficiency in the juniors.

With such a system of education, the Vidyaniketan is able to produce persons of great calibers, epitomes of society having the capacity to impart knowledge, keep alive the cultural heritage and develop the lineage in the common members of the society at large. Totally devoted to the upbringing of society, theirs is a life of commitment and total dedication.


The Gurukul is totally academic oriented and deploys reaching in English medium. The Gurukul is intended to impart education to its students upto school level, Standard Twelve in the basic faculties, such as science and commerce. Presently the Gurukul has been commenced with Standard L.K.G. to 10th std. (Standards 6th to 10th being with residential facilities.) The subjects taught are according to standard education imparted in normal schools. The Sandipani Gurukul is in affiliation with the Gujarat Board and is following the syllabus as per their guidelines. Besides modern education, Sanskrit, the mother of all languages is taught in the Gurukul as a compulsory subject from Standard Sixth in accordance with the Gujarat Board. Other co-curricular activities enjoyed by the students are outdoor and indoor games, reading facilities and outdoor picnics for overall enhancement of their personalities. Like any other public school, the Gurukul provides commercial knowledge to induce professionalism and thus lays the foundation to create professional with correct moral values.


The Gurukul facilitates an excellent opportunity for those parents who wish their children to undertake their education in India and grow in an Indian cultural environment. It is also the perfect place for the students, coming from the International community, to gain knowledge in an environment of Vedic culture.

The Gurukul may seek affiliation with known and accepted universities with international standing so that their certificates are recognized internationally.

SANDIPANI VIDHYA NIKETAN - PORBUDER


Pujya Shri Rameshbhai Oza, popularly known as Bhaishri or Bhaiji, has been all his life the supreme propagator of faith. Faith in oneself, faith in the Almighty and the spiritual power. Bhaishri has been a lifetime crusader for humanness in humans. At the Sandipani Vidyaniketan Bhaishri is creating an atmosphere for students to inculcate lineage, virtues and attributes directly from the Vedas and the Upanishads. After completing their studies, these students will be the persons who will be competent enough to preach and guide, to lead people on the path of love, goodness and spirituality. They will be such persons who know only to give and will never ask.

Pujya Bhaishri

Though a revered name, Bhaishri has never portrayed himself as a Godman or clergyman. He never desired to be addressed as a Guru or Maharaj. "Bhaishri", a name with which he is addressed, is a salutation to an elder brother. True to his name, he is the elder brother who gives advice and guidance, which is precisely what he intends to portray. His goal is to educate humans into enriching this world through their own lives. He wishes to show the path to see within, take an insight into the human nature, so as to evolve goodness and reject evilness.

Few would have guessed that some day this name would resound in every nook and corner of India and even transcend it’s boundaries. He has carved an enviable niche in the hearts of millions in India and abroad and he is determined to make the Indian culture flow like an eternal river, only to bring peace, happiness and sense of responsibility into the lives of humans through knowledge, awakening and spirituality.Born in a small village named Devka, on the 31st day of August, 1957 A.D. Bhaishri was nursed and nurtured in an unparalleled stream of life learning early in life the consciousness about the inner self. The village Devka is situated in the elitist coastal district of Saurashtra, in the state of Gujarat, having its boundaries on the west coast of India, which is north of Bombay, now known as Mumbai.

His father, a modest Brahmin, hailed from the "Audichya" community. Late Shri Vrajlal Kanjibhai Oza and his mother Smt. Laxmi ben Oza were overjoyed over his birth in their family as their second son, in a family of four brothers and two sisters.

Bhaishri’s grandmother, Smt. Bhagirathi ben, a staunch follower of Bhagwat, was devoted to educating and teaching the uneducated elderly folks of the village. She would practice different ways and means to evoke religious feelings in the villagers. Bhagirathi ben had a very strong desire to have a recitation of the Bhagwat in her house but the financial position of the family at that time would not allow such an event. Obsessed by the strong desire she took a very special vow that she would eat her meals by bringing her hands from below the knees while sitting in a squat posture and that she would continue to eat like this till the time her vow was fulfilled.
It took full seventeen years for such an event to take place. The best narrator of Bhagwat, the honorable Shri Mohanlalji Shastri accepted the holy seat of the "Vyas Peeth" and concluded the Bhagwat Yagna to show his regard and love for Smt. Bhagirathibain whom he looked upon as his sister.

At this juncture, Bhaishri was four months in his mother’s womb. It is believed that whatever the mother does, hear and think, directly affects the embryo in the womb during it’s 3rd- 4th month and that is the time when the "sanskars" (values) are inculcated in the child over and above the genes of the parents. This fact is indeed vouchsafed by the way Bhaishri developed into a totally unique person with remarkable qualities evidently inherent in him since birth.


Five months after this katha Bhaishri took birth. Bhaishri’s mother is of the belief that the birth of this son of hers was a result of seventeen years of unending devotion and dedication of her mother-in-law whom she looked upon as her own mother.

Brought up in a Brahmin family as per the Vedic Traditions, Bhaishri took to religious activities right from childhood. His mother very proudly recollects that when Bhaishri was young he was never involved in any kind of naughtiness or pranks. He never troubled the village people nor did she ever receive any complaints about him from anybody. While the other children would play, he would according to his own way of thinking create YagnaVedis, as if to perform a yagna, the religious sacrifice. He would collect his friends and ask them to gather dry leaves and small sticks with which he would enact the performance of a Yagna chanting the sacred word ‘SWAHA’. His mother Laxmiben never had the faintest idea that some day this young boy would carry the sacred torch of Indian culture through out the entire world, raising devotional feelings through the Bhagwat, showing the way of life through the Ramayana and spreading the spiritual teachings of the Geeta.

Holding discourse on Geeta

An event associated with his childhood is still alive in the minds of the villagers of Devka. At the age of 13 years when Bhaishri was studying in standard seven, he collected friends of his age to organize a seven-day discourse on the Geeta on an amateurish scale. They collected donations of one rupee each to meet the expenses. A large tent was set up and invitation cards were distributed in person. Bhaishri still has a copy of this invite. Offerings of all kinds e.g., water, flower, prasadam, etc. were brought. To organize the whole program, committees were set up headed by one or two boys. A Vyaspeeth, which basically is a throne on which, normally a saint would sit to deliver his teachings, was installed to accommodate the preacher. Bhaishri would then take the Vyaspeeth preach the teachings of Geeta to the children. On the first day, the importance of Geeta was stressed and rest of the six days the eighteen chapters of the Geeta were completed in two sessions each day. In the beginning the village folk thought that this was just another childish prank and would get over no sooner it started, but to their dismay they observed that day by day numbers kept rising and the elders also started participating in the event. The discourses were extremely popular and included singing of bhajans and chanting of ‘mantras’.


Bhaishri was admitted to a Sanskrit school named Tatvajyoti in a nearby town called Rajula. During the very first year of his education in the school he exhibited signs of what he is today. The family culture, devotion of his grandmother and the environment in which he resided contributed to his disciplined, dedicated and devotional upbringing, which has made his life so divine and exemplary.

Thereafter he was admitted to a school in a town called Dungar for a short period. Here he completed standard nine and then came to Bombay, secured admission in the tenth standard and stayed in Bombay with his mother and father. After completing school he took commerce at college. It is noteworthy that during his entire span of academic activity he always stood first in his class. Never allowing any spare time for himself he was continuously engaged in studying Bhagwat, Ramayana, the Holy Geeta and several other religious texts. At other times he would sit quietly to meditate and engross himself in thoughts arising from the teachings of these texts and also from what he heard from the various saints that he kept interacting with.

Bhaishri grew into a smart young man, with radiance on his face, observant, attentive and intelligent. Nature endowed him with a melodious voice and a clear reverberating speech. He developed a unique style of oration, which held the listener’s attention and left him enchanted. His singing added to his personality, keeping listeners enthralled. His very presence emanated a glow suffused with spirituality, making a person feel so much a part of him, unmindful of his own identity.

Universal in appeal Bhaishri is accessible to just anybody. Time knows no limits with him and when one meets him, one feels he has all the time for them in the world. Logical in his presentation, he issues no commandments, says so little yet means so much. His messages are inspiring and thought provoking, helping people to transform radically into better human beings.

Bhaishri has now become synonymous with youthfulness and his scholastic aptitude, in depth thinking and pious life has given a tremendous boost to his personality akin to a fresh blooming rose in a divine garden. A true representative of Indian sainthood, he has the blessings of "Maa Saraswati" the Goddess of learning. Impressed by his intellect and spiritual awareness, saints from far and near conferred upon him various titles like ‘BhagwatAcharya’, ‘BhagwatBhushan’, ‘BhagwatRatna’. Despite his prodigious achievements Bhaishri is totally unassuming. He revels in simplicity and wholly detached from the trappings of luxury or self-glorification. This is the reason why he accepted to be called just "Bhaiji" or "Bhaishri" and nothing more than that.

Spiritual Development

From his early childhood, Bhaishri’s father inculcated in him the habit to recite Bhagwat Geeta daily. He thus developed a very special love for Geeta and this one book alone is the major driving force in his life. Bhaishri’s Uncle Shri Jeevraj Bhai Oza was himself a reciter of the Bhagwat katha. During his vacations after Std. seven Bhaishri would go to his uncle’s place to stay and travel along with him wherever he went to recite the Bhagwat. He gained considerable experience and confidence from accompanying him, coupled with his own study he was able to conduct discourses on Geeta right from his childhood at the age of a mere 13 years.

It was at the behest of his uncle that he was admitted to the Sanskrit school, which initiated him into the realm of spirituality. During his college days he used to attend the daily pravachans by his uncle, held in Borivali locality of Mumbai and on several occasions his uncle used to pass on the cord to him to do the pravachan. During such discourses there were recitations from the Mahabharat, Ramayana, Shivpuran, Bhagwat etc; he used to pick up the recitation from wherever his uncle left. In the evenings Bhaishri used to hold pravachans in the college at some place or the other and his fellow students would sit in front of him to listen to him ever so intently.

Destined to transform the lives of mankind Bhaishri’s interest started veering away at a tangent from his college studies. Initially he had decided to select science as his subject, planning to become a doctor but landed up in commerce to become a Chartered Accountant. By the time he reached the final year of his graduation academics appeared dry and uninteresting. The ‘adhyatmic sanskaras’ of childhood blossomed and his interest in Kathas caught on, taking him still closer to the Almighty Lord.


The first katha outside Bombay took place in a town called Mandvi in Kutch, a district in the state of Gujarat. In the beginning he started with 5-6 kathas a year and by the time he completed his graduation he became totally occupied, also because of the pravachans which kept taking place alongside with his uncle.

Now there was no stopping him. As Bhaishri followed in the footsteps of his Uncle who was also reciting the Bhagwat himself, he took to recitation of Bhagwat as his main subject. The underlying fact remains that while studying the Geeta, Bhaishri developed a very special attachment to Lord Krishna, which made him choose his path through Bhagwat.

Due to Bhaishri’s very special style of presentation and blessed by the nature with a beautiful musical voice, every body and anybody who listened to him got energised by the impact of his select verbosity and resonant voice, singing simultaneously with great feeling. The entire environment appeared so pure and serene that the listener could easily assimilate whatever was said. His in depth knowledge blossomed forth during the recitation of the kathas overwhelming the listener with his vast knowledge. The flow of well selected spiritual words held the listener in a trance, transporting him into a world of unalloyed joy and happiness.

Enlightenment of the general public became the focal point of his life. To achieve this he found Bhagwat, a very effective medium and also to develop feelings of love and devotion in the devotees towards the Almighty.

Many a time Bhagwat is recited in the house of a family after the death of an elderly family member so as to sanctify the departed soul. In fact what actually transpires is that the young ones get to hear the recitation of the Bhagwat and through this medium, prepare themselves to step confidently into the mainstream of life without the protective umbrella of the elderly who remain no more. It prepares them in stepping into the shoes of their departed elder and from then on to lead their life with responsibility and to hold the reigns of the family.

The Ramayana

While moving around Bhaishri also heard other saints who recite the Ramayana and though his main subject was Bhagwat, he developed an interest in Ramayana too. Slowly but imperceptibly Bhaishri’s love for the Ramayana started taking shape and he commenced reciting the Ramayana. Bhaishri felt the necessity of inducing the sense of responsibility, good conduct and behavior in the minds of general public. He found Ramayana an effective medium to achieve this, as Ramayana glorifies the life of Lord Ram as an ideal personality which the individuals of the society could follow and understand the fundamentals of co-existence in a society, country and the world.

The Geeta

Bhaishri is well versed in the Geeta and also due to his admiration and love for Lord Krishna has been its staunch follower. Since Geeta is the basis of all epics and provides the finest knowledge, Bhaishri started giving discourses on Geeta. Geeta is not recited like a katha but is explained. Geeta needs to be understood thoroughly to provide the real impact. Only a person of Bhaishri’s caliber can bring out the intricate and deeper meanings of the sayings in Geeta.

To effectively explain the verses of Geeta Bhaishri started conducting ‘Geeta Panchaha’, which is a five-day discourse on Geeta. In each such Geeta panchaha he speaks on the shlokas of a chapter in Geeta. He found that the Geeta has been explained in two main epics; they are the Bhagwat & the Ramayana. The Geeta infact has been characterized in these two colossal epics depicting the cultural heritage of India. During the recitation of Bhagwat, Bhaishri uses the scriptures from Geeta and the Ramayana.

According to Bhaishri while Bhagwat is devotional, the Ramayana emphasizes responsibility, conduct and behavior and the Geeta total spiritual knowledge. Hence one assimilates knowledge from Geeta, the art of living from Ramayana and devotion from Bhagwat. These three elements are vitally essential to one’s life and lead a person into a perpetual state of bliss.

One gains blessings of God by hearing the Bhagwat, from Bhaishri, access to mastery of life by listening to the Ramayana and spiritual knowledge by understanding the Geeta.

Importance of kathas

Recitation of Kathas became a way of life for Bhaishri. He made up his mind and vowed to himself that kathas would be his life’s mission. To Bhaishri, Kathas are not a system to support his life but an integral part of his life and he was determined to help others by inducing the teachings from the Kathas in their own lives for their spiritual well being.

Initially quite a few kathas were privately organised for the specific purpose of blessing the departed soul of the demised elderly member of the family. In such kathas Bhaishri noticed that, though a lot of persons would come to listen to the katha, the family members themselves were more engrossed in their duties towards the invited guests and accompanying them to their seat and leading them to the door when they were leaving. This was not the discipline that Bhaishri had in mind. He realised that the very purpose of the katha was being lost. The family members who had organised it to bless the departed soul were not even able to bless themselves and as such hardly achieved anything out of it. The Katha became only a meaningless ritual. He therefore opted out from such private kathas.

Bhaishri now accepted only Katha recitals, which were organised by organizations dedicated to some cause. Some charitable institutions would do it for raising funds, others for social causes like building hospitals, schools etc. Such kathas gave greater satisfaction to Bhaishri as against the privately organised kathas. He thought that in such kathas, while his messages helped the masses, funds for charities were received through donation and helped the organisers in achieving their social goals.

As would have been the outcome of this too, after some time, Bhaishri felt that the Kathas had become a byproduct to his main aim. Collecting money for charities appeared to take the front seat rather than benefiting mankind. He felt that this was insulting to the knowledge and the sanctity of the Katha. Katha is devotional. It is for Godliness and for self-enlightenment. It is to induce humanness in humans and to show how one should conduct one’s life, how one should draw inspiration to achieve coherence and finally how one could make one’s life fully meaningful.

Bhaishri often recites a "shlok" from the vedas
"om bhadram karnebhihi shrnuyam devaha
bhadram pashye maksh bhir ya jatraha."
This means that we should listen and look at that which is appropriate. The explanation given is that whatever a person continuously listens or continuously sees is what he becomes. Whatever we see or listen an impression remains on our minds and form part of our lineage.

Effect on mankind

By listening to the katha, the soul attains purity. Listening to the katha is akin to periodic servicing and overhauling of machinery in a factory. The katha helps to maintain our lineage intact. In one’s life, certain very common but pertinent questions, dominate our thinking such as: why should we act only as to what pleases us; why not according to what pleases others, why care only for our feelings and not care for the feelings of others, provoking questions from oneself, like, this is the way I acted, am I making a mistake? am I becoming self-centered and selfish?
Questions such as these bring discordance in life. It leaves a person dissatisfied, despoiled and disturbed. Contrary to this, if one were to take to the path of Godliness listening to the Bhagwat, it is possible that such questions will never plague the mind and would never have to be answered. The answers are found in the drastic change that takes place in one self. This process does not leave any space for existence of such questions, since, by then, you have already changed dramatically and as a rule such questions lose their very relevance.

Results from Kathas

Many people who have been benefited by the kathas have shared their experiences with Bhaishri through letters and personal meetings. Some of them were on the verge of suicide after accepting defeat due to severe problems in life, which were unbearable. The very same persons are today fighting problems like Arjun did in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The very thought that the God is with them has changed their outlook towards life. Many of those who had disassociated themselves from their duties have now become responsible, duty-bound and have developed a sense to be on the job whenever called. The katha definitely stops a person from failing in his moral values. It is indeed a school for mass education for intense betterment.

It is an agreed fact that katha alone cannot convert a corrupt person into a good person, not because the katha is incapacitated, but because whenever people find the law and systems not suiting them, they do indulge in corrupt practices, not due to willfulness but due to helplessness. With the medium of katha, in such cases this much has been achieved that what one is doing under pressure and helplessness accepts that what he is doing is not right. This fact remains in his heart. An illness which when recognized as an illness is the first sign of becoming well because till such time one keeps on justifying his ill health into believing it as good health, the illness persists. In such a case there is no remedy to make one healthy. By listening to the katha, one atleast attains the vision to see what is not right and probably at some point of time in his life, he could get over his helplessness and adopt the righteous path. A human being is the likeness of God and one day he will attain the Godliness of his origin.

Bhaishri had decided that the kathas were his life but not a means of living. He would accept offerings, considering them to be God’s wish, but only those, which were offered while he was sitting on the Vyaspeeth and nothing other than this. In India there exists a custom where saints are called to the house and several offerings are made to them. Bhaishri however would refuse these offerings. Probably on one of such occasions a family member could not understand his refusal and asked him a direct question with reference to in one of Bhaishri’s teachings where he had suggested that each earning member should part with 10% of his earnings and offer it as charity for the need of others. The family member quipped to say that if he kept on refusing such offerings and if all the others were to do the same, where would the opportunity be to do charity? He further added that Bhaishri could use it for any deserving cause as he may deem fit.

This small incident reminded Bhaishri of the "Dharma" of a Brahmin. Brahmin is one of the four sects of people defined in the Vedas. A Brahmin has six dharmas (duties).


To impart knowledge To gain knowledge
To perform yagna To make people perform yagna
To accept charity To do charity
Hence as a Brahmin, it was his duty to accept charity and at the same time he should, in turn do charity also for a deserving cause. This gave rise to a thought in his mind that he could very well make use of the charity by spending it for the upliftment of the cultural heritage. This is a prime responsibility of a Brahmin. He also thought that by refusing, he might be able to earn a reputation for renouncing such charities but at the same time what good would such a reputation be if he had to fall back on his responsibilities enjoined upon him by the scriptures. So he started looking for an outlet, which would give him the satisfaction of executing this responsibility.

In his pursuit to find such an outlet a thought crossed his mind, that so far he had been devoting his entire time to reciting kathas, so why not now use some of this time to do something, which would help the society in developing assets within themselves. Such an opportunity soon lay at his feet when he was invited to Porbandar to recite a Bhagwat katha. Porbandar is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, a town in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat State on the West Coast of India. It is also the birth place of Sudama, a dear friend of Lord Krishna.

The locals of Porbandar requested him to visit the Sanskrit school in a village called Babada, close to Porbandar. It was during this visit that he immediately decided that this is what he would like to do and this is exactly what he should be doing. That is to run a school, which would teach Sanskrit and develop in the students the cultural heritage and induct lineage into them. At the request of the locals, he accepted the trusteeship and started infusing funds into the school, which very soon gained recognition and the number of applicants to it increased. He was later appointed Chairman of the trust. In order that he could accept more applications for admission he started looking for a new place to house the school.

The government of Gujarat was kind enough to give him 85 acres of land opposite the Porbandar airport for this purpose. More trustees were chosen by Bhaishri and inducted into the trust called Shree Bhartiya Sanskruti Samvardhak Trust, which was responsible for running the school. The trustees under the guidance of Bhaishri went all out to develop this school into a Vidyaniketan (residential college).

Goals

Plans were formulated to set up a complex with total amenities to house 500 students on the campus and to have their education in Sanskrit, grammar and other essential modern subjects necessary to become capable and virtuous Brahmins. The college would be called Rishikul and the teaching would be given as per the ancient Vedic Tapovan system.

In the modern context, the society is unable to get educated Brahmins who are well versed in scriptures and can conduct religious functions and rituals. Bhaishri noticed that practicing Brahmins did not even have sufficient knowledge of Sanskrit, leave aside conversing in Sanskrit. Hence Bhaishri thought that his Vidyaniketan will fill the void and produce proficient Brahmins with the following qualities:
Well educated in all subjects mainly Sanskrit and Grammar
Have consummate knowledge of the Vedas
A person who can conduct his life with ‘niyam’ and ‘sainyam’ i.e. with discipline and restraint. A true Brahmin who would regularly do ‘sandhya’ and ‘tapasya’ i.e. who undertakes regular prayers and performs religious sacrifices.
He will not be a seller but a distributor of knowledge i.e. one who will not have a mercenary mentality but will be a person, righteous, virtuous and of good conduct and behavior.
He will be the ambassador for teaching and inculcating and spreading the Vedic cultural heritage and the one who will induce human values and lineage.
Unlike the Rishikul, which will produce Sanskrit scholars a Gurukul will also be set up
to impart modern education in the English language, to produce professionals. In today’s society one gets good engineers, doctors, lawyers but it is seen that somewhere on their way to graduation the humanism in them is lost. Hence with this Tapovan system the aim of the Vidyaniketan would be to produce students with a strong cultural foundation who later while practicing their profession would do so with humanism and remain committed to the over all well being of humanity.
People who would strive to make a difference for the better and not just continue to exist.
People who would perform deeds and get satisfaction from them that their life has been meaningful.
The education at the Sandipani Vidyaniketan will be based on Sanskrit and will also lay stress on grammar as a subject. Grammar is the fundamental base and foundation of any language. Any priest performing religious rituals or prayers, a teacher, a preacher whichever role one adopts, if his grammar is not good enough he would not be able to recite any verses correctly, only correct grammar can enable a person to speak correct Sanskrit and scriptures with correct hymns. Bhaishri notices that these days grammar is believed to be a dry subject and hence it’s importance has been minimised. Since grammar is difficult, Bhaishri does not wish the very base to become weak and hence wants students to take up this subject to become Aacharyas and not directly through Vedanta, which is an easier route. Bhaishri wishes to preserve the Vedas in their original and basic forms, which he thinks can be done if his students know grammar well. He says if one masters grammar one is able to master any other stream of knowledge and excel in it. Bhaishri feels that if people were to say that if one wants to learn grammar one should go to Sandipani, then undoubtedly, the importance of both grammar and Sanskrit will rise.

Accomplishment

Graduates of Sandipani are leading in all activities and are recognized as good Brahmins, priests, teachers, professors and kathakaars (who recite religious epics). Aacharyas of Sandipani are being called upon by various organisations in India as well as abroad for becoming priests in temples, give discourses, become teachers and conduct religious sacrifices. The students of Sandipani are gaining reputation and prestige and are preferred over others anywhere.

The students of Sandipani excel in four different types of activities both in India and abroad.
Teachers and professors
Priests in India and abroad
Kathakaars
Karma kaand (religious crifices)
It may be mentioned with pride that some of them have become profound kathakaars of the the Shrimad Bhagwat and also of the Ramayana. True to their teaching they have become distributors of knowledge and not sellers. It is reported that in one such katha where the Rishikumar was reciting from the vyaspeeth, when an announcement was made that Shastriji had narrated the katha very effectively and who so ever wished to give anything may kindly put the same in the ‘jholi’ (collection bag). The Rishikumar spoke from the Vyaspeeth acknowledging the feeling and the goodwill of organisers withdrew the jholi saying that the institution to which he belonged had taught him not to ask for anything but only to accept whatever is gifted to the Vyaspeeth as a gift for God which is sufficient to meet one’s needs. He said he was there to create vistas for people to come close to God and to spread his glory. He further added he was not there to sell anything.

This and many other such reports are self-depicting. The impact of teaching at the Sandipani is gaining recognition. The work conducted at the Vidyaniketan, the emotions infused and knowledge imparted is speaking for itself. Bhaishri feels that it is by the grace of God that his work is proceeding in the right direction and that the Sandipani Vidyaniketan is able to bring out bright learned and contented Brahmins who lead ascetic lives possessing thorough knowledge of their work.

Future

Phase 1 of Vidyaniketan which is the Rishikul. The Rishikul is complete and the entire infrastructure has been installed. Work on the Phase II which is the Gurukul will commence as soon as the plans for its formulation are completed and appropriate staff are appointed to execute the plan.

Through the Rishikul, Bhaishri wishes to produce a crop of good Brahmins for society who will spread the knowledge of Vedas, keep the cultural heritage intact, and through the gurukul, Bhaishri wishes to breed competent professionals for society, people who would execute their work with commitment and human values.

Broadly Bhaishri sees the future of the Sandipani Vidyaniketan as a field for raising a crop of good human beings. To keep pace with changing times, Bhaishri feels that it is quite all right if the system of education is changed, if it is beneficial. But wherever the student of Sandipani enters, in whichever field of activity he officiates he should become a point of reference, a role model, an ideal, a matter of pride for the country by virtue of his solid commitment and integrity. His opinion should matter in all fields. Anyone having any doubts on any aspect should say, "what would people from Sandipani Vidyaniketan have to say in this matter?" People should feel that if someone is from Sandipani he need not be interviewed. Just employ. Such should be the reputation of Sandipani Vidyaniketan that it speaks for itself.

Message

In the modern context where everything has been commercialised, people have to pay for each and everything and every person demands his own price, but a learned person who executes his job proficiently professes emphatically that whatever he has is a gift from God. Bhaishri lays stress on this aspect and evokes these feeling in the minds of the students of the Rishikul by saying that without having to spend a single paise they are able to study, stay and have their meals. This is because of the grace of God who has made all these provisions and arrangements. God is prevalent in every one’s heart and it is from there that he inspires people to support the Vidyaniketan. This is an investment that Godly people of society are sponsoring and that the students have to pay the debt back to society by preparing themselves thoroughly to serve it.

In the good old days even the Rishikuls were functioning in the same way and were not dependent on the kings for their existence. The Rishis never had to go anywhere to ask for donations. Believing in the same system, Bhaishri had decided that neither himself, the institution nor any member would ever indulge in fund raising. The members are permitted only to inform people but never to appeal. Bhaishri is satisfied that with the grace of God everything is arranged for by itself and that the almighty from time to time has fulfilled the needs of the Vidyaniketan. Any and all contributions that come in are treated as God’s prasadam, i.e. as his gift.

With this view Bhaishri lays stress that his students from the Rishikul of the Vidyaniketan will never sell knowledge but only distribute it. They will never think of selling knowledge for a price but will remain distributors of knowledge for the benefit of mankind at large.

Notwithstanding the motto laid by Bhaishri, 10% of them may get influenced by the modern commercial thinking, but that is a matter of discordance. One needs food, water and air but though God has provided for this, one still pays a price for them. So, when God has gifted the Vidyaniketan, the Rishikumars have no right to sell any of the knowledge gained by them at the Vidyaniketan. Even in the Vedic scriptures, selling of knowledge has been considered a sin because when knowledge is sold for a price one gets greedy and impartation of true knowledge gets lost in the process. It is because of the strict observance of this rule that the Rishikumars of the Vidyaniketan after having completed their education are revered and sought after so much.

There is a hidden message in the rules laid down by Bhaishri that to accept anything and everything with true spirit, is that, it is a gift from God and hence never should it be sold, neither in its existing form nor in any of its resultant forms. What one receives must be passed on to the other without any commercial considerations but with value addition.
The History of the Vidyaniketan commences from a small school situated at a village named Babada about 35 kms north of Porbandar. This school was started by the teachers themselves who migrated from Ahmedabad to pursue the teachings to the eager students of their school in Ahmedabad, which got closed abruptly.


Bhaishri's dream comes true

At the request of the teachers of the school and the local people who took interest in the school, Bhaishri visited the school. He appreciated the efforts being made by the teachers and the locals in such difficult circumstances with meager funds at their disposal. Having accepted the trusteeship Bhaishri then decided to support the school, not only because the school needed support, but also because Bhaishri too had it in mind to take up such a task of educating students; those who are keen to gain knowledge of the Vedic system and those who would be capable of holding the flag high of the esteemed Indian cultural heritage.

Very soon thereafter Bhaishri was appointed the chairman of the trust running the school to take complete charge and to lend his vision for its fulfillment. Gradually, the pressure started increasing on the school and there were many more applicants than what the school could accommodate. Bhaishri decided that it was now the right time to adopt the school and relocate it in a larger area for its further development for it to be more constructive and useful to the student community.

Expansion of the Trust

After carefully selecting, Bhaishri appointed fifteen trustees to the trust named Shri Bhartiya Sanskruti Samvardhak Trust, which existed since the year 1984. The trust was given the entire responsibility for supporting and running the school. Despite this, the pressure was tremendous and Bhaishri decided that since the place was too small, it had to be set-up in a larger place.

Vidyaniketan - an educational institution

Having decided to choose another suitable place, Bhaishri made up his mind to set up a Vidyaniketan, which he emphasized, would be run like an Ashram and would be called RISHIKUL. This was the ancient way of imparting education in India. Life in the Vidyaniketan is self-dependent with set routines carried out with strict discipline. All his students will be called RISHIKUMARS, said Bhaishri, who, after having completed their studies from the Rishikul would become assets to society. Assets such as those, who knew not to ask but only to give. Bhaishri said, the motto of the Vidyaniketan would be "GYANARTH PRAVESH, SEVARATH PRASTHAN". This implies that a student would enter the school vowing to gain knowledge and would leave the school covenanted to be of service to mankind at large.

Relocation of the school


Bhaishri then approached the Government of Gujarat requesting for an adequate piece of land to set up this Vidyaniketan. Deeply concerned by the endeavor of Bhaishri, the Government of Gujarat was kind enough to allot 85 acres of land to the trust to set-up this Vidyaniketan at Porbandar, a town in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat State on the West Coast of India. It may be recalled that Porbandar is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation. Even Sudama, a childhood friend and a schoolmate of Lord Shri Krishna hailed from Porbunder. It is since then that the city gained its importance because of the devotion and faith of Sudama in his friend Lord Shri Krishna.
Incidentally Sudama and Lord Shri Krishna took their primary education in the same Vidyaniketan and their guru was Rishi Sandipani. Since Bhaishri has great devotional love for Lord Shri Krishna whose teacher was Rishi Sandipani, Bhaishri named the Vidyaniketan after his beloved Lord Krishna's Guru, "SANDIPANI VIDYANIKETAN".

Having received the land from Govt. of Gujarat in 1991, the Vidyaniketan started conducting its activities from the auspicious sixth day of February 1992. Since then the Sandipani Vidyaniketan has been continuously expanding its activities and running the institution on strict disciplinary lines. The discipline adopted by the Vidyaniketan is based on the system of ancient education of Vedic culture specifically termed 'Tapovan'. Ofcourse, times have changed and the facilities are of a much larger magnitude in keeping with modern times.

The Sandipani Vidyaniketan endeavors to lay stress on the rich Indian heritage and culture. The emphasis of the Vidyaniketan is to rekindle humanity through education based on the prestigious and traditional Indian values, which will eventually benefit the world. It strives to achieve the highest standards of learning in Sanskrit and for establishing cultural and humanitarian values.

Sandipani Vidyaniketan is not just a school but an institution in its self. The Vidyaniketan imparts education to students right from standard VIII to graduation at Standard XIII and then further to post graduation at standard XV. Graduates are called 'SHASTRIS' and post-graduates 'AACHARYAS'. The basis of education is primarily Sanskrit with faculties for learning Grammar and Veda. The knowledge of grammar is considered most important since Sanskrit is a language of vibration and reverberation, the pronunciation of which is designed to bring positive effects into the body and the soul of a person. Sanskrit in the modern context, has been acclaimed as the most scientific language; totally compatible with computer language.


Though the medium of instruction is Hindi, students gain knowledge not only of vedas and upanishads and grammar but also of English and subjects like mathematics, modern science, computers, arts and crafts, classical music etc. The students are well exposed to health maintenance and physical development through regular physical and Yogic exercises and games like football, volleyball, cricket etc. They are subjected to a well-chalked out routine for the entire day commencing at 6.00 a.m. in the morning to 10.00 p.m. in the night.

The uniform comprises of the most modest, comfortable and environmental friendly, traditional Indian dress of white kurta and dhoti with an orange upvastra. The students adorn their forehead with a paste made from CHANDAN and KUMKUM called TILAK. This tilak when dry causes shrinking on the skin which creates a light pressure on the very place where the center of our nervous system is located, i.e. in the middle of the forehead. This keeps the nervous system constantly active, transforming the subject into a thoughtful being. The students also maintain a tuft of hair at the back of the head, which hangs proudly. The hair is tied in a knot and kept neat. This maintains a light pressure at the back of the head and provides a backpressure on the brain cells, which enhances comprehension and peace of mind.

The Vidyaniketan consists of various faculties such as Veda, Grammar etc. and further provides adequate facilities for the overall growth of the student transforming him into a complete human being with a multidimensional ability, ready to disseminate knowledge and preserve the heritage. Receiving education in such an environment, students attain a status, which is Vedic yet modern.


Apart from basic education, the students are exposed to various other facilities such as: computer education, classical music, arts and craft, painting, etc. The students also indulge in extra curricular activities such as: staging plays, debates and elocution competitions, instrumental and vocal music competitions, outdoor sports and indoor games and providing services during festivals and conferences organized by the Vidyaniketan.

The students in the institution are groomed to become self-reliant and independent. While strictly on time for each activity, they also help themselves by completing their daily chores of washing their clothes, making their beds, cleaning their rooms, and helping in maintaining the campus neat and orderly.

The students are actively involved in organizing various functions held on the campus of the Vidyaniketan. In organizing such functions they work harmoniously in a hierarchical system where the seniors have the main responsibilities and the juniors execute the jobs entrusted by the seniors. This inculcates sense of leadership in the seniors and efficiency in the juniors.

With such a system of education, the Vidyaniketan is able to produce persons of great calibers, epitomes of society having the capacity to impart knowledge, keep alive the cultural heritage and develop the lineage in the common members of the society at large. Totally devoted to the upbringing of society, theirs is a life of commitment and total dedication.


The Gurukul is totally academic oriented and deploys reaching in English medium. The Gurukul is intended to impart education to its students upto school level, Standard Twelve in the basic faculties, such as science and commerce. Presently the Gurukul has been commenced with Standard L.K.G. to 10th std. (Standards 6th to 10th being with residential facilities.) The subjects taught are according to standard education imparted in normal schools. The Sandipani Gurukul is in affiliation with the Gujarat Board and is following the syllabus as per their guidelines. Besides modern education, Sanskrit, the mother of all languages is taught in the Gurukul as a compulsory subject from Standard Sixth in accordance with the Gujarat Board. Other co-curricular activities enjoyed by the students are outdoor and indoor games, reading facilities and outdoor picnics for overall enhancement of their personalities. Like any other public school, the Gurukul provides commercial knowledge to induce professionalism and thus lays the foundation to create professional with correct moral values.


The Gurukul facilitates an excellent opportunity for those parents who wish their children to undertake their education in India and grow in an Indian cultural environment. It is also the perfect place for the students, coming from the International community, to gain knowledge in an environment of Vedic culture.

The Gurukul may seek affiliation with known and accepted universities with international standing so that their certificates are recognized internationally.