The Making of Priyavrata

Buildings are built brick by brick. Priyavrata’s life is being built day by day and hour by hour for the last fifteen years and ten months. Passing out Tenali Maha Pariksha is only a beginning of a new chapter in his life story, a story of purpose, perseverance and performance.

When Sri Devadatta Patil, in search of a real Guru, went to Kanchi and requested 78 years’ old Sri Goda Subrahmanya Shastri to teach him Nyaya Shastra, after much pursuance, Shastrigal who all his life lived for the purpose of Shastra Shiksha and Shastra Raksha, made Devadatta Patil take three vows, one of which was that Devadatta should not go for any University job until he creates a few scholars like him. Devadatta Patil got a purpose in life and created many firsts in the history of Shastra learning and Tenali Maha Pariksha. Later Aparna also became his Sahadharmini in that purpose. Purposeful life made their lives more meaningful and colorful though full of challenges. Same is the story of Sri Mohan Lal Sharma, Priyavrata’s Vyakarana Guru, who was accompanying a Sant as his cook. The Sant stayed in Devadatta Patil’s Pathashala for a week. Before leaving, young Mohan had made up his mind to come back and study under Devadatta Patil. He not only came back within a week but studied Nyaya initially under Devadatta Patil, later Vyakarana in Andhra under Sri Kompella Satyanarayana Shastri as planned by Devadatta Patil, passed Tenali Maha Pariksha with distinction and came back as Guru of Priyavrata. Though Mohan Lal Sharma got an offer of Asst. Professorship in a reputed Samskrit University due to his scholarship, by then he had found the purpose of his life and hence the attractive pay scale did not distract him from his life mission. That purpose in his life created a wonder called Priyavrata. Purpose determines the performance. Priyavrata is the fourth generation inheritor of that great Shastra Tradition in our life time.

Tenali Pariksha, Rajamandri Pariksha, Nagar Pariksha etc are the existing reputed exams in the traditional Shastra field on the lines of ancient system of examination. There is also a method called Shalaka Pariksha. All of them are text based learning and text based exams very unique in the world. The most important and highly scholarly fourteen Granthas (texts) are prescribed for exams in every branch of Shastra. Students are supposed to memorize every Grantha completely, thoroughly understand the important commentary of that Grantha and be able to answer any question on any page of the text randomly asked by the examiner on both the aspects i.e. memorization and understanding of the commentary. Usually it takes six months to complete one text in this manner. But the time varies depending upon three aspects i.e. the Guru and his/her teaching method, the student and his/her qualities and the daily time spent in the learning process. The most important two qualities expected of a student are grasping power and the power to retain it in memory. The process of teaching and learning has three parts –1) पाठः (Paathah) teaching 2) चिन्तनम् (Chintanam) students individually or collectively think, discuss, argue, question and ponder over the lessons taught that day 3) अनुवादः (Anuvaadah) Reproducing the previous day’s teaching in front of the Guru by each student till his satisfaction as a prerequisite for the beginning of next lesson. All three steps are mandatory part of everyday learning. The whole process is completely student centered. These three steps help every student in understanding the lesson, having clarity, registering it in memory and in articulating or explaining it to others. This three stepped teaching learning process is one of the unique features of the traditional learning of Shastras and this makes all the difference. Process determines the Product.

The parents spoke only in Samskrit with Priyavrata till the age of four. Hence his mother tongue is Samskrit. Then he started acquiring Marathi from people around him and later started learning Hindi and English in school up to 2nd Std. Experience showed that the knowledge of Samskrit language helped him in learning other languages easily. By then he had memorized entire Bhagavadgita at home and took test in Sri Sharada Peetham at Sringeri. Anyone who, of any age, cast or gender, learns the Bhagavadgita by heart completely and passes the oral test, which is conducted every month, is rewarded with a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 21000/- by Sri Sharada Peetham. Priyavrata at the age of 7 not only passed it as the youngest to pass it but also stood first in the batch and got special blessings from His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Bharati Teertha Maha Swamiji.

It is very difficult for me to give even a brief account of what and how Priyavrata has studied till now. He had home schooling from 2nd Std. onwards. Passed 8th Std exam as a private candidate. Will be writing 10th exam next year and the modern stream education would continue in the following years in the same way. He can speak and write in 4 languages. He learns Rigveda every day and 5 out of 8 Ashtakas of it are over. He learnt Ashtadhyayi, Bhagavadgita, Niruktam etc. by heart before he was 8. During the last 8 years, apart from the above, Priyavrata has completed the study of 9 Nyaya Shastra Granthas and 14 Vyakarana Shastra Granthas, passed 14 exams and final Maha Pariksha of Tenali and 10 exams of Nagar Pariksha like Tenali and has started learning Mimamsa Shastra from his father. His daily routine starts at 5:30 in the morning and ends at 10:30 in the night. Every day is so hectic and tedious that we can’t even imagine. 2 hrs Shastra Patha, 2 hrs its Anuvaada, 2 hrs Chintanam, 3 hrs Veda Patha and its repeating practice, half an hour Pranayama, 1 hr Surya Namaskar and playing in the field and 1hr for two times Sandhyavandanam each half an hour. Apart from these he also teaches a Grantha to 3 students and helps other students in Chintanam in the Gurukulam. In spite of all these, helping his mother in her works is his passion. In between he has to find time for his personal daily routine works like bathing, washing clothes, eating food etc., reading stories and general books, writing practice and studying modern subjects. One day is holiday in a fortnight on every Pratipada Tithi. Use of mobile is permitted for only 4 hours duration on the holiday. Yet he is up to date in GK and contemporary developments. His perseverance is an inspiration to all, particularly to every student who has a longing to achieve something great in life. Perseverance too determines the performance.

Passing Tenali Maha Pariksha and being felicitated and blessed by Sri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati Maha Swami ji of Kanchi Mutt recently is a beginning of a new journey for Priyavrata. His next mission is to study all the 80 Aahnikas of Vyakarana Mahabhashya and take Maha Pariksha on the same. People study only the first 9 Aahnikas in their life time where as Priyavrata is venturing to study 80 Aahnikas in next three years which no one has done till now. After that, following the footsteps of his father, he would venture to take Maha Pariksha in other Shastras also. His story is a story of excellent performance at every level of every pursuit. Priyavrata’s extraordinary feat of learning is a story of height ascended day by day and depth attained hour by hour. You may tell it to any student who you want to climb the unclimbed and to any youth who you want to make the impossible possible!



By :- Shri Chamu Krishna Shastry 11-09-2019 11:40PM