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It is not uncommon for age to become a topic of discussion in social gatherings. Sometimes, youngsters inadvertently highlight an elderly person's age, showing a lack of sensitivity. They might attribute certain behaviours or events to the person's age, when in reality, such things can happen to anyone, regardless of age.
Be that as it may, age is no bar for learning when knowledge is a tap away on one’s device or is obtained through the good old way—books. Additionally, getting to learn through venerable spiritual leaders is an opportunity hard to come by for commoners and harder to forego for learning enthusiasts.
So when I learnt that an irrepressible orator and teacher, Sree Sree Vishwapriyatheertha Swamiji of Udupi Admar Mutt, was to explain the Sumadhwa Vijaya authored by Narayana Panditacharya, I jumped on to the bandwagon of students. The book, in high-level Sanskrit, is a hagiographic description of the life of the exalted saint and founder of Dvaita philosophy, Madhwacharya, and indeed it is through divine inspiration that the esteemed swamiji has embarked upon enlightening the seekers. He is no ordinary teacher, as he leaves no stone unturned in explaining every word to the fullest extent, interpreting hidden meanings from his deep personal knowledge. It is a delight to listen to such an exalted teacher.
Apart from online sessions, the live classes held at his ashram in Udupi exude an aura that is beyond words. My husband, who had come along one day upon my request, continued to do so on all the following days, drawn towards the lively session.
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher,” goes a Japanese proverb. A confusion regarding an orthodox practice that had been bothering me got cleared by him within no time with an apt solution. With a good teacher, you learn without actually seeming to.
It was a spiritual lesson, but the crowd of jigyasus – curious, eager learners – were in splits every now and then due to the humour embedded in the guru’s verbal expressions. With our teacher and the ashram deity facing each other from a distance, and the students, from 30s to 70s, on all sides, I had the experience of a unique gurukul – truly a detox.