[Advaita-l] Re: Patronage for learning

[Subrahmanian, Sundararaman V [FI]]

Adding to what Sri Ravishankar has written:

On two occassions in the past, I had the opportunity to do some service in this regard (one on the occassion of my marriage and the other for my daughter's aayushyahoma).  We invited 11 purohits who had learned Vedas properly and held a brief veda-sadas where these purohits chanted Vedas and gave them dakshina, both as effort to show respect and recognition for Vedic learning and also to receive blessings.  While it is normally difficult to arrange that many priests on one's own, one can approach Kanchi Mutt in their local area and they can arrange the priests for the purpose.

At the end, normally the chief-chanter (if he may be called so), normally gives a speech.  He said that once a rich person had approached Kanchi paramAchArya and said that he was willing to donate Rs 10,000 (then) as sponsorship to cover the expenses of one student studying Vedas.  The AchAraya replied back that he would give the wealthy man Rs 10,001 (Re. 1 more), if he was willing to admit his son for the study of Vedas.  The rich man (supposedly) bowed down and went away.  So, the purohit said, that while it is good that people try to sponsor other's education, it will be even better if they themselves take up the study of Vedas.

Something to learn from this.

SVS