CHENNAI: In 2016, when BITS Pilani graduate and Indic scholar Dushyanth Sridhar was walking along the Radhakrishnan Salai stretch, a scooter halted beside him. “A stranger got down and said, “Thank you for the discourses…could you wish me? It’s my birthday.
” I happily did and engaged in a quick conversation. He told me that he often listens to my Upanyasams. Just as he was about to leave, I stopped him and asked for his name. “Basheer Ahmed”, he said and walked away,” recalls Dushyanth.
Basheer was, perhaps, one of the several thousand beneficiaries of Dushyanth’s Veda, Vedanta and Purana discourses, which weave ancient wisdom with modern nuances, making it relatable to current-day scenarios.
Access to antiquities
Since 2010, the 33-year-old has been on a journey to dispense Indic knowledge to people across the globe by making it accessible to all. In 2018, his venture into creating an app, Desika Daya — a conglomeration of everything including Harikathas, talks, events, lectures and Upanyasams for free — has been a successful step in this direction.
Now, amid the lockdown, the modern Upanyasakar, who has the experience of delivering over 3,000 Vedic discourses (in two languages) in 125 cities in 23 countries, has forayed into the world of online teaching. “For one to be a true Bharatiya (a proud Indian), one must be aware and appreciative of our Vedic scriptures, ancient sciences, arts and culture, and our ancestors’ contributions to the various fields.
I’ve always wanted to take this knowledge to people across the globe. But a two-hour lecture would only cover a speck of this. It’s important to gain in-depth knowledge. Thanks to ‘coronacharya’, these thoughts germinated into an idea in the last four months. Since I was already giving lectures and making them available on my YouTube channel, I thought, why not start delivering courses?” shares Dushyanth, whose YouTube channel has over 70,000 subscribers and 15 million views so far.
Virtual patashala
As part of the Desika Daya Trust, the author of the coffee-table book Vedanta Desika recently launched Abhinava e-Patashala, a virtual platform, which dispenses Indic knowledge via different paid courses. ‘Bharatiya Sara Bodhani’, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive course will premiere under this umbrella on August 22.
“We have received 1,600 registrations from sishyas across Asia, North America, Europe, Australia and Africa; 27 countries including India, USA, Australia, Singapore, UK, UAE, Canada, Lesotho, Uganda and Azer Baijan,” he says. Of the sishyas in India, 86 per cent are from Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Delhi- NCR, Pune and Tiruchy, he adds.
Tapping into technology
For Dushyanth, taking the rich repository of India’s ancient knowledge by tapping into existing technology is the way forward. “The ideologies of poet Kalidasa and guru Vedanta Desikar — ‘One must not oppose something simply because it’s new and accept something just because it’s old’, is still relevant in today’s world. Just because Vyasa and Valmiki didn’t have a virtual class back then, doesn’t mean using the plat form, now, to spread Indic knowledge is wrong.
We have to accept what’s new. Noble thoughts can come from anywhere and everywhere, and if not for anything, our ancient civilisation has always been quintessentially modern,” he asserts. Though the courses will focus on presenting Indic knowledge, which is often associated with Hinduism, Dushyanth assures that the subjects will not be region, religion or nationality- specific. “It’s for anyone and everyone. Religion and community aren’t by themselves wrong.
What makes them obnoxious are the impositions. What is important is to respect not just your religion and faith but it’s also pertinent to understand the tenets of other world religions and be respectful towards their beliefs. This is one of the significant rules one has to abide by during the period of the Abinava e-Patashala’s course,” he emphasises.
Collaborations
While the courses will be spearheaded by Dushyanth himself, he tells us that he is open to collaborations. “For instance, topics such as Nyaya (justice) and the Mimamsa Sutra are the ancient roots of logical reasoning. These will be relevant to advocates and journalists of today. So, I am open to joining hands with subject-specific experts, scholars and freelancers. While what you teach is important, how you teach something is equally vital. The focus will be on collaborations that enable in creating, relevant, understandable and meaningful content,” he says.
A tribute
In many pockets of the world, India is still viewed as the land of snake charmers, and the most hackneyed images depicting the country’s culture are that of the aghoris seated along the ghats of Varanasi. “But there’s more to our country and its heritage. For centuries, it has welcomed people from around the world with open arms and been a cradle where many beliefs thrive. Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang and Iranian scholar Al-Beruni came here with their unique faiths, learned what the country had to offer and left with their faiths intact. We need to revisit our history — there is no bigger Kohinoor than the Indic knowledge we possess. Dispensing that education is the best tribute one can give to their mother-land,” he says.
COURSE DETAILS
Topics covered
The first level in Bharatiya Sara Bodhani will explore and focus on topics including ancient sciences (Ayurveda, astronomy and astrology, mathematics and biological sciences, metallurgy, weaves and management); ancient arts and culture, Vedic scriptures — Vedas and Vedanga, Nyaya and Mimamsa and Puranas. “Topics including the influence of Hinduism in South-East Asia and appreciation of literature in regional Indian languages will be covered,” he shares.