Part 1 in Devansh Series
The Mantri sisters have been thrown into a familiar yet unfamiliar world of devas, asuras, devansh, and age-old enmity. When faced with a choice, they have to follow into a mission to the lands of the enemy. Will they prove...
Music for the Chapter: Choomantar from Mere Brother Ki Dulhan
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She started to lead me ahead. I looked around the ashram. When Naina di said classroom, I was expecting a classroom like the one in schools but this was like those kinds that I have seen on TV when they show mythological shows. A large tree under which several students were sitting. They were sitting in rows. I was the only one sitting with a notepad and a pen.
I sat down. Regardless of their year, the students all sat down. Only the senior students were standing, making sure the students weren't going and causing trouble until the Guru arrives. I sat down and a while later Guru Vashistaa walked ahead. A staff with him. His beard and hair had turned white. Simple white and orange clothing. He wore rudraksha beads for jewellery. He asked me for the notepad and pen that I carried to take notes. I gave it to him. He sat on the pedestal with the notepad and pen next to him.
I was supposed to take notes. How else am I supposed to remember things for exams? The rest of the people went ahead reciting stuff they had already learned. I just looked at them with blinking eyes.
"Alaknanda" He called me. I stood up. I had the itch to say that I go by Adya but decided better not to correct him.
"It is alright, Guruwar. I'll catch up. I'll continue with the lessons you are going to teach them right now. I'll catch up with the lessons before this." I assured. He looked at me for a few moments.
"That isn't how learning is supposed to be, Alaknanda. How are you going to understand the ones that I am going to teach you now if you do not understand the things that come before this?" He was genuinely surprised that I offered it.
"Rishiwar, this is way most of the schools teach. That's why she suggested it. When students come in late, they are expected to catch up on their own while the teacher asks them to take up what they are teaching presently." Naina di defended me. He sighed.
"No wonder children are not interested in learning. How will they learn when they don't understand what is being taught?" He sighed and looked, "We don't teach that way, Alaknanda. We are teaching because you have to understand."
He made me sit before him. He started with the first lesson. I had never imagined that a subject that is so purely Sanskrit-based would be so well understood to me. He didn't get irritated when I would sometimes pronounce wrong. He had a lot of patience.
"Can I write it down? Like, make notes?" I asked.
"It is not needed, Alaknanda. I'm not expecting you to remember in one day. There are 20,379 mantras together. We have enough time to remember them. There is no rush. The aim is to understand, Putri. Not memorize them. Memory exists only for a certain amount of time. Memory has an expiry date, no matter how good you are at memorizing. You will forget after a while if you try to memorize them. When you learn and understand the essence of it, you will know them. We do not generally write them down because it isn't generally needed."
