Aathmaartham
Our Objective
नमो देव्यै महा देव्यै सुरभ्यै च नमो नम: ।
गवाम् बीजस्वरूपाय नमस्ते जगदम्बिके ॥
Salutations to the sacred mother, the greatest of mothers who lives in the form of a seed in all cows. Salutations to that universal goddess, who is the wish yielding cow (Surabhi - Kāmadhenu).
Among the ‘pancamahā yajña’ listed in the stipulated 40 samskārā, as per scriptures guiding Sanātana Dharma, one has to perform bhūta yajña (भुत यग्न्य) as a daily karmā while in grhastāśramā. This means feeding animals and insects (Jīva Jantu) and most sacred amongst bhūta yajña is Gau Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ.
Gau Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ is done with an intention of protecting and preserving cows. In the Indian context, cows are considered equal to a mother and worshipped. However, it is unfortunate that non-milking cows particularly are not being cared for. While the Dharmā calls for a person in grhastāśramā to worship and feed cows on a daily basis, a need for welfare of the non-milking and disabled cows is considered multifold sacred. In a larger context and to maintain the ecology, it is essential to support and nurture non-milking and disabled cows to protect them from being sent to slaughterhouses or left astray on roads to fend for themselves.
सर्वगः सर्वविद्भानुर्विष्वक्सेनो जनार्दनः ।
वेदो वेदविदव्यङ्गो वेदाङ्गो वेदवित् कवि: ॥
The second part of the śloka reads as… One who is an embodiment of Veda & Vedic Scriptures, One who is the true knower of the meaning of the Veda, One who is self-fulfilled by knowledge and other great attributes and is free from any imperfection and the One to whom the Veda stands as his organs (from whose body the Veda manifests)
वेदवेदान्तवेद्याय मेघश्यामलमूर्तये ।
पुम्साम् मोहनरूपाय पुण्यश्लोकाय मङ्गलम्॥
The first part of the śloka reads as the One
who is an embodiment and erudite expert of
Veda & Vedāntā (the essence of Veda)…
The Veda & Vedāntā are manifested forms of the Supreme Brahman and they are the very basis of our continued existence and well-being. Veda in its various forms are the guiding force of anything and everything that happens under the sun. It may also be noted that only Vedic education is imparted to the seeker absolutely free of cost including boarding, lodging and education. It is to be noted that Veda Pātaśālā are run only by means of donations and contributions from patrons and well-wishers of Vedic culture.
While it is so, the reality today is also that the world is moving so much away from Veda and Vedic study in comparison to other fields of education. The Veda Pātaśālā are also seeing a decline in the number of students coming to opt for Vedic study, the teachers are hard to come by and they are in serious need of financial support for their existence and potential growth. It is our responsibility to handover a healthy Vedic tradition to the immediate and future generations such that universal existence is safeguarded.
At Aathmaartham we are committed to the service of Gau Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ, Veda Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ, nurturing Gau Śālā and Veda Pātaśālā. We are a registered trust since December 2015.
Our main objectives are as follows:
- Veda Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ (Support the cause through contributions to vedic schools (Pātaśālā where Veda is imparted in a traditional Gurukulam Sampradāyā).
- Gau Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ (Support the cause through contributions to Gau Śālā organisations who protect cows) particularly where non-milking cows are protected and taken care of.
In accordance with our above-mentioned objectives, we currently support a few Veda Pātaśālā and Gau Śālā through donations on a monthly basis.
- Gau Śālā : Akhila Karnātakā Prāṇi Dayā Sanghā ® recognized at Animal Welfare Board of India situated at Koramangala, Bangalore
- Shri Chandrasekhara Bharati Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Veda Vidyalaya Trust, at Perur Chettipalayam, Coimbatore
- Shri Srinivasa Sharma, running a Veda Pātaśālā at Malleswaram , Bangalore
From February 2023, we have started Vedic
Chanting Classes (Mantra Manjari) and Ślokā
classes and dedicating the contributions from
these classes to the cause of Veda
Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ & Gau Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ.
From time to time, the Trust engages in contacting potential patrons either personally or by conducting programs on spiritual discourses in order to bring awareness on our Indic value systems and the core activities of the trust.
Origin
In December 2007, through a Divine intervention, a few of us got together to serve as volunteers for a public spiritual program. Thereafter, the group continued to stay connected by performing Ayyappan Pooja every month within the group.
When we completed 5 years in 2013, we were blessed to perform a ‘Srimad Bhāgavata’ Saptāhaṃ. It was then that we formalised our objective of Gau Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ and Veda Saṃrakṣaṇaṃ and made a humble beginning. In 2015, we became a registered Trust “Aathmaartham”
With the grace of Ayyappan, we have been able to serve Gau Mātā and Veda Mātā ever since and continue our services to Lord Ayyappan through our monthly pooja as well.