Pune, Mumbai, Sambhajinagar

office@chanakyamandal.org

08069015452

about

१९९६ पासून अखंड ज्ञानसाधना

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The Name & Logo
Why “Chanakya”?

Arya Chanakya: Perhaps the pioneering prime bureaucrat- scholar. The thinker who realized the dangers of foreign invasion. Chanakya Mandal Pariwar has tried to awaken a corrupt exploitative, anti-people and inefficient regime. When the power-drunk corrupt regime refused to wake up, he sacrificed his career, went into wilderness organized and inspired the young generation from the commonest of the common strata of society. He affected the political revolution which unified India and repulsed the foreign invasion. Having achieved all this he renounced all positions of power and wrote the eternal treatise ‘Artha Shastra’. Chanakya is the name of the classic Indian role model of doing anything and everything for the country the cosmos and nothing for the narrow self.

To celebrate and develop this spirit in the modern sense, we choose to name our educational work as Chanakya Mandal. The word Mandal indicates a circle a bond of equality. It suggests the idea of individuals, institutions, organizations working hand in hand towards the common goal. Hence, Chanakya Mandal. And here, we come together with an intensely close family relationship and hence, ‘Pariwar’.

The Logo

Set in saffron, the representative color of the Indian heritage, the color of saint poets and also the color of warriors and crusaders. This Chanakya Mandal logo consists of hands, holding the pen in one hand and(Dharmadanda / Rajdanda) on the other hand the mast of Dharma (Duty-consciousness) and the mast of administration, discipline, and equality of justice and ethics of administration. The hand is of a woman and also of a man.

Mission Statement 1

To develop youth with global consciousness and competence

Philosophy of ‘Advait’ (One-ness of existence) and Buddha should be India’s greatest contribution to human civilisation to the emerging one world.

We are among the first of the people to think of world as one family (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्‌) and world from all seas to all lands as one ‘nation’ (पृथिव्यै समुद्रपर्यंतायाः एकराट् इति). 

Adya Shankaracharya said, ‘स्वदेशोभुवनत्रयः’ – all three worlds are my own country. Sant Dnyaneshwara said in Marathi, ‘अवघे विश्वचि माझे घर’ – the whole world is my home.

This consciousness of ‘one’ness of existence is the essence of ‘Indian’- ness. In these modern times of emerging one world, India’s innate global consciousness has to be tempered with global competence.

The last decade of the last century saw momentous changes. Collapse of USSR, end of communism as an ideological rival to capitalism, emergence of USA as the only world superpower and China close on the heels (at present albeit.) World becoming one market – one economy – thanks to Dunkel draft, GATT and WTO. World also becoming one ‘global village’ through information technology, emerging frontiers in science and technology – genetics, photonics, ecology etc. Both : challenges and opportunities before the world and India are unique and unprecedented. They call for fundamental and creative approaches to polity, economy, art, society, law and order, human resource development – everything. This is where we believe our innate global consciousness should develop global competence. Youth of our country therefore need to be made aware of, and competent to handle competition at two levels –

one’s competition with oneself – to continually go on becoming better and better, throughout one’s life : till the point of self realisation – the realisation of ‘one’ness with existence

and

perhaps more – or at least equally importantly, at the practical level – one’s competition with the best of the brains in the world, best of the American, German, Japanese, Chinese, South-east Asian… brains.

Youth of our country should be charged with the passion to excel in one’s own chosen walk of life – to conquer the world, inner and outer both, through excellence and creativity by following the path of ‘self realisation’. That is the reason why Chanakya Mandal Pariwar exists.

Mission Statement 2

To develop professionals with national character

A mission statement of an institution is the description of its life-work in one sentence. That single statement contains the soul of the institution. And however idealistic (childish), impractical etc. it may sound, the mission statement should be made absolutely clear. This helps all the concerned parties like the colleagues, activists, students and citizens etc. to clearly understand the work. Everyone should assess oneself and one’s actions in the light of the mission statement.

Another mission statement of Chanakya Mandal Pariwar is

“To develop professionals with national character”

Awareness of the Indian culture, history, national integration, social consciousness, equality and development; readiness to act and sensitivity to basic human values together go into the making of a national character.

Professionalism means excellent management and planning, accountability, honest accounting, doing the work in hand well and creatively, constant upgradation of one’s expertise in the chosen field, contributing to the field through one’s work and experience and, last but not the least, being responsible for the results of the project in hand.

Today, those who profess to embrace the values of professionalism generally  proclaim that they have nothing to do with national character. They say : “Don’t tell us about fads like the country, change and development. It is work for the sake of work for us.”

In similar fashion, those who talk of a national character are equally unconcerned about the values of professionalism. They feel that it is enough to speak eloquently about culture, character, change and development.


The truth is, only national character or only professionalism is not enough. They both are needed. Each is incomplete without the other. Professionalism without a national character is dangerous. And national character without professionalism is useless. There must be oneness (Advaita) between the two. Professionalism must mandatorily be an integral part of national character in the modern times. Being an
expert professional should be an all-important part of a national character and national character should be a vital component of professionalism.

Oneness in this sense is necessary.

Chanakya Mandal Pariwar aims at such an educational design. That is why its mission statements are :

Foundation Day (Adhishthana)

Chanakya Mandal Pariwar was consciously founded on August 10, 1996. Exactly 10 years before this, Gen. Arunkumar Vaidya was assassinated in Pune by Khalistani terrorists and the same day Avinash Dharmadhikari Sir received his appointment letter for IAS : this was the time when Avinash Dharmadhikari was working as a full time social activist, a teacher and a freelance journalist. Gen. Vaidya laid down his life in service of this country and now Chanakya Mandal wants to develop the army of youth who would live in service of the country and the world.

In March 1996, Avinash Dharmadhikari resigned from IAS after 10 years of service, to establish Chanakya Mandal Pariwar. Hence the conscious choice of the date August 10.

On August 10, 1996 Chanakya Mandal Pariwar was established at the hands of Smt. Kiran Bedi (IPS).

Every year this day of August 10 is observedas ‘Foundation Day ‘ (Adhishthana Diwas)

Adhishthana : ‘Adhishthana means to begin. ‘Beginning education, consciously beginning to develop one’s character on one’s own is the meaning implied in ‘Adhishthana’.

Students’ request to teachers – “अथातो ज्ञानजिज्ञासा…”

Madam and Sir, Please accept me as the student of Chanakya Mandal Pariwar because, I have carefully studied our prospectus, I believe I have understood our vision, I want to be the professional with national character, I want to have global consciousness and competence.

To realize this vision : I will continually strive to understand my true natural inner ‘self’, develop excellence and creativity in my chosen walk of life. And thus serve our nation, people and humanity.

I am happy to think of Chanakya Mandal Pariwar as my family, my temple of worship to perform the meditation of life.

So Madam and Sir, please let me have fun, let me enjoy and learn at Chanakya Mandal Pariwar.

Please accept me as the student of Chanakya Mandal Pariwar.

Teachers’ acceptance and blessings

ज्ञान मिळवण्याची आस असलेले विद्यार्थी म्हणून चाणक्य मंडल परिवार या घरात मंदिरात आलात याचा आम्हालाही आनंद आहे. आमच्यापाशी असलेलं ज्ञान आम्ही आणखी भर घालून तुमच्याकडे सुपूर्द करू. तुम्हाला ज्ञान देण्याच्या निमित्तानं आम्हीही ज्ञान मिळवू. तुम्ही ते सर्व ज्ञान आत्मसात करून स्वतंत्र बुद्धीनं संस्कृतीची समृद्धी वाढवणारे विद्यार्थी व्हा. चला, आता आपण बरोबरीनंच शुद्ध आणि प्रसन्न मनानं ज्ञानसाधनेची तपश्चर्या करू या.

We are happy that you came to Chanakya Mandal Pariwar, our home, our temple as students eager to study and gain knowledge. We will hand over to you whatever knowledge we have with all necessary updations. While giving knowledge to you we too will gain knowledge. May you all become students with independent thinking minds, who will make our culture prosperous. So now, let us all together, with a clean and pure mind begin our penance for acquiring knowledge.

About SANKALPA : The Resolve :
Chanakya Mandal Pariwar : Foundation Day : ‘Sankalpa Diwas’

Those who have made their decision to become ‘Sadhakas’ in their own chosen walk of life take the following resolve (Sankalpa). The word ‘Sankalpa’ indicates a strong decision – a resolve that one consciously makes with oneself, within one’s own mind, heart and soul. Concept of ‘Sankalpa’ at Chanakya Mandal Pariwar is one small, but significant expression of the ultimate principle of responsibility, of accountability : that is : one is ultimately accountable – answerable to one ‘Self’. As of now two ‘Sankalpa’ are suggested for every one at Chanakya Mandal Pariwar : First Sankalpa is for everyone and the second one will differ from profession to profession. One presented here is for those who want to join civil services. Taking ‘Sankalpa’ is certainly not compulsory – that is against the spirit of ‘ Sankalpa’. Only when one really wants to make such a resolve, to oneself, is this ‘Sankalpa’ to be taken.

The Upasana

हरिः ॐ ॐ ॐ

ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

ॐ ॐ ॐ

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णु र्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः

गुरुः साक्षात् परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ||

ॐ ॐ ॐ

सर्वेत्र सुखिनः सन्तु सर्वेसन्तु निरामयः

सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत।

ॐ तत् सद्, ॐ तत् सद् , ॐ तत् सद्

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

Meaning of Upasana
Shloka 1 :

We all shall be one. Everything from meals to conquest, shall be done by us together. Unitedly and brilliantly shall we study. We shall not despise one another.

Om, peace, peace, peace:

Shloka 2:

Guru is the Brahma(the creator), Guru is the Vishnu(the sustainer), Guru is the Shankar(the destroyer), Guru is the manifestation of the supreme being. I offer my obeisance to such a Guru.

Shloka 3:

Let everyone on this earth be happy. Let everyone enjoy good health. Let everyone see and experience goodness. Let no one be in pain.

Om, peace, peace, peace:

The Prayer

 

नव्या वैभवाचीच स्वप्ने सजावी
मनी हास्य लेऊन मुक्ती जगावी
हवी फक्त उन्मुक्त निर्माणशक्ती
नवी ध्येय आसक्त प्रल्हाद भक्ती

अहंता गळावी अभंगास म्हणता
तपस्येत तल्लीन आतून होता
प्रतिभेस मस्तीत आकार यावे
उरी उत्तमाचेच ओंकार गावे

जरी एक अश्रू पुसायास आला
तरी जन्म काहीच कामास आला
जरी अश्रु विस्फोट होऊनि सजला
तरी मुक्त ज्वालामुखी जन्म झाला

Meaning of Prayer :

This prayer is a modification of an original poem that ‘happened’ to A B.Dharmadhikari when he was selected in IAS. He wrote to himself about the kind of officer – the ‘Karyakarta Officer’ that he wanted to be. Now in its modified form it is our prayer at Chanakya Mandal Pariwar.

Stanza 1 : Lets celebrate the dreams of new richness (in all forms – the material, psychological, intellectual – and ofcourse spiritual). Lets live liberation with smiles in our minds. May we possess free spirited creativity. And an ever fresh faith and devotion (like pralhad). Last two lines are to be sung like धृपद of our prayer.

Stanza 2 : May we conquer of ego, as we sing the songs of devotion, as we are devoted to our hardwork. May our creativity come from within, find spontaneous form and our hearts sing (the ॐ कार) the songs of excellence. And with all this…

Stanza 3 : If we can wipe even a single tear from a single weeping eye, only then life has true meaning. (But wiping a tear is not enough.) If we awaken the explosive lava hidden in those tears, then free, liberated volcano of creative energy shall burst.