18 February 2023 (Mahāśivarātri)
Orientation & japa – replay available
Class 1 replay also available!

Regular classes – 3 Thursdays a month
Starting on 02 March (all dates below)
11am & 6pm Brussels time
(Europe clocks change on March 26 & Oct 29)

 

A recording of the introduction class held to give students an overview of this course can now be viewed below!

“Diving deeply into the Rudram brings īśvara into one’s life so that one comes out with namaḥ on one’s lips and īśvara in one’s heart.” – Swami Dayananda Saraswati

I’m excited to offer for the third time, a one year study program on learning to chant the most famous mantra & prayer to Lord Śiva or Rudra. Considered the most important sādhana a yogī can undertake, it provides the means for gaining eligibility for the knowledge unfolded by the mantra, revealing the truth of oneself. This hymn is considered to be very efficacious in neutralising the result of wrong actions.

Śrī Rudrapraśnaḥ consists of eleven sub-divisions called anuvākas. This hymn is a source of inspiration for the famous genre of nāmāvalis (name mantras). Even in the Vedas, one does not see a section like Śrī Rudram consisting of many names of the divine along with the word, namaḥ, salutation. The famous five-syllabled mantra namaśśivāya, is from this great hymn.

Śivarātri is celebrated on 18 Feb 2023 and we will start this course with an orientation & japa on this day.

The course will run from March 2023 – February 2024, on three Thursdays each month, except in August (no classes). Additional practice classes maybe scheduled. The study program has been carefully designed, with enough breaks to allow time for self-practice. One group has successfully finished this course and another group is almost at the end! It has been a pleasure working with both these groups and I look forward to welcoming my next group of Śiva devotees!

Course objectives:

At the end of this one year program, you will:

• Learn the complete chanting of the Srī Rudrapraśnaḥ (Namakam) along with all Vedic phonetic details. This is 11 Anuvākā-s or paragraphs along with a 12th closing paragraph.
• Learn the significance of this mantra in your life and an overall meaning of each section.
• Get individual turns practising with the teacher on Zoom in the weekly live classes.
• Ensure correct learning through sharing a recording with the teacher twice a month.
• Be able to practice this chant independently!

Course level: Advanced

Eligibility:

• Students should have at least 1 – year consistent practice of Vedic chanting (or any other consistent spiritual practice, the ability to embark on sādhana and see it to completion).
• Should know at least 2 Sūktams. (memorisation not a requirement, just the ability to learn long texts).
• Familiarity with Veda chanting rules – Sanskrit alphabet basics & some chanting rules (students receive a complete phonetic guide for reference in any case)
• Can maintain svara & correct easily when given feedback (most important part of the eligibility!). 
• Study is the equivalent of learning 1 Sūktam per month. (memorisation not expected)
• 5 days per week self-practice is essential.
• Please contact me if you wish to clarify your eligibility.

Please note that this criteria isn’t set in stone, we have students who are new to Veda chanting also joining us. Important thing is to be up to the challenge and make the time for practice. You may send me an email if you wish to clarify eligibility. Serious seekers will always be invited to join the program.

(You can listen to Shantala’s recitation of this mantra below!)

Course fee:

Payment plans will be offered to serious & committed students who wish to take this course.
Write to us if you want a combined bundle along with Foundation course starting 14 March!

This online course includes:

• Three LIVE classes on Zoom each month (dates below). After each class, participants will receive the replay link (recording) from the class, which is posted in the course and available during the course. Therefore, if you miss a class, you can catch up with the recording. Recordings are deleted after 6 months.
• A workbook is provided – with English transliteration & Devanāgari along with Veda Studies phonetic guide for each section.
• Several audio practice resources are available on the online course for study in between classes on Veda Studies, including practice drills of difficult vocabulary.
• Evaluation of 2 recordings per month, so you will receive individual feedback on your progress.
• Teaching of the Śrī Rudram as taught by Vedic pundits in South-India.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is it possible to withdraw from course if I sign up now?

Possible until 31 Jan with a cancellation fee of €50
                   Once course access is given – no withdrawal/cancellation possible.

• Is it possible to have early access to the material?

Yes, you can get started right away with preparation!
                           (no cancellation possible after this).

• I bought the self-paced Rudram course bundle, can I upgrade to this program?

Yes!!! Send an email to Edgar at admin@vedastudies.com

• I have not studied the Foundation course, should I sign up for that as well?

Yes! This is highly recommended. Write to us for a special combo offer for Foundation + Rudram.

Book recommendation:

I highly recommend getting Śrī Rudram, by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the best translation & commentary of this mantra along with word by word meaning. The workbook included in this course does not provide word by word translation. (Students have to procure on their own copy of the book, this is not included in your course).

Live Zoom class dates:

( 2 class times are confirmed, 11h00 & 18h00 Brussels time, you can join your preferred group, please indicate time in comments when you sign up for the course!!)

Feb 18 – Orientation class & Śivarātri japa

March: 02, 09, 23
April: 06, 13, 20
May: 04, 11, 18
June: 01, 08, 15
July: 06, 13, 20
August: no classes
Sept: 07, 14, 21
Oct: 5, 12, 19
Nov: 02, 09, 16,
Dec: 07, 14, 21
Jan 2024: 11, 18, 25
Feb 2024: 08, 15, 22

A recording of the introduction class from 27 Oct 2022:

 

Shantala’s (slow) recitation of Rudram: