A life-long devotion for Gaṇeśa led Shraddha Sharma to study Veda, and a sign from the obstacle-removing deity convinced her that she should be teaching Veda, too…
By Sophia Ann French
After we study the invocatory mantras, the first sūktam students of Veda study is the Śraddhā Sūktam. Śraddhā establishes faith and conviction in our practice. In the third mantra in this sūktam, we pray to the devī asking, “May we have the faith that you will kindly fulfil our declared intents.” This faith and conviction is the first thing I noticed about Shraddha Sharma, and in the course of the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme, Shraddha consistently lived up to her name with her relentless devotion to the study of Veda, her love for our community and her immovable faith that she was meant to be studying and teaching Veda. Based in Mumbai, Shraddha is a Psychologist, a trained dancer and now a Veda recitation teacher. She’s been inclined to Indic philosophy since she was a child and recalls when growing up, she felt Gaṇeśa was her brother. “I’m Maharashtrian and Gaṇpati is so prominent in Maharashtra so I grew up with a deep devotion for him. I remember thinking that he was my brother and my mum and dad were Śiva and Pārvatī. The reason I signed up for the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme was because I received a sign from Gaṇpati. I had just started studying Veda when the first TTC was announced and at that time, I wasn’t ready. When the second TTC was announced, I was still hesitant to join but then I got a sign. This kite would fly to my AC unit every morning and was perched there. I formed a bond with it. One morning, it left me a little gift. It was a Gaṇpati idol. I sent a picture to Shantala and decided to join the TTC,” says Shraddha.
Rediscovering the Art of Veda Recitation
Shraddha may have grown up with deities and in a Hindu home but she feels she is rediscovering everything she already knew with Veda Studies. “One of the main reasons I joined Shantala’s classes is because I love studying with a woman. Growing up, I often questioned why certain rituals or mantras were not performed by women and I loved that Shantala was making this accessible. When I first started studying, I was confident that I would find it easy because the subject wasn’t unfamiliar but when I started studying, I realised how much unlearning I had to do before I even started getting the mantras right. I never chanted with svaras and rules so that is my biggest challenge — getting the three notes right all the time. When I signed up for the Foundation Course, I asked Shantala why I needed to learn it because I knew most of the mantras already. She asked me to join nevertheless and give it a shot even though I felt I knew the mantra. In that first Foundation class, I realised how incorrectly I had recited mantras. After I studied with Shantala and learned to recite the mantras correctly, I felt a shift in the way I experienced the mantra and the deity associated with each mantra,” says Shraddha. While she is taking her time to refine her practice, she is also discovering the benefits of the practice. “I know I don’t seem like it but I had major anger issues (laughs). Since I started reciting Veda, I feel a lot more calm. I realised I stopped complaining as much and I have a new-found sense of gratitude. It was a gradual change but a positive change.”
Deconstructing Metaphors
When students learn a new mantra or sūktam with Veda Studies, Shantalaji includes theory lessons to help students understand and contemplate the meaning of the text being studied. In the Veda Studies community events, she often focuses on the deeper meaning of the mantras and the essence of the deities we call upon when we recite Veda. Even though Shraddha grew up with these deities, she finds the theory classes very useful because it gives her an understanding of how to apply the essence of the deity to life and her actions. “Growing up, I learned about the deities from a Purāṇic point of view. But when Shantala teaches, she does so from a Vedic point-of-view so I’m learning things about these deities that I didn’t know before. Even as a Hindu, I didn’t have access to the meaning of our rituals and mantras and I feel Shantala has changed this and made the Vedas available to everyone. I also love how much more connected I feel to the deity when I recite the mantras — when I recite the Rudram, for example, I feel an affinity towards Śiva. I feel very connected to the Rudram because I learned it during the COVID lockdown. It occupied my time and I completely surrendered to learning Rudram. Initially, I struggled with it because I had been listening to a different version my entire life but now I recite it correctly and it’s an ongoing process of refinement.”
Words of Advice
“My advice to anyone who wants to study Veda recitation is to go slow. Even if you feel you already know mantras and prayers, be prepared to start from scratch. Have faith in the practice and you will fall in love with it.”
To get in touch with Shraddha, email her at [email protected]