Pathways

From the canon to a qualification

What is taught The library Pathways Professions

A shelf is not a qualification. Three things make one: how far you have gone, what it cost in hours, and what you can do at the end.

9pathways

7levels

8lead to a profession

22170taught hours

The levels are not ours Prathama · Madhyama · Shastri · Acharya · Vidyavaridhi Indian Sanskrit education has used this ladder for a century and the Sanskrit universities still award against it. A student can see exactly where our certificate sits beside a traditional one — and no scholar can say we invented a scale to flatter ourselves.

The ladder

30h Parichaya An introduction, for anyone · roughly no formal equivalent

180h Prathama The first formal stage · roughly upper primary

480h Purva Madhyama Foundation completed · roughly school leaving

720h Uttar Madhyama Senior secondary in the tradition · roughly higher secondary

1800h Shastri The graduate stage; competent to teach the basics · roughly bachelor's degree

1200h Acharya Mastery of a branch; competent to instruct teachers · roughly master's degree

— Vidyavaridhi Original scholarship in the tradition · roughly doctorate

The pathways

Veda recitation Qualifies as: Veda pathak · 3180 hours · about 5.3 years full time

Recite your shakha correctly with svara, and teach it to a beginner.

PrathamaPurva MadhyamaUttar MadhyamaShastri

Karmakanda — domestic rites Qualifies as: Purohit · 2460 hours · about 4.1 years full time

Perform the samskaras a family needs, correctly and in order.

PrathamaPurva MadhyamaShastri

Temple worship Qualifies as: Archaka / Pujari · 3660 hours · about 6.1 years full time

Conduct a temple's daily worship to the agama it follows.

PrathamaPurva MadhyamaShastriAcharya

Sanskrit language Qualifies as: Sanskrit teacher · 4410 hours · about 7.3 years full time

Read the texts unaided, and teach the language.

ParichayaPrathamaPurva MadhyamaUttar MadhyamaShastriAcharya

Vedanta Qualifies as: Shastri · 3030 hours · about 5.0 years full time

Read the prasthanatrayi with a commentary and argue the position.

ParichayaShastriAcharyaVidyavaridhi

Jyotisha Qualifies as: Jyotishi · 3210 hours · about 5.3 years full time

Compute a panchang and a chart, and fix a muhurta, without software.

ParichayaPrathamaShastriAcharya

Katha and pravachan Qualifies as: Kathavachak / Pravachak · 1980 hours · about 3.3 years full time

Hold a gathering on a text for a week, from the text rather than memory.

PrathamaShastri

Temple administration Qualifies as: Temple manager · 210 hours · about 0.3 years full time

Run a temple's records, compliance and visitors properly.

ParichayaPrathama

For the household For your own practice, not a profession · 30 hours · about 0.1 years full time

Perform daily worship at home, and know what you are saying.

Parichaya

Recitation is measured differently

Veda recitation has its own ladder, because it genuinely does. These are stages of memorisation, and no amount of study substitutes for the next one.

Hours are indicative and will be fixed by the board, not by us. A qualification whose hours were set by a software company is not a qualification.