In 1998, during my third visit to Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga Yoga Nilayam, he instructed me to learn the Aditya Hṛdayam—the “Heart of the Sun‑God” verses he called the Surya Namaskar passages of the Ramayana.
Mysore, a royal city famed for its Sanskrit and Vedic scholarship, is home to many wolrd reknowned authorities, including Jois. Through a bit of research and a few introductions, I found myself at Jayashree’s door. Dr. M.A. Jayashree was head of the Sanskrit department at a Mysore college and an advisor to international scholars. From our first meeting she welcomed me into ther home and I became her student, attending daily lessons in Śruti Paramparā, call-and-response chanting, learning many hymns, vedic mantras, portions of the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana as well as introductory grammar. All this was in preparation for the Aditya Hṛdayam, which I would complete about two years later.
After my first few seasons with Jayashree, her brother, Prof. Narasimhan joined her in teaching. With a few of Jois’s students, we gathered in their library for daily instruction. I was keen to arrange an an introduction so that Jayashree and Narasimhan could meet Guruji. What did Guruji think? Yes, welcomed the meeting. And so it was, one afternoon, we set off to meet Guruji on the appointed day. Jayashree and her brother were quite nervous. I’ll admit, so was I! When they entered the small front room of his modest home, they each bent down to touch the feet of the wise elder, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. They also addressed him as Guruji.
The three Sanskrit scholars conversed in Kannada about their backgrounds and families. I shared that Jayashree was also a trained Carnatic vocalist. Guruji was delighted and asked her to sing. After several Sanskrit hymns, he requested a Kalidasa poem, and as she sang, tears came to his eyes. Hearing the singing from the back shala where he was teaching, Sharath came into the front room to stand in the doorway and listen. Sharath joined Guruji in high praise of Jayashree’s singing.
That memorable encounter preceded Guruji’s regular afternoon “conference” sessions with his students. As the students arrived, Guruji told them, you must study with Jayashree! And so, where I had only modestly succeeded, over several seasons, to corral a handful of students to Jayashree’s vibrant library classes, Pattabhi Jois, with one command, instantly filled her library with eager students to visit daily and for decades to come.
This first meeting took place a few weeks in advance of Guruji’s birthday celebration. He made sure that I invited her to the gathering at his new house in the quiet budding neighborhood of Gokulam. On the appointed day, I traveled to the event with Jayashree. Along with students, neighbors, and old friends, were Guruji’s brothers and extended family from his home village of Kowshika. This community is known for Vedic chanting and traditional singing. All the Kowshika women were eager for Jayashree’s arrival. Soon she sat at the center of a group of appreciative women, who requested song after song. Sitting among them and singing hymn after hymn, Jayashree shone like a lotus surrounded by honey bees.
From that day onward she was a special invited guest at Guruji’s birthday festivities, always honoring him with song.
For nearly twenty-five years, Dr. Jayashree and Professor Narasimhan hosted large groups of students for daily classes in their home library. They also accepted invitations to travel to their student’s schools and to special events throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States. Their Anantha Research Foundation has published dozens of CDs and books as swell as completed many translations from Sanskrit in both Kannada and English.
Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois has passed on, as has dear Sharath and most recently our Professor Narasimhan. Beloved Jayashree continues to teach visiting students in her home as well as in special on-line courses.
May all Seekers be blessed to chant and learn with our generous, learned and wise teacher, Dr. M.A. Jayashree.
