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{{Short description|Gurukul of Shaunaka Rishi}}
{{See also-text|[[Naimiṣāraṇya (forest)]]|[[Shaunaka]]|[[Ugrashravas]]|[[Brahma Upanishad]]|[[Dadhichi Ashram]]}}
{{notability|Geography|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox monastery
| name = Shaunaka Mahashala
| native_name = शौनक महाशाला
| other_names = Shaunaka Rishi Ashram
| founder = [[Shaunaka]]
| location = [[Naimiṣāraṇya (forest)]]
| full_name = Naimishyaranya University
| dedication = [[Atharvaveda]],[[Purana]],[[Mahabharata]]
| architect = Cottage
| people = Shaunaka, Veda Vyasa, Pippalada, Lomaharshana, Ugrashravas
| heritage_designation = Gurukul
| image = 00001 Ugrasrava and Saunaka.jpg
| caption = Painting by Jijithnr showing Ugrasrava Sauti narrating Mahabharata to Saunaka and sages
}}
'''''Shaunaka Mahashala''''' was a higher educational institution founded by the ancient Indian Vedic philosopher [[Shaunaka|Shaunaka Rishi]] in the ancient [[Naimiṣāraṇya (forest)|Naimisaranya forest]].

== Etymology ==
''Shaunaka Mahashala'' is constituted with two words Shaunaka and Mahashala. Shaunaka was the name of the sage who was the chancellor. Mahashala or ''Mahāśāla'' is used instead of one who has ten thousand students under him. Also, ''Maha'' means great and ''Shala'' means institution. Therefore, Mahashala means a ''great institution''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nityatmananda |first=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yzJiEAAAQBAJ&q=shaunaka+ashram+as+university |title=M., the Apostle & the Evangelist - Volume 15: A Continuation of M.'s Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, A Guide to Indian Culture and Self Knowledge |date=2017-07-14 |publisher=SRI MA TRUST |language=en}}</ref>

== Background ==
According to the [[Vedic]] texts, Shaunaka Rishi's full name was Indrotdaivaya Shaunaka. He was a Vedic teacher and the son of the sage Bhriguvanshi Shunak. Shaunaka Rishi was running a Gurukul having ten thousand students and he was honoured as {{lang|sa-Latn|kulapati}} (chancellor). It is said that before him no other sage had received such an honour.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-04 |title=कौन थे ऋषि शौनक, धार्मिक ग्रंथों में है वर्णन |url=https://www.punjabkesari.in/dharm/news/story-related-shaunak-rishi-1342239 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=punjabkesari}}</ref> He wrote Rigveda Chandanukramani, Rigveda Chandanukramani, Rigveda Rishyanukramani, Rigveda Anuvakanukramani, Rigveda Suktanukramani, Rigveda Kathanukramani, Rigveda Padvidhan, Brihadevata, Shaunak Smriti, Charanvyuh, Rigvidhan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=जोशी |first=अनिरुद्ध |title=Shaunak Rishi । 10 हजार शिष्यों वाले गुरुकुल में दुनिया के पहले कुलपति ऋषि शौनक |url=https://hindi.webdunia.com/sanatan-dharma-mahapurush/shaunak-rishi-kaun-the-121030400017_1.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=hindi.webdunia.com |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=सभी देवता पहुंचें शौनक ऋषि के आश्रम, शौनक ऋषि के शाप से भस्म हुए असुर {{!}} Om Namah Shivay 169 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdy80BHjgSA |access-date=2023-05-13 |language=en}}</ref>

== Description ==
The location of the Gurukul was [[Naimiṣāraṇya (forest)|Nimisharanya]]. It is said that [[Shaunaka]] performed a 12-year-long [[Yajna]] at his ashram, which attracted a large number of learned men, who held incessant discussions about religion and [[philosophy]]. He wrote Shaunaka Grihasutra, Shaunaka Grihyaparishit, and Vastushastra Granth. He helped sages Romaharsha and [[Ugrashravas|Ugrasrava Sutha]] to spread the [[Puranas]] and [[Itihasa]] among a large masses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VedaPurana {{!}} Hindu Encyclopedia |url=https://vedapurana.org/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=vedapurana.org}}</ref> Ugrashravas was an auditor at [[Taxila|Takshila]]. He travelled to [[Naimiṣāraṇya (forest)|Naimiṣāraṇya forest]]. There he met with the sage [[Shaunaka]] and a large group of [[Brahmin]]s studying at the Shaunaka Mahashala. The Shaunaka Mahashala is considered as the ancient form of university in the [[Indian subcontinent|Indian Subcontinent]] by scholars. It is also known as Naimishyaranya University.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nityatmananda |first=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yzJiEAAAQBAJ&q=shaunaka+ashram+as+university |title=M., the Apostle & the Evangelist - Volume 15: A Continuation of M.'s Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, A Guide to Indian Culture and Self Knowledge |date=2017-07-14 |publisher=SRI MA TRUST |language=en}}</ref> The Brahmin scholars in the ashram asked about [[Janamejaya]]'s snake sacrifice with the sage [[Ugrashravas]]. Then Ugrashravas recited the story of the [[Mahabharata]] as recited by [[Vaisampayana|Vaishampayana]] to him with some additional materials.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Richard H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GWaYDwAAQBAJ&q=shaunaka+ashram |title=The Bhagavad Gita: A Biography |date=2014-10-26 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-13996-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Varadpande |first=Manohar Laxman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fOZB7MbeMrAC&q=shaunaka+ashram |title=History of Indian Theatre: Classical theatre |date=1987 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-430-1 |language=en}}</ref> This is the place where [[Bhagavata Purana|Shrimad Bhagavatam]] was preached. The life of the university is mentioned in [[Adi Parva]] of the [[Mahabharata]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naimisharanya - The Center of Excellence {{!}} Exotic India Art |url=https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/naimisharanya-center-of-excellence-nao526/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=www.exoticindiaart.com |language=en}}</ref> The philosophical conversation between the sage [[Pippalada]] and the sage [[Shaunaka]] at the Shaunaka Mahashala was recorded as [[Brahma Upanishad]] or ''Brahmopanishad.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brahma Upanishad – Vyasa Mahabharata |url=https://www.vyasaonline.com/brahma-upanishad/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:Ashramas]]
[[Category:Hindu educational institutions]]

Shaunaka Mahashala - Revision history

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