In the evening of June 25, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Sannidhanam interacted with and specially blessed the student winners of the Srimad Ramayana Summer Examination conducted by Baala Bharati. The eleven school students, along with their respective families, visited Sringeri on a fully-sponsored two-day trip organised by the Sharada Peetham in recognition of their excellence in the Ramayana examination.

During the special almost two-hour long interaction with the Jagadguru, the students shared their learnings from the Srimad Ramayana and the inspirations derived from their favourite characters. In His Anugraha Bhashanam to the assembled students and parents, Jagadguru Sri Sannidhanam spoke about the three-fold duties that are incumbent upon every individual - duties towards one’s family, towards the society and towards one’s own self. The Jagadguru further described that each of these duties are of two kinds - laukkika (worldly) and dharmic (spiritual). Laukkika responsibilities on the family front include striving to ensure the harmony and overall welfare of every member in the family; dharmic duties in this regard include the observance of ordained rituals within the family collective such as daily worship, special ritualistic observances, etc. On the societal front, it is the duty of every individual to work as per strength towards the progress and development of the society at large; dharmic duties are aligned towards spreading the spiritual fervour amongst the wider community such as through mass celebration of festivals, etc. Finally, laukkika duties on the individual front involve discharging one’s ordained duties (as per stage of life) to the best of one’s abilities - for instance, students must pursue education with immense dedication; dharmic duties geared towards oneself is to engage in worship and spiritual practices that are directed towards one’s own self-upliftment. The Jagadguru instructed that the onus is on every individual to ensure that all the aforementioned duties are properly understood and adhered to.

The Jagadguru also stressed on the need for everyone to gain a sound understanding of our sacred dharma and its varied injunctions - it is with such understanding and clarity that action must be engaged in. The Jagadguru concluded by quoting Sri Krishna’s ‘यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु’ (Yathecchasi tathā kuru) to Arjuna (meaning “do as you please”), from the final chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. After having thoroughly explained to Arjuna the nuances of action, knowledge, devotion, the means to liberation and so on, Sri Krishna commands Arjuna to do as he pleases. Sri Sannidhanam explained the rationale behind this command - Sri Krishna wanted Arjuna himself to make an informed decision on the right course of action, based on the knowledge he had gained. In other words, Sri Krishna wanted Arjuna to choose to fight the war, but not because Arjuna was directed to. Bhagavan wanted Arjuna to do so with a firm conviction in its merit as the right recourse, backed by the right knowledge.

The Jagadguru blessed the winning students with certificates and prizes. All students and parents were also blessed by the Jagadguru with phala-matrakshata and prasada. Sringeri Math CEO Guru Seva Nirata Sri PA Murali conferred cash prizes to the winners.

In the evening of June 26, the students had darshan and received the blessings of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahasannidhanam at the Sri Sharadamba temple, when the Jagadguru arrived at the temple for His customary Aalaya Darshan on Fridays.

As a part of their visit, the students and accompanying family had darshan at Sri Sharadamba temple and all the other temples in the premises of the Sringeri Math. They also visited the Sri Rishyashringa temple at Kigga and the temples of the four guardian deities. The group visited the Shantiniketan Vriddhashram (home for the aged) run by the Peetham, and Shankara Giri. In the afternoon of June 25, a special interactive session with the Principal Vidwan Vinayaka Udupa, Vidwan BL Ganapati Bhat and senior students of the Peetham’s Sri Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrita Mahapathashala was arranged for the students. The students gained insight into the unique Vedic system of education, the eminence of the Sanskrit language and its role in the propagation of Sanatana Dharma, the preservation of India's timeless knowledge traditions, and also the profound literary and cultural heritage of the Srimad Ramayana.