365bet娱乐

The Ramayana and Mahabharata, the main Epics (Itihasa) of ancient India, give us details about the mode of education of that period. Varnas and Asrams gained more importance. Education prescribed for Brahamanas in the Dharmasutras was valid in the epics period also. Purity of soul, character formation, study of Vedas, self restraint and humility, devotional services to the teacher, discipline of bramacarya etc, were the prescribed duties of the students.

29 In the Mahabharata an Asrama (Hermitage) is described as consisting of several departments. They are Agnisthana (the place for fireworships and prayers) Bramasthana (place of Vedas) Visnusthana (for teaching Rajaniti and Arthasastra), Mahendrasthana (Military), Vivasvatasthana (Astronomy), Somasthana (Botony), Garudhasthana (dealing with the transport and conveyances), Kartikeyasthana (teaching 35 military organization, how to form petrol battalions and army)." In the itihasas and puranas Naimisa was an important place of education. The hermitage of kanva was another famous centre of learning. Near the banks of Malini. Vyasa, Vasistha, Viswamitra, Drona, Valmiki, and Parasurama are well known teachers. The epics also show that famous teachers were invited to the royal courts and the members of the royal family received instructions from them. For example Drona and Vasistha were teachers of the princess of Hastinapura and Ayodhya respectively. This type of education also flourished parallel to the gurukula type of education. Educational evidences of the epics point out that the military interest predominates over the intellectual. Sudra had been rejected of the rights of study of veda and military training. For eg: Ekalavya sudra boy, had been rejected by Dronacarya, the military teacher. Sambuka was

30 sudra boy and he started penance. But Rama killed him because he was a sudra. The student normally developed a sense of love respect and worship towards the teacher, and his family inside and outside the hermitage. Female students were taken as daughters by the Gurus. So Arjuna in Mahabharatha refused to marry Uttara who was his student in fine arts at the Royal court of Virata. At the same time teacher-student relationship was so deep that the teacher did not hesitate to give his daughter in marriage to their pupils. Gautama gave his daughter to his pupil Utanka. Glory of the student was taken as his own glory by the teacher. The preceptors were considered as spiritual father of the pupil. Pupils used to lead a very disciplined life in the hermitage. They were always ready to perform any job assigned to them by the preceptor. Guru also used to look after them. 36 37 Gurudaksina was one of the important duties on the part of the student in Mahabharata. 'Daksina paritosham vai gurunam sadbhirucyate. Varatantu the preceptor of Kautsa demanded fourteen crores of gold from Kautsa as Gurudaksina. Varatantu got this much amount from the great king Raghu and fulfilled the desire of his Guru. Acarya Drona asked his disciples to defeat the king Drupada and submit his kingdom as Acarya vetanam. Drona wanted the thump of Ekalavya as Gurudaksina. Asrama

31 of Rsi Bharadvaja at Prayaga was one of the biggest and most important hermitage for education in Northern India. Taksasila was another noted centre of learning. Dhoumya was the famous teacher of this centre and the tradition was continued by his three famous disciples, Upamanyu, Aruni and Veda. Kaca and Devayani was another ideal students in the Asrama of Suskracarya. In the period of epics women were not prohibited from receiving education. The epic age gives examples of women of profound learning and high moral character. Sita and Draupadi are the most famous examples in the case of epics. In Mahabharata Kunti had acquired thorough knowledge of his Atharvaveda. The Ramayana contemplates women who were Bhiksunis. The best example of this is Sabari, the disciple of Matanga." In the 38 Mahabharata Astavakra converses with an old women who describes herself as Brahmacharini. The daughter of Sandilya was also a Brahmacarini. Janaka had also a philosophical discussion with Bhiksuni Sulobha. 39 40 In the Ramayana," the king is expected to study following subjects. Dhanurveda, Vedas, Nitisastra and the art (siksa) of taming elephants and horses besides the art of painting (alekhya), writing (lekhya), jumping (langhana) and swimming (plavana). Another passage mentions

32 writing and numbers (lekhya and samkhya), fine arts (gandharvavidya), logic (nyaya), polity (nitisastra). Mahabharata lists out the following: Astanga Ayurveda, Ayurveda, Rgveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, Sarvasastrani, Itihasa, Upavedas, Vedangas, Vani of seven kinds, various kinds of Gatha literature, Bhasas, Natakas, Kavyas, Kathakhyayikas etc. According to Hopkins this reference shows that 'the line of education was away from the vedic and at that what time the princes were given to culture, not to religion'. 41 The Puranas, which hold a unique place in the history of religious literature of the Hindus, contain lot of knowledge and information on philosophical and religious topics. Since Srutis or Vedas cannot be easily understood by the common people, Vedavyasa composed the eighteen Puranas for the benefit of mankind and explained in easy way the subtle truth and the deep wisdom of the Srutis. Number of Puranas give us details about the education of that period as in the story of Krsna in Bhagavata. Krsna received his instruction from Sandipani, a sage lived in Avantipura. He lived with his teacher as an ordinary student, gathered fuel from the forest for his preceptor's household, inspired his classmates with 42 love, mastered the sixty four arts in sixty four days. He learned the art of archery and military science from his teacher. When his education was over, at the request of his teacher he retrieved Sandipani's son from death

33 caused by Pancajanya, a sea monster by whom the boy had been carried away. 43 This story points out that the system of Gurudaksina was followed in this period also. The system of gurukula education continued even after the age of Puranas. As mentioned earlier Kings and Lords were used to appoint teachers for educating their children and relatives at their palaces. The residential system continued during the middle ages, this age old practice of education was able to survive with the patronage received from the local chiefs and kings. Traditions were kept safe by the close and devoted bond of the teacher and disciple. This was relevant not only in the northern parts of India but the south also participated in it. When the age of sages and great emperors was over, Temples and chieftain took over the areas of Sanskrit wisdom. The weakness and ups and downs of those patrons were reflected in the gurukula system, which they wanted to preserve and propagate in this period. The Vedic system of education was followed by the Buddhist system.