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CHAPTER VIII EDUCATION, LITERATURE, SCIENCES, ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE SECTION I. EDUCATION AND LITERATURE In the Paumacariya there are very general statements about the system of education. It lacks details about the various aspects of the educational system. Even then a treatment of the data available in it will provide us with sufficient information about the educational activities in those days. A. Teacher and Pupil. Teacher :-The teacher is called Guru in general sense (12.11; 25.26; 77.83; 82.45). The other terms used for the teacher are Uvajjhaya Upadhyaya and Ayariya-Acarya. Manu (2.141) tells us that an Upadhyaya took to the profession of teaching for his livelihood and taught only a portion of the Vedas and Vedangas, whereas, an Acarya did not charge fees and taught the Vedas along with Kalpasutras and Upanisads (2.140). In the Paumacariya the terms are used without any such distinction. Here the teacher of the Aranyakas (11.10), or Vidyas (traditional learning) (39.90) or archery (14.20) is equally called Upadhyaya and even the teacher of medical science or spells is called Acarya (48.84). The student is called 'Sisa = Sisya' or Antavasi=Antevasin (11. 10; 25.19; 25.20). Great respect was accorded to teachers by their pupils. An indirect reference to that effect is found in the Paumacariya Harisena says that the parents are also 'gurus' and they should not be pained even slightly (8.152). The teacher is mentioned as being always agreeable and affectionate to the pupils. A teacher should not cause even slightest anxiety to his pupil as the sun glitters without giving any pain to the eyes. To good pupils a teacher is very useful, while to bad ones he is like a scorching sun to the owls (97.23-24). Remuneration of teachers:-There is no mention of fixing any remuneration for a teacher whether he was appointed by the parents of the pupils or he belonged to some distant place where the pupils went for their studies. The only remuneration paid to the teacher was to present him with gifts and to accord due reverence to him at the time of completing the education (sammana dana vihavena gurussa puyam karei

EDUCATION AND ARCHITECTURE 405 25.26; sampuio 39.90). Manu lays down that a pupil should not pay any fees to his teacher before he finishes his education (2.245) and teachers charging fees are condemned (3.156) by him. It is further said that a pupil should give to his teacher such presents as he can afford-such as field, gold, cow, horse, umbrella, shoes, grain, vegetables or cloths (2.246). Age of studentship:-It is said that when boys became capable of grasping and retaining the meaning of subjects or became able to learn arts, they were entrusted to a teacher for their studies (Kalagahanadharapasahe 25.15; 97.12). Their education got completed when they attained full youth (sampatto jovvanam savva kalasu sahiyavijjo puno jayo balaviriya sampanno (18.56). The ancient literature reveals that the education commenced at the age ranging from five to eight years³. The full youth indicates the marriageable age and on the attainment of that age the education got completed (24.9; 97.25; 98.1). As regards the education of girls it will be sufficient to recapitulate that they were suitably educated in literature, arts and sciences. There are glimpses that co-education also prevailed and girls were sent out to the residence of the teacher for their studies. Places of study:-The Paumacariya reveals that the boys received their education at home town or were sent out to some other places. Rama and his brothers (25. 23) and Lavana and Ankusa (97.22) received their education at their home towns at the feet of the teacher specially appointed for them. A princess of Cakrapura and a son of a purohita of the same place studied together at the residence of a common teacher (25. 4, 6). Ksirakadamba tought a prince, his son and a Brahmin boy in the forest (II. 9) in the vicinity of their home town. Princes Desabhusana and Kulabhusana 'went to a place which was far away from their birth-place. They were completely entrusted to the teacher and when they returned after completing their education, they could not recognise even their kith and kin (39. 87-95). There were also renowned places where students flocked to from various parts of the country for their education. At Rajagrha Vaivasvat was training no less than 1000 pupils in archery. The teacher of Rama had been trained there (25. 18). Srivardhita went to Vyaghrapura for learning sciences and arts (77.84). Kusumapura seems to be alluded to as a 1. See The Age of Imperial Unity; B. V. Bhavan (1953), p, 582. 2. See Bhag Su, 11 11. 429. 3. See Education in Ancient India pp 266, 274. 4. See Supra The position of Woman.

406 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMAGARIYAM good centre of learning medical science or spells (48.83-85). Vipra Ramana of Rajagrha is mentioned to have gone to some other place for his studies and he returned home after a long time (82. 44-46), Other agencies -No less part was played by the wandering mendicants who regularly gave sermons to the public on religion. and indoctrinated the principles of morality and righteousness. They were the mobile teachers and roaming libraries. There were occasions when religious debates were held and on such occasions people got good opportunities to learn many things about religion, philosophy and ethics (11.25; 105.26). Besides that the society was based on Jati or Varna i. e. the professional classes hence the respective families would have been good schools of training in different learnings, professions and crafts.