Formal Education System in Ancient India
by Sushmita Nath | 2016 | 63,563 words
This page relates ‘Vidyarambha Samskara’ of the study on the (formal) education system in Ancient India with reference to Vedic and Buddhist period, investiging educational institutions and universities which existed during this time. Professional educational methods were found in ancient Sanskrit literature (Brahamanas, Dharma-Shastras, Puranas, Jatakas, etc.), including rules, ceremonies and duties of pupils in ancient India.
The Vidyārambha Saṃskāra
The Vidyārambha Saṃskāra is the first educational Saṃskāra of pupils’ life. From this Saṃskāra, a child started to receive education.This Saṃskāra is also described by some authorities as–Akṣarārambha, Akṣaravīkarana and Akṣarālekhana[1]. As its name suggests that, this Saṃskāra was started when the alphabets were utilised for writing purpose.
The Vidyārambha Saṃskāra is not go back to hoary antiquity. All the Vedas, the Gṛhyasūtras, the Dharmasūtras and the early Smṛtis do not mention this Saṃskāra. But the Vīramitrodaya Saṃskāraprakāśa, the Smṛticandrikā, and the commentary of Aparārka on the Yājñavalkya Smṛti give the detail description about this Saṃskāra. P.V. Kane in his book ‘The History of Dharmaśastra’ referred that though the Veda, the Gṛhyasūtra, the Dharmasūtras do not give any information about the Saṃskāra but in the Mārkeṇḍeya Pūraṇa mention about Vidyārambha Saṃskāra. P.V.Kane also wrote that in Kālidāsa’s Raghuvaṃśa, Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra and the Bhavabhuti’s Uttararāmacarita give little bit information about the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra[2].
The authorities which describe and prescribe the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra are as late as the second millennium of Christan era. It is very strange that the Gṛhyasūtras and the Dharmasūtras give detail description about the insignificant occasion like first outing and first feeding but they pass over the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra, which marks the beginning of primary education of a child and it was the very important occasion of a child life. This omission could not by mistake. Because, in the early time everybody was ignorant about the art of writing or it may be said during those days anything written was not regarded as pure. For, we find in the Tantra Vārttika of
Kumārila as–“that knowledge of truth is worthless which has been acquired from the Veda, if the Veda has not been rightly comprehended or if it has been learnt from writing”[3]. It is said that if letter was necessary for learning, it was not considered as pure education. So in that time, education of children began with the memorising of the sacred hymns without the help of writing. Therefore, there was no necessary for instituting another Saṃskāra for celebrating the learning alphabet.
Later on, literature becomes very complicated because different commentaries on different Śāstras were written. The standard of grammar became rigid. Then this rich literature had become impossible to retain only by memorising. So, to preserve the treasure of learning alphabets were invented and the art of writing was known. And people were also curious to know the treasure of learning. So a new Saṃskāra (Vidyārambha) was introduced to start the primary education of a child. After this new Vidyārambha, the Upanayana could not mark the beginning of primary education. It was performed at the beginning of secondary education. And the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra was performed at the commencement of primary education.
This late recognition of this Saṃskāra was probably due to the fact that for a long time, the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra followed that of Cūḍākaraṇa or tonsure ceremony[4]. According to Kauitlya’s Arthaśāstra, the education of a Prince began at the time of tonsure ceremony[5]. The Kālidāsa’s Raghuvaṃśam also supports this supposition because Prince Raghu learnt his alphabet after his tonsure ceremony[6]. In the Bhavabutis Uttarāmacarita, we find that the Sage Vālmīki started the education of Kuśa and Lava after their tonsure ceremony[7]. There was one more factor which facilitated the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra with Cūḍakarana Ceremony. The Cūḍakarana Ceremony was performed between the fourth and fifth year of a Child and the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra was also performed in the fifth and seventh year of a Child. Both the Saṃskāra were performed together. The Number, nature and time of the tonsure ceremony were same as that of Vidyārambha Saṃskāra. So it was natural that in early time, when the tonsure ceremony was performed, the Primary education of a Child should be commenced.
Age:
In the fifth year of a Child, the Vidyārambha Saṃskāra was performed. The Ṣoḍasa Samskāravidhi referred “pancame saptame vaỏvde” that means, it should be performed in the fifth or the seventh year of a Child[8]. But if the ritual had to be postponed on account of some unavoidable reason, then it must be performed before the Upanayana Ceremony. The Uttarāyana (Mārgaśīrsa to Jyeṣṭha) was selected for the performance of this Saṃskāra. Those days were very auspicious for the performance of Vidyārambha Saṃskāra. But the month from Āṣāḍha to Kārtika were prohibited for this Saṃskāra because in this time Lord Viṣṇu was supposed to be sleeping.
The Ceremonies:
In the auspicious day of Uttarāyana a Child commence his first study. In this day the Child was required to bath with scented water. Then he wears white cloth and writes fifty letters with the help of Silver or Gold pen. He worships Vināyaka, Sarasvatī and his family God. The young boy offer Homa in fire with ghee and separately he offer Naivedya of Guḍa and Ladoo (sweets). In the ceremony, the teacher first takes his seat towards east and boy facing towards west. Then he recites the six syllable mantra-“Om! Namaḥ Śivāya”. After this the Child worships the teacher, and he write fifty letters (three times) beginning ‘A’ and ending with ‘Jña’. He also recites the letters in three times. In the end, the young boy gives some presents to his teacher. He also gives sacrificial fee to the Brāhmaṇas. In return, they blessed the Child[9].
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Kane.P.V, History of Dharmaśāstra,Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,Bombay,1962,P.440.
[3]:
Kumarila Bhaṭṭa, Tantravarttika,I.3
[5]:
Bṛttacaulakarmā lipiṃ saṃkhyānaṃ copayuñjīta |Arthaśāstra,I.2.
[6]:
sa vṛttacūlaścalakākapakṣakai……………………liperyathāvadgrhaṇena vaṅgmayaṃ………………..||Raghuvaṃaśam,III,28.
[7]:
[Lavakuśayoaḥ]nibṛttcaulkrmaṇośca tyostrayīvarjmitarāstistro vidyāḥ sāvdhānena mansā pariniṣṭāpitāḥ |Uttarāmacarita Act II.
[9]:
Yājñavalkya Smṛti,ed.by Panshikar Wsudev Laxman shastri,Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office,Varanasi,2003.P.53.