Formation of Character

Character building was the main objective of education in ancient India. Because neither the sex nor age matters; a person is respected for his qualities and his good action^[1]. For this Manu^[2] clearly declares that “Neither the study of the Veda nor liberality nor sacrifices nor any self imposed restraint nor austerities can even procure the attainment of rewards to a man whose heart is contaminated by sensuality”. Ancient teachers were aware of the natural tendency and wanted to point out that character was more important than learning.

It is a fact that without the formation of character learning is not possible. A man is judge by his character because the character of a person reveals whether he is noble or ignoble, brave or coward, pious or sinful. In order to achieve the high ideal, the strict discipline is prescribed for the students. Under the direct supervision of teacher, a student started his educational life. The teacher imposed all the rules and regulations to his student life. He watches all the intellectual and moral progress of his student life. Under his supervision every day, the students get up early in the morning. Daily the students should beg alms for his teacher. The Atharvaveda and the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[3] clearly mention that begging is prescribed for the student to produce in him a proper spirit and humility. It was the most important part of student life. The students should daily collect food and whatever is given to him he has to hand over the same to his master. He also daily tends the fire and cattle of the house of the teacher. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[4] it is clearly mentioned that the students should guard the teacher’s house and his cattle. In the Cāndogya Upaniṣad^[5] we find that Satyakāma Jābāla went on tending upon the cows of his preceptor till the number increased from four hundred to thousand. In the Aitareya Āraṇyaka^[6], we find that Tāruksya guards his teacher house for a whole year. Likewise in the Mahābhārata,^[7] we find Upamanyu’s grazing the cattle of his teacher.

The Buddhist period also maintained the same tradition. After morning penance or studies the student should go round the village for begging^[8]. The Buddhist text^[9] also mentioned that the student made all the arrangements for the Guru. Daily he cooked the food for his teacher. After the teacher meal of the teacher the student washed his utensils. The student also looked to the cleanliness of the preceptor’s residence, arrangements of things and the management of the kitchen. The student was completely under the control of the preceptor, he could not go out without the latter’s permission. These look like menial services. It makes a student self independent and the behaviour of the student was always very nice. Āpastamba Dharmasūtra^[10] mentioned that the observance of those rules was for the interests of the students own welfare. This rule made the student very high in conduct and respectful in behaviour.

The Gopatha Brāhmaṇa and the Āpastamba Dharmasūtra^[11] also suggest that before the student was taught the highest knowledge, they should develop their inner discipline. The student should have to control over the senses. They should over come such attitude like anger, greed, fear, hatred, falsehood, pride, idleness, mada, moha, capalatā, wickedness, envy, useless conversation, loud talk, sleep, ignorance, abusive and harsh language, detracting other people, looking at woman, conversing with woman, injuring other people, hurtful feeling and many more. They should avoid intoxicants, flesh, scented substances, highly spiced seasoned food, messaging with oil, cosmetics, beauty products and above all music and dancing. All these things are destructive. So the student was always to avoid all this destructive things. The same tradition is continued till the Buddhist period. In the Jātaka stories we find that two Cāndālas came to Takṣaśilā to study law but betrayed themselves by their coarse language and manner^[12].

That is why, at the beginning of education career or at the time of Pabbaja ceremony the students should follow the ten commandments^[13] viz.,

-) Don’t destroy life.
-) Refrain from bad conduct.
-) Never speak lie.
-) Don’t eat at an inappropriate time.
-) Don’t use intoxicants.
-) Don’t speak ill of any one.
-) Don’t use cosmetics.
-) Avoid music and dance shows.
-) Don’t take anything unless it is offered to you.
-) Don’t accept costly things of Gold and Silver.

These Ten Commandments were called Dasasikkhāpadān. The students were bound to add here these Ten Commandments. We also find that for the attainment of highest knowledge, they also follow the five Śilās, which are commonly known as Pañcaśilās. To develop the pure and inner spirit, Buddha himself suggests that the Monk should specially practice these Pañcaśilās. Habitual practice of these Śilās would remove the veil and expose the inner spirit.

All these rules and restrictions seem to be very severe to us now. But such restrictions helped in the formation of character. They made student highly moral in conduct and respectful in behaviour. In doing physical labour at the teacher’s house, the student developed their limbs and muscles in the fresh air and sunlight. The moral side received direct training in the morning and evening prayers. The intellectual side was developed in hearing explanation of mantras. Memory and imagination received greatest attention, in fact these made the marvellous development in character. Bhatṛhari in his Nītiśāstra^[14] emphasizes that pure and noble character is the greatest ornament. Education helps man to acquire wealth, learning, prosperity, name and fame. All those achievements have no value without character. If character is lost everything is lost.

For this the foreign travelers pay a high compliment to the Indian character. They think that truth and virtue hold in high esteem in Indian mind. These show that character of Indian is very pure and they always practice truth and virtue. Actually ancient Ṛsis think that a man with a questionable character was unable to receive education. That is why; they mentioned that character and moral feeling formation were necessary to achieve the high esteem of life.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Guṇāḥ pujāsthānaṃ guṇiṣu na ca linghaṃ na ca vayaḥ ||Uttarāmacarita IV.11.

[2]:

Vedāstyagaśca yajñaśca niyamāśca tapāṃsi ca | na vipraduṣṭabhāvasya siddiṃ gacachanti karhicit || Manusmṛti II.97.

[3]:

Bramacāri ahrīrbhūtva bhikṣate || Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa XI.3.3.5;Atharvaveda VI.133.3.

[4]:

Brahmacāriṇa ācāryaṃ gopāyanti | gṛhān paśūnnenno paharāniti || Ibid.III.6.2.15.

[5]:

Kṛśānāmabalānāṃ catuḥsathā gā……………………………..sahasraṃ sampeduḥ || Chāndogya Upaniṣad IV.4.5.

[6]:

Aitareya Āraṇyaka III.1.6.3-4.

[7]:

Upādhyāyaḥ preṣayāmāsa vatsopamanyo gā rakṣasveti || Mahābhārata Ādi.3.34.

[8]:

piṇḍcārikena bhikkhave bhikkhunā idāni gāmaṃ pavisissāmit ……………||Cullavagga.VIII. 5.2; Milindapañha.IV.5.31.

[9]:

Mahāvagga.I.25.7.

[10]:

guru prasādanīyāni karmāṇi svastyayanam adhyayana saṃvṛttir iti ||Āpastamba Dharmasūtra I.2.5.9.

[11]:

Sa yadmṛgājinani vaste, sa yadaharaharācāryāya karma karoti, sa yat suṣupsur nidrāṃ ninayati……………….tāsām(oṣadhīnām) punyaṃ gandhaṃ pracchidya nopajighret. Adhaḥ śayīta, adhaṣṭisthedadho vrajet. noparisāyī syād na gāyno na nartanī na saraṇo na niṣṭivet ||Gopatha Brāhmaṇa II.1.2.1-9; Āpastamba Dharmasūtra I.3.2.

[12]:

jātim paṭicchadetvā brahmaṇamāṇavavaṇṇana Takkasilaṃ gantvā sippaṃ ugganhissām || Citta-Sambhūta Jātaka.498.

[13]:

Anujānāmi bhikkhave sāmaṇerā naṃdasasikkhāpādani…………...imāni dasa sikkhāpadani imesu ca sāmaṇerehi sikkhitun ti ||Mahāvagga.I.56.

[14]:

Eiśvaryasya vibhuṣaṇaṃ sujanatā śaurayasya vāksaṃyamo jāñasyopaśamaḥ śrutasya vinayo vittasya pātre vyayaḥ| akrodgatapasaḥ kṣamā prabhavitudharmasya nirvyājatā sarveṣāmapi sarvakāraṇamidaṃ śīlaṃ paraṃ bhuṣaṇaṃ||Nītiśatakam,83.