Changes

Gurudakshina or the teacher's honorarium became payable only at the end of education and it was not mandatory. [[Samavartana (समावर्तनम्)|Samavartana]] is the convocation, time when the student leaves the Gurukula with the permission of the Guru.     

Gurudakshina or the teacher's honorarium became payable only at the end of education and it was not mandatory. [[Samavartana (समावर्तनम्)|Samavartana]] is the convocation, time when the student leaves the Gurukula with the permission of the Guru.     

Manusmrti says "Being permitted by the guru, one should perform his Samavartana and marry a woman.."  <blockquote>गुरुणानुमतः स्नात्वा समावृत्तो यथाविधि । उद्वहेत द्विजो भार्यां सवर्णां लक्षणान्विताम् । । ३.४ । । (Manu. Smrt. 3.4)<ref name=":2">Manusmrti ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 3])</ref></blockquote>Up from Upanayana until the student completed his studies he does not pay any thing to the Acharya. Manu lays down that at the time of Samavartana the gurudakshina has to be offered by the student to the Guru.<blockquote>आसमाप्तेः शरीरस्य यस्तु शुश्रूषते गुरुम् । स गच्छत्यञ्जसा विप्रो ब्रह्मणः सद्म शाश्वतम् । । २.२४४ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.244)<ref>Manusmrti ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 2])</ref></blockquote>A student who, until the end of his life, does service to his guru attains brahmaloka (moksha).<blockquote>न पूर्वं गुरवे किंचिदुपकुर्वीत धर्मवित् । स्नास्यंस्तु गुरुणाज्ञप्तः शक्त्या गुर्वर्थं आहरेत् । । २.२४५ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.245)</blockquote>A dharmik brahmachari, does not give anything to the guru before he completes his education. Just after Samavartana, with the permission of the Guru and according to his capacity, a student should offer Gurudakshina. Agricultural land, gold, cow, horse, umbrella, shoes, chair (asana), food grains, vegetables and clothes may be offered to the guru and win his pleasure.<ref name=":12">Pandey, Rajbali. (2002 Reprint) ''Hindu Samskaras : Socio-Religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments.'' Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref><ref>Pt. Girija Prasad Dvivedi (1917) ''The Manusmriti or Manavadharmashastra (Hindi Translation)'' Lucknow: Nawal Kishore Press ([https://archive.org/details/ManuSmritHindi-GpDwivedi/page/n203 Adhyaya 2 Slokas 244 to 246])</ref><blockquote>क्षेत्रं हिरण्यं गां अश्वं छत्रोपानहं आसनम् । धान्यं शाकं च वासांसि गुरवे प्रीतिमावहेत् । । २.२४६ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.246)</blockquote>Payment of fees as a condition for admission was never a stipulation in the sacred texts. No student could be refused admission even by a private teacher simply because he was too poor to pay any fees. Teaching was a sacred duty and Smrtis condemned payment of stipulated fees as a condition precedent to admission. Gurudakshina was however acceptable form of payment either in monetary and service forms; a poor student could pay for his education by doing service to the Guru which became more common in the post vedic age.<ref name=":0" />   

Manusmrti says "Being permitted by the guru, one should perform his Samavartana and marry a woman.."  <blockquote>गुरुणानुमतः स्नात्वा समावृत्तो यथाविधि । उद्वहेत द्विजो भार्यां सवर्णां लक्षणान्विताम् । । ३.४ । । (Manu. Smrt. 3.4)<ref name=":2">Manusmrti ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 3])</ref></blockquote>Up from Upanayana until the student completed his studies he does not pay any thing to the Acharya. Manu lays down that at the time of Samavartana the gurudakshina has to be offered by the student to the Guru.<blockquote>आसमाप्तेः शरीरस्य यस्तु शुश्रूषते गुरुम् । स गच्छत्यञ्जसा विप्रो ब्रह्मणः सद्म शाश्वतम् । । २.२४४ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.244)<ref>Manusmrti ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 2])</ref></blockquote>A student who, until the end of his life, does service to his guru attains brahmaloka (moksha).<blockquote>न पूर्वं गुरवे किंचिदुपकुर्वीत धर्मवित् । स्नास्यंस्तु गुरुणाज्ञप्तः शक्त्या गुर्वर्थं आहरेत् । । २.२४५ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.245)</blockquote>A dharmik brahmachari, does not give anything to the guru before he completes his education. Just after Samavartana, with the permission of the Guru and according to his capacity, a student should offer Gurudakshina. Agricultural land, gold, cow, horse, umbrella, shoes, chair (asana), food grains, vegetables and clothes may be offered to the guru and win his pleasure.<ref name=":12">Pandey, Rajbali. (2002 Reprint) ''Hindu Samskaras : Socio-Religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments.'' Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref><ref>Pt. Girija Prasad Dvivedi (1917) ''The Manusmriti or Manavadharmashastra (Hindi Translation)'' Lucknow: Nawal Kishore Press ([https://archive.org/details/ManuSmritHindi-GpDwivedi/page/n203 Adhyaya 2 Slokas 244 to 246])</ref><blockquote>क्षेत्रं हिरण्यं गां अश्वं छत्रोपानहं आसनम् । धान्यं शाकं च वासांसि गुरवे प्रीतिमावहेत् । । २.२४६ । । (Manu. Smrt. 2.246)</blockquote>The services rendered by the teacher to the student were highly respected and none could pay too much for them. Even the earth containing the seven continents was not sufficient for the gurudakshina.<ref name=":12" />

 

Payment of fees as a condition for admission was never a stipulation in the sacred texts. No student could be refused admission even by a private teacher simply because he was too poor to pay any fees. Teaching was a sacred duty and Smrtis condemned payment of stipulated fees as a condition precedent to admission. Gurudakshina was however acceptable form of payment either in monetary and service forms; a poor student could pay for his education by doing service to the Guru which became more common in the post vedic age.<ref name=":0" />   

Voluntary gifts from the guardians or parents of the child was not prevented. Shri Krishna's paid gurudakshina to his teacher Sandipani in the form of bringing back his lost child. Similarly, Arjuna defeated Drupada Maharaja as gurudakshina after his education, for Dronacharya his Guru. So gurudakshina never was just monetary, it was in various forms and also depended on what the Guru may what apart from gold or land.  

Voluntary gifts from the guardians or parents of the child was not prevented. Shri Krishna's paid gurudakshina to his teacher Sandipani in the form of bringing back his lost child. Similarly, Arjuna defeated Drupada Maharaja as gurudakshina after his education, for Dronacharya his Guru. So gurudakshina never was just monetary, it was in various forms and also depended on what the Guru may what apart from gold or land.