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| *Students of sculpture and painting engaged in regular long hours of practice. | | *Students of sculpture and painting engaged in regular long hours of practice. |
| ====Association and Imitation==== | | ====Association and Imitation==== |
− | Association and imitation played a great part in moulding the character and improving the calibre of a student. Even a dull student will improve his intellect if he is close association with a brilliant boy and imitates his methods of study.<ref name=":02">Altekar, A. S. (1944) ''Education in Ancient India.'' Benares : Nand Kishore and Bros.,</ref> He we remember the following advise from Mahabharata about association with people of bad character<blockquote>बुद्धिश्च हीयते पुंसां नीचैः सह समागमात् । मध्यमैर्मध्यतां याति श्रेष्ठतां याति चोत्तमैः॥ (Maha. Vana. 1.30)</blockquote>Summary : The intellect of a person when associated with bad company becomes bad, while when associated with middle kind of people brings in the middle state but when associated with intellectually higher standard of people, brings in greater growth.<ref name=":02" /> | + | Association and imitation played a great part in moulding the character and improving the calibre of a student. Even a dull student will improve his intellect if he is close association with a brilliant boy and imitates his methods of study.<ref name=":0" /> He we remember the following advise from Mahabharata about association with people of bad character<blockquote>बुद्धिश्च हीयते पुंसां नीचैः सह समागमात् । मध्यमैर्मध्यतां याति श्रेष्ठतां याति चोत्तमैः॥ (Maha. Vana. 1.30)</blockquote>Summary : The intellect of a person when associated with bad company becomes bad, while when associated with middle kind of people brings in the middle state but when associated with intellectually higher standard of people, brings in greater growth. |
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− | Imitation and copying a good student was promoted and it helped in bringing up a student of lesser intellect. Many subhashitas declare that association with good people elevates a person while bad association only brings his downfall. One should be very careful in choosing one's company. | + | Imitation and copying a good student was promoted and it helped in bringing up a student of lesser intellect. Many subhashitas declare that association with good people elevates a person while bad association only brings his downfall. One should be very careful in choosing one's company.<ref name=":0" /> |
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| === ब्रह्मचारी ॥ Brahmachari === | | === ब्रह्मचारी ॥ Brahmachari === |
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| === उपाकर्म ॥ Upakarma === | | === उपाकर्म ॥ Upakarma === |
− | Upakarma (उपाकर्म) In pre-historic times the annual session of education began soon after the commencement of the rainy season when the sowing operations were over and crops had began to sprout. By the full moon of month of Sravana (August) the sowing activity would be over and the ritual of Chhandasam Upakarma (छान्दसाम् उपाकर्मन्), i.e., gathering the vedic knowledge, was performed on that day. The full moon days of Ashadha, Sravana and Bhadrapada are mentioned by different authorities as appropriate days for Upakarma. The ritual of cessation of vedic studies, after a period of five or six months from Sravana masa is prescribed in the grhyasutras, as Chhandasam Utsarjana (छान्दसाम् उत्सर्जनम्). Utsarjana was therefore performed on the fullmoon day of Pausha(Pushya masa) or Magha masa (February - March). In the present days Utsarjana is not performed.<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>हुतानुकृतिरुपाकर्म ।१। श्रावण्यां पौर्णमास्यां क्रियेतापि वा आषाढ्याम्।२। (Bau. Grh. 3.1.1-2)<ref>Baudhayana Grhyasutra ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4% Prashna 3 Adhyaya 1])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>अथात उपाकरणोत्सर्जने व्याख्यास्यामः १ श्रवणापक्ष ओषधीषु जातासु हस्तेन पौर्णमास्यां वाध्यायोपाकर्म २ (Hira. Grh. 8.2)<ref>Hiranyakeshi Grhyasutra ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Patala 8])</ref></blockquote>
| + | The annual session of education in ancient times began soon after the commencement of the rainy season when the sowing operations were over and crops had began to sprout. By the full moon of month of Sravana (August) the sowing activity would be over and the ritual of Chhandasam Upakarma (छान्दसाम् उपाकर्मन्), i.e., gathering the vedic knowledge, was performed on that day. This commencement ritual was mostly for the students and teachers in earlier times. However in the present day, it is being followed by all dvija brahmacharis and grhasthas (who have undergone Upanayana samskara, married or unmarried).<ref name=":0" /> |
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− | === Significance ===
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− | Upakarma is associated with the annual replacement of the yajnopaveeta, in the present day. However, in earlier days it was to be performed only by the teacher along with his students when they had reassembled at the beginning of the session (Asv. Grh. 8.4.10) and Baud Gr. Sutr. 3.1.8. Upakarma Prakarana of Apastamba Grhyasutras<ref>Apastamba Grhyasutras ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D#%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4% Patala 4 Khanda 11])</ref>
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− | Vat. Gr. Sutr mention special formulas to be performed by teachers ambitious to have a large number of scholars. Thus it was clear that in ancient times Sravani was originally restricted to teachers and students.
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− | Later on it was extended to grhasthas who were required to spend time on revising what they learnt in their gurukula days. They therefore proposed that the monsoon time should be devoted to the task of revising their studies. Jai. Grh. Sutr. Upakarma section. The central ideas of rituals on the Upakarma day was to
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− | * remind the students/grhasthas of the rshi rnam and express their gratitude for the knowledge given to them
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− | * motivate students to perform with vigour by remembering and following the glorious examples of rshis
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− | * remind the grhasthas of their duty to study their own vaidika shakas
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− | === विधिः ॥ Vidhi ===
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− | Although the procedures of Upakarma differed with different vaidika shakas they have a few common principles. The activities common to all followers of different shakas include - on the opening day, offering of tarpanas (oblations) to deities of yajnas and vedas, propitiating the presiding deities of intellect, memory and creativity (ex., Sarasvati devi, Hayagriva) and pay reverence to the rshis (ex., Panini) who have enriched the literature. Apart from these dvijas change their yajnopaveeta and perform Gayatri mantra japa on the following day.
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− | * Rigveda shaka followers used to recite the opening and concluding mantras of each of the ten mandalas of their vedas.
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− | * Yajurveda followers offer tarpanas/oblations to all the vedas, itihasa and puranas. Apart from this the celebrated rshis such as Dvaipayana, Vaisampayana, Tittiri (mantra drashtas), Atreya (author of pada-patha), Kaudinya (vrittikara), Baudhayana (pravachanakara), Apasthamba (Sutrakara) and others such as Vajasaneya, Hiranyakeshi, Yajnavalkya, Bharadvaja and Agnivesya (Baudh. Gr. Sut. 3.1).
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− | * The followers of the Samaveda invoked the memory of their rshis like Jaimini, Talavakara, Ranayani etc.
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− | The rituals performed on the day of Utsarjana are also similar and respectful homage to the rshis and gurus are paid on the day before the students dispersed home. Sadly these procedures are now lost and Sravani came to represent the day to change the yajnopaveeta which is actually a minor activity in the whole event. The study of veda shakas is gradually decreasing and people are forgetting the rshiparamparas that gave us this vast knowledge base.
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| == Terms related to Study == | | == Terms related to Study == |
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