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Line 35: − − '''Medhajanana (मेधाजननम्)''': After three days’ observance of the Savitri Vrata, the ceremony of Upanayana is ended by the performance of the Medhadjanana rite whereby the gods are invoked for the development of the Brahmachari’s mental powers [Bharadvaja Gr. S., i, 10]. Then onwards [[Brahmacharyashrama (ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमः)|Brahmacharya]] or studentship formally begins under prescribed conditions governing the life and studies of the pupil dwelling in his teacher’s house.<ref name=":1" /> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Educational Samskaras (विद्याभ्याससंस्काराः) (view source)
Revision as of 23:10, 25 June 2022
, 23:10, 25 June 2022Adding content
The Brahmachari starts his career by taking on the '''Savitri Vrata (सावित्रीव्रतम्)''' as a part of the [[Upanayana (उपनयनम्)|Upanayana]] ceremony. [[Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्यम्)|Brahmacharya]] literally means "attendance on Brahma or Veda” and involves the observances which the student has to keep through certain periods of time before the different Vedic texts which he has to learn can be taught him. Thus the study of the Veda is opened by the Savitri vrata. Based on the varna of the student, the Savitri taught to him varies with different Chandas. This Vrata might last for a time period ranging from three days to one year. According to Paraskara [ii, 4, 3, 6], the Savitri Vrata may last for one year, six months, twenty-four days, twelve days, six days, or three days. Many observe a period of three days for this first of the Brahmacharin's vratas. During this time, the student had to live on special food, which was not to be either pungent or saline, or milk, and to beg that food from different women both from the household as well as the neighborhood. Manu [ii, 50] mentions that the pupil must beg food first from his mother, then from his sister, then from his own maternal aunt and then from a female who will not disgrace him by a refusal.<ref name=":1">Mookerji. Radha Kumud, (1947) Ancient Indian Education (Brahminical and Buddhist) London: MacMillan And Co., Ltd. (Page 182-190)</ref>
The Brahmachari starts his career by taking on the '''Savitri Vrata (सावित्रीव्रतम्)''' as a part of the [[Upanayana (उपनयनम्)|Upanayana]] ceremony. [[Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्यम्)|Brahmacharya]] literally means "attendance on Brahma or Veda” and involves the observances which the student has to keep through certain periods of time before the different Vedic texts which he has to learn can be taught him. Thus the study of the Veda is opened by the Savitri vrata. Based on the varna of the student, the Savitri taught to him varies with different Chandas. This Vrata might last for a time period ranging from three days to one year. According to Paraskara [ii, 4, 3, 6], the Savitri Vrata may last for one year, six months, twenty-four days, twelve days, six days, or three days. Many observe a period of three days for this first of the Brahmacharin's vratas. During this time, the student had to live on special food, which was not to be either pungent or saline, or milk, and to beg that food from different women both from the household as well as the neighborhood. Manu [ii, 50] mentions that the pupil must beg food first from his mother, then from his sister, then from his own maternal aunt and then from a female who will not disgrace him by a refusal.<ref name=":1">Mookerji. Radha Kumud, (1947) Ancient Indian Education (Brahminical and Buddhist) London: MacMillan And Co., Ltd. (Page 182-190)</ref>
'''Shukriya Vrata (शुक्रियव्रतम्)''' refers to duties of holiness and is to be observed for three days, or twelve days or one year or any other time period according to the Acharya's discretion. <blockquote>यां वान्यां भप्रशस्तां मन्येत तस्यां शुक्रिये ब्रह्मचर्यमादिशेत् ९ त्रिरात्रं ब्रह्मचर्यं चरेद्द्वादशरात्रं संवत्सरं वा यावद्वा गुरुर्मन्येत १० (Sank. Grhy. Sutr. 2.2.10)<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%96%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 Shankhayana Grhyasutra] </ref></blockquote>By this Vrata, the student is enabled to study the main portion of the Veda.
'''Shukriya Vrata (शुक्रियव्रतम्)''' refers to duties of holiness and is to be observed for three days, or twelve days or one year or any other time period according to the Acharya's discretion. <blockquote>यां वान्यां भप्रशस्तां मन्येत तस्यां शुक्रिये ब्रह्मचर्यमादिशेत् ९ त्रिरात्रं ब्रह्मचर्यं चरेद्द्वादशरात्रं संवत्सरं वा यावद्वा गुरुर्मन्येत १० (Sank. Grhy. Sutr. 2.2.10)<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%96%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 Shankhayana Grhyasutra] </ref></blockquote>By this Vrata, the student is enabled to study the main portion of the Veda.
Next follows the '''Anuvaachana (अनुवाचन)''', or the way of studying the Veda, which can be done only after the Shukriya Vrata has been enjoined on the student. Before that nothing but the Savitri can be taught to him. Finally, the student has to undertake '''Shakvara (शक्वर), Vraatika (व्रातिक) and Aupanishada (औपनिषद)''' vratas, each of which is to last for one year, referring to the different parts of the Aranyakas. These three are special Vratas connected with the character of mystical secrecy or "rahasya" attributed to the Aranyaka. After the lapse of the year through which the Vrata is kept, a ceremony is performed called '''Uddeekshanika (उद्दीक्षणिक)''', i.e. the giving up of the Diksha or preparatory observance for the study of the Aranyaka texts. This vrata consists chiefly in the teacher’s ascertaining whether the student has fulfilled the duties involved in the Vrata after which the Aranyaka texts are taught to the student in the prescribed way. In this way, we find special observances to undertake study of different parts of the Vedas and [[Vaidika Vangmaya (वैदिकवाङ्मयम्)|Vaidika vangmaya]]. And these vratas vary with different different Vedas studied by the students.<ref name=":1" />
Next follows the '''Anuvaachana (अनुवाचन)''', or the way of studying the Veda, which can be done only after the Shukriya Vrata has been enjoined on the student. Before that nothing but the Savitri can be taught to him. Finally, the student has to undertake '''Shakvara (शक्वर), Vraatika (व्रातिक) and Aupanishada (औपनिषद)''' vratas, each of which is to last for one year, referring to the different parts of the Aranyakas. These three are special Vratas connected with the character of mystical secrecy or "rahasya" attributed to the Aranyaka. After the lapse of the year through which the Vrata is kept, a ceremony is performed called '''Uddeekshanika (उद्दीक्षणिक)''', i.e. the giving up of the Diksha or preparatory observance for the study of the Aranyaka texts. This vrata consists chiefly in the teacher’s ascertaining whether the student has fulfilled the duties involved in the Vrata after which the Aranyaka texts are taught to the student in the prescribed way. In this way, we find special observances to undertake study of different parts of the Vedas and [[Vaidika Vangmaya (वैदिकवाङ्मयम्)|Vaidika vangmaya]]. And these vratas vary with different different Vedas studied by the students.<ref name=":1" />
== Period of Studentship ==
All the Sutras are agreed as to the length of the period of studentship. It is to consist ordinarily of twelve years for the mastery of each Veda. The longest period of [[Brahmacharyashrama (ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमः)|Brahmacharya]] was forty-eight years, allowing twelve years for the study of each Veda. But all did not want to master the Vedas hence the term ended at different intervals. The smaller periods stopped at thirty-six, twenty-four and eighteen according to the circumstances of the student and his parents. The last but one period was the most common type’ of Brahmacharya and in the majority of cases education finished at twentyfour.<ref name=":122">Pandey, Raj Bali. (1949) ''Hindu Samskaras, A Socio-religious study of the Hindu Sacraments.'' Banaras: Vikrama Publications. (Pages 187-240)</ref>
Āśvalāyana, in his Gṛhyasūtram (22.3,4) prescribes twelve years of Brahmacaryam for each Veda, i.e. forty eight years for four Vedas or till completion and its origin is in Gopathabrāhmaṇam (2.5) –<blockquote>द्वादशवर्षाणि वेदब्रह्मचर्यम्। ग्रह्णान्तं वा। आश्वलायनगृह्यसूत्रम् ॥dvādaśavarṣāṇi vedabrahmacaryam। grahṇāntaṃ vā। Āśvalāyanagṛhyasūtram ॥</blockquote>But at present there is no time limit. The study of Vedas have become rare and there is no fixed course of education. The [[Samavartana (समावर्तनम्)|Samavartana]] Samskara which marks the end of education is now drowned into insignificance and is incorporated either in the Upanayana or the Vivaha ceremonies.<ref name=":122" />
== Marriage after Education ==
Ancient system of education, held that marriage and studentship were incompatible and that the student ought not to marry during the course of study. Brahmachari primarily refers to a person leading a celibate life in order to realize his educational ideals and ambitions.<ref name=":0" />
When early marriage became common, the Kesanta or Godana began to be considered as marking the end of Brahmacharya. In the Sutra period the shortest period of Brahmacharya was twelve years. According to this calculation, the student career ended at the age of eighteen. But this was not the general custom. Only those students, who were in sure need of the family, took leave of their gurus at this early age. Later on, however, owing to the emergency of child-marriage, it became a common practice to close the Brahmacharya period with the Keshanta or [[Godana (गोदानम्)|Godana]].<ref name=":122" /> But it was not without the permission of his teacher that a Brahmacarin could end his studentship. A student was supposed to seek the formal permission of his teacher before he could end the first phase of life and get ready to enter the second phase, that is Gṛhastha Āśrama.<ref name=":5" />
Yajnavalkya himself says 'having unfailingly maintained his studentship he shall marry a girl endowed with good qualities 26 In such a case we have to assume that no member of the upper caste used to marry before twentieth year. We may note in this connection a few of the early injunctions:
(a) Manu ordains: 'The vow (of studying) three Vēdas under a teacher must be kept for thirty-six years, or for half that time, or for a quarter, or until the (student) has perfectly learnt them.' '(A student) who has studied in due order the three Vēdas or two or even one only, without breaking the (rules of) studentship, shall enter the order of householders. 27
(b) Bōdhāyana says: 'The (term of the) studentship for (learning the) Vēdas, as kept by the ancients, (is) forty-eight years or twenty-four or twelve years for each Vēda or at least one year for each Kanda or until (the Vēda) has been learned: for life is uncertain. ›28
(c) According to Gautama: 'One should keep his studentship over one Věda, for twelve years; or twelve years for each Věda; or overall, till they have been got up."
==Related Terminology==
==Related Terminology==
One of the important Samskaras, Upanayana signifies the transition of a child to a student. One who undergoes Upanayana is called Upaneeta and one who conducts the samskara is called Upanetr (father or Guru).
One of the important Samskaras, Upanayana signifies the transition of a child to a student. One who undergoes Upanayana is called Upaneeta and one who conducts the samskara is called Upanetr (father or Guru).