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Sanatana Dharma has held a high regard for the preceptors, the seers who imparted knowledge and were founders of a lineage of students. Whether living in recluse in forests or in cities or Gurukulas, shaping the future generations had always rested on the shoulders of Gurus and Acharyas. The difference between the different terms referring to preceptors are explained as follows as compiled from different texts namely the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and the dharmashastras.

Sanatana Dharma has held a high regard for the preceptors, the seers who imparted knowledge and were founders of a lineage of students. Whether living in recluse in forests or in cities or Gurukulas, shaping the future generations had always rested on the shoulders of Gurus and Acharyas. The difference between the different terms referring to preceptors are explained as follows as compiled from different texts namely the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and the dharmashastras.

They call these persons Acharyas - old men devoid of greediness, who are self-possessed and devoid of arrogance, straight-forward and who are educated and self disciplined.<ref name=":5">Tagare, G. V. (1987 First Edition) The Vayu Purana, Part 1. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd. ([https://archive.org/details/VayuPuranaG.V.TagarePart1/page/n482 Page 421])</ref><ref name=":4">Tagare, G. V. (1958 First Edition) The Brahmanda Purana, Part 1. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd. ([https://archive.org/details/BrahmandaPuranaG.V.TagarePart1/page/n317 Page 316 and 317])</ref>

 

 

 

 

They call these persons Acharyas - wise men devoid of greediness, who are self-possessed and devoid of arrogance, straight-forward and who are educated and self disciplined.<ref name=":5">Tagare, G. V. (1987 First Edition) The Vayu Purana, Part 1. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd. ([https://archive.org/details/VayuPuranaG.V.TagarePart1/page/n482 Page 421])</ref><ref name=":4">Tagare, G. V. (1958 First Edition) The Brahmanda Purana, Part 1. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass Pvt. Ltd. ([https://archive.org/details/BrahmandaPuranaG.V.TagarePart1/page/n317 Page 316 and 317])</ref>

An acharya is one who fully understands the conclusions of the various scriptures and practices it (Dharma). He who establishes the code of conduct and puts together (to master and practice) the various texts - such a person is called Acharya.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":4" />

An acharya is one who fully understands the conclusions of the various scriptures and practices it (Dharma). He who establishes the code of conduct and puts together (to master and practice) the various texts - such a person is called Acharya.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":4" />

====Manusmrti====

 

<blockquote>उपनीय तु यः शिष्यं वेदमध्यापयेद्द्विजः । साङ्गं सरहस्यं च तमाचार्यं प्रचक्षते ॥ (Manu. Smrti 2.140)</blockquote>Manu describes Acharya as one who performs Upanayana samskara of his student and teaches him the Vedas along with the Upangas.<ref name=":6">Pt. Girija Prasad Dvivedi. (1917) ''The Manusmriti or Manavadharmashastra. Translated into Hindi with notes, index and critical introductions.'' Lucknow : Newul Kishore Press. ([https://archive.org/details/ManuSmritHindi-GpDwivedi/page/n186 Adhyaya 2 Page 48])</ref>

'''Manusmrti'''<blockquote>उपनीय तु यः शिष्यं वेदमध्यापयेद्द्विजः । साङ्गं सरहस्यं च तमाचार्यं प्रचक्षते ॥ (Manu. Smrti 2.140)</blockquote>Manu describes Acharya as one who performs Upanayana samskara of his student and teaches him the Vedas along with the Upangas.<ref name=":6">Pt. Girija Prasad Dvivedi. (1917) ''The Manusmriti or Manavadharmashastra. Translated into Hindi with notes, index and critical introductions.'' Lucknow : Newul Kishore Press. ([https://archive.org/details/ManuSmritHindi-GpDwivedi/page/n186 Adhyaya 2 Page 48])</ref>

===उपाध्यायः ॥ Upadhyaya===

====उपाध्यायः ॥ Upadhyaya====

Manu defines Upadhyaya as follows<blockquote>एकदेशं तु वेदस्य वेदाङ्गान्यपि वा पुनः । योऽध्यापयति वृत्त्यर्थमुपाध्यायः स उच्यते ॥ २.१४१ (Manu. Smrti 2.141)</blockquote>Upadhyaya is one who imparts the knowledge of Vedas and Vedangas as a profession (वृत्त्यर्थम्) to the student.<ref name=":6" />

Manu defines Upadhyaya as follows<blockquote>एकदेशं तु वेदस्य वेदाङ्गान्यपि वा पुनः । योऽध्यापयति वृत्त्यर्थमुपाध्यायः स उच्यते ॥ २.१४१ (Manu. Smrti 2.141)</blockquote>Upadhyaya is one who imparts the knowledge of Vedas and Vedangas as a profession (वृत्त्यर्थम्) to the student.<ref name=":6" />

===गुरुः ॥ Guru===

====गुरुः ॥ Guru====

Manu defines a Guru as follows<blockquote>निषेकादीनि कर्माणि यः करोति यथाविधि । सम्भावयति चान्नेन स विप्रो गुरुरुच्यते ॥ २.१४२ ॥ (Manu. Smrti 2.142)</blockquote>That Brahmana who prescribes Garbhadana and other samskaras according to the procedures in the shastras to the parents (meaning samskaras starting from the conception of the child) and nourishes by providing food (meaning helps in raising the child) - he is called a Guru.<ref>Shastri, J. L. (1983 First Edition) ''Manusmriti with Commentary of Kulluka Bhatta.'' Delhi : Motilal Banasidass Pvt. Ltd. ([https://archive.org/details/ManusmrtiWithKullukaBhattaTikaProf.J.L.Shastri/page/n106 Adhyaya 2 Page 59])</ref> As per Medatithi and Mitaksarakara, Manu intends Guru to mean the father himself. (Reference Prof. J. S. R. Prasad in [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/bvparishat/WzOL81dApIQ/ZNq_FDmvBAAJ BVP Forum])

Manu defines a Guru as follows<blockquote>निषेकादीनि कर्माणि यः करोति यथाविधि । सम्भावयति चान्नेन स विप्रो गुरुरुच्यते ॥ २.१४२ ॥ (Manu. Smrti 2.142)</blockquote>That Brahmana who prescribes Garbhadana and other samskaras according to the procedures in the shastras to the parents (meaning samskaras starting from the conception of the child) and nourishes by providing food (meaning helps in raising the child) - he is called a Guru.<ref>Shastri, J. L. (1983 First Edition) ''Manusmriti with Commentary of Kulluka Bhatta.'' Delhi : Motilal Banasidass Pvt. Ltd. ([https://archive.org/details/ManusmrtiWithKullukaBhattaTikaProf.J.L.Shastri/page/n106 Adhyaya 2 Page 59])</ref> As per Medatithi and Mitaksarakara, Manu intends Guru to mean the father himself. (Reference Prof. J. S. R. Prasad in [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/bvparishat/WzOL81dApIQ/ZNq_FDmvBAAJ BVP Forum])

During childhood, as proved by modern sciences also, mind is pliable, memory is keen and intellect is receptive; the foundational habits of a child can be moulded to form good habits which will remain with him for the rest of his life. [[Upanayana (उपनयनम्)|Upanayana]] samskara at the right age was laid down by in starting from Dharmasutra texts summarized for the present day in the Nibandhanas like Dharmasindhu etc.<blockquote>सप्तमे ब्राह्मणमुपनयीत पञ्चमे ब्रह्मवर्चसकामं नवमे त्वायुष्काममेकादशे क्षत्रियं द्वादशे वैश्यं... (Jaim. Grhy. Sutr. 1.12)<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>It was held that 5th year (for those aspiring for Brahmavarchas) and 8th year  (adding the one year of garbhasthiti) would be proper time for Upanayana in Brahmanas and in 9th year for those aspiring Ayush or longevity. 11th year is when Upanayana has to be conducted in Kshatriyas and 12th year for the Vaishyas.

During childhood, as proved by modern sciences also, mind is pliable, memory is keen and intellect is receptive; the foundational habits of a child can be moulded to form good habits which will remain with him for the rest of his life. [[Upanayana (उपनयनम्)|Upanayana]] samskara at the right age was laid down by in starting from Dharmasutra texts summarized for the present day in the Nibandhanas like Dharmasindhu etc.<blockquote>सप्तमे ब्राह्मणमुपनयीत पञ्चमे ब्रह्मवर्चसकामं नवमे त्वायुष्काममेकादशे क्षत्रियं द्वादशे वैश्यं... (Jaim. Grhy. Sutr. 1.12)<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>It was held that 5th year (for those aspiring for Brahmavarchas) and 8th year  (adding the one year of garbhasthiti) would be proper time for Upanayana in Brahmanas and in 9th year for those aspiring Ayush or longevity. 11th year is when Upanayana has to be conducted in Kshatriyas and 12th year for the Vaishyas.

===Education should be thorough===

===Education should be thorough===

Education was rightly regarded as the knowledge source of illumination and was expected to enable its recipients to successfully meet and solve the difficulties and problems of life. Therefore education should be thorough and efficient, not limited to imparting general knowledge of a number of subjects, ideally it was to train experts to handle different branches of knowledge. Since printing was not known, committing the knowledge to memory was required and highly emphasized so that it stead throughout the life of the person. To ensure this, personal attention to each student and practical training was insisted to maintain a high degree of proficiency.<ref name=":02" />

Education was rightly regarded as the knowledge source of illumination and was expected to enable its recipients to successfully meet and solve the difficulties and problems of life. Therefore education should be thorough and efficient, not limited to imparting general knowledge of a number of subjects, ideally it was to train experts to handle different branches of knowledge. Since printing was not known, committing the knowledge to memory was required and highly emphasized so that it stead throughout the life of the person. To ensure this, personal attention to each student and practical training was insisted to maintain a high degree of proficiency.<ref name=":0" />

===Education is a continuous process===

===Education is a continuous process===

Once learnt in studentship education was either continued lifelong by a certain set of students of Vedas and many others progressed to learn other shastras and professional education. Thus we see that development of memory played a very important role and it was stipulated that every dvija graduate should recapitulate daily a portion of what he had learnt under the guidance of the Guru. At the time of Samavartana (end of studies or convocation) he is reminded not to neglect his duty of daily revision or [[Svadhyaya (स्वाध्यायः)]], as extolled in the famous Taittriya Upanishad Shikshavalli given below.<blockquote>स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः। ... स्वाध्यायप्रवचनाभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् । (Tait. Upan. 1.11.1)<ref name=":2">Taittriya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80 Shikshavalli Anuvaka 11])</ref></blockquote>During rainy season every graduated student was expected to devote extra time to his studies for more practical reasons that he cannot go out for his work when rains are heavy.<ref name=":02" />

Once learnt in studentship education was either continued lifelong by a certain set of students of Vedas and many others progressed to learn other shastras and professional education. Thus we see that development of memory played a very important role and it was stipulated that every dvija graduate should recapitulate daily a portion of what he had learnt under the guidance of the Guru. At the time of Samavartana (end of studies or convocation) he is reminded not to neglect his duty of daily revision or [[Svadhyaya (स्वाध्यायः)]], as extolled in the famous Taittriya Upanishad Shikshavalli given below.<blockquote>स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः। ... स्वाध्यायप्रवचनाभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् । (Tait. Upan. 1.11.1)<ref name=":2">Taittriya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80 Shikshavalli Anuvaka 11])</ref></blockquote>During rainy season every graduated student was expected to devote extra time to his studies for more practical reasons that he cannot go out for his work when rains are heavy.<ref name=":02" />