Educational Samskaras (विद्याभ्याससंस्काराः)

Initiation into education is the most important milestone after the achievement of physical development. Most samskaras of the childhood mark the stages of physical development. The next stage is characterized by the transformation of an individual from a child with gaining more consciousness and knowledge. It is the stage when human brain was considered to be appropriate to step towards the cognitive developments and gain the strength of knowledge and virtue and not the physical strength alone.

Introduction

After the early childhood stage, there is a transition period when a child is introduced to the dimensions of the spiritual world along with the existent physical world. Time has now come for the child to be introduced into social order (varna system). Initiation into a system where the worth of guiding light then be it the teacher or guru itself, or the anecdotes or incidents or any other thing to learn a lesson in life. Initiation of a child into the system of education was not just to bring out an educated person well trained in the vocations of life, rather it was to create responsible social beings who could neither fail on the parameters of material existence nor could falter on the spiritual path, which ultimately acted as guiding light for him.