Changes

Initiation into [[Vidya (विद्या)|education]] is the most important milestone after the achievement of physical development in a child's life. Impartment of education was the most important step in the development of character  of a person. The direct aim of all education, whether literary or professional, was to make the student fit to become a useful and pious member of the society. Most [[Childhood Samskaras (बाल्यावस्थे संस्काराः)|samskaras of the childhood]] mark the stages of physical development. The educational 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.<ref name=":5">Chahal, Mandeep (2020) Ph.D Thesis Titled: ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/309999 Samskaras in the Grihyasutras historical account of Jatakarma Upanyana Vivaha and Antyeshti.]'' (Chapter 3)</ref><ref name=":3">Shukla, Sacchidanand (2008) ''Hindu Dharm ke Solah Sanskar''. Delhi: Prabhat Prakashan.</ref>

Initiation into [[Vidya (विद्या)|education]] is the most important milestone after the achievement of physical development in a child's life. Impartment of education was the most important step in the development of character  of a person. The direct aim of all education, whether literary or professional, was to make the student fit to become a useful and pious member of the society. Most [[Childhood Samskaras (बाल्यावस्थे संस्काराः)|samskaras of the childhood]] mark the stages of physical development. The educational 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.<ref name=":5">Chahal, Mandeep (2020) Ph.D Thesis Titled: ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/309999 Samskaras in the Grihyasutras historical account of Jatakarma Upanyana Vivaha and Antyeshti.]'' (Chapter 3)</ref><ref name=":3">Shukla, Sacchidanand (2008) ''Hindu Dharm ke Solah Sanskar''. Delhi: Prabhat Prakashan.</ref>

Such a rigorous system enabled India to achieve high material prosperity by the excellent arrangements it made for training young men in commerce, industry and fine and useful arts. The general [[Principles of Education (शिक्षणसिद्धान्ताः)|principles of education]], which underlay the system, e.g. intellectual freedom, individual attention to students, the monitorial system, [[Gurukula (गुरुकुलम्)|gurukula]] ideal, plain living and high thinking, mass education, combination of useful and liberal education, the location of educational institutions away from the din and dust of the city-life, free education, etc. are inherently sound and capable of yielding excellent results even in modern times when applied with due regard to changed circumstances.<ref name=":0" />

Such a rigorous system enabled India to achieve high material prosperity by the excellent arrangements it made for training young men in commerce, industry and fine and useful arts. The general [[Principles of Education (शिक्षणसिद्धान्ताः)|principles of education]], which underlay the system, e.g. intellectual freedom, individual attention to students, the monitorial system, [[Gurukula (गुरुकुलम्)|gurukula]] ideal, plain living and high thinking, mass education, combination of useful and liberal education, the location of educational institutions away from the din and dust of the city-life, free education, etc. are inherently sound and capable of yielding excellent results even in modern times when applied with due regard to changed circumstances.<ref name=":0" />

There are quite a few samskaras prescribed in [[Sanatana Dharma (सनातनधर्मः)|Sanatana Dharma]] that pertain to education. Here we may note a list of rituals connected with various kinds of education as described by Dr. A. S. Altekar.<ref name=":0" />

There are quite a few samskaras prescribed in [[Sanatana Dharma (सनातनधर्मः)|Sanatana Dharma]] that pertain to education. Here we may note a list of rituals connected with various kinds of education many as described by Dr. A. S. Altekar.<ref name=":0" />

# [[Vidyarambha (विद्यारम्भः)]]

# [[Vidyarambha (विद्यारम्भः)]]

# [[Upanayana (उपनयनम्)]]

# [[Upanayana (उपनयनम्)]]

# [[Upakarma (उपाकर्म)]]

# [[Upakarma (उपाकर्म)]]

# [[Utsarjana (उत्सर्जनम्)]]

# [[Utsarjana (उत्सर्जनम्)]]

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>

'''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" />

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" />

 

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" />

 

 

 

'''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.

(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).