Educational Samskaras (विद्याभ्याससंस्काराः)

Initiation into 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 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.

परिचयः ॥ 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.

Even today, time is decided for the beginning of the education of the child, the multiple steps before bringing the child into the mainstream education are followed. The child even today has to undergo the different phases of cognitive development. Thus, the Samskaras associated with education have gained focus and importance as subject of study given the intellectual progress and development of human being over few millennia. Rituals connected with the student's life are many, both in school and college, and several aspects of educational theory and practice are illustrated by their study.

Samskaras Related to Education

The Sutra literature furnishes ample evidence on the ancient Indian education system. It should be noted that they sum up the entire previous development in this matter and codify pre-existing traditions, unwritten laws and customs in the texts on which they are essentially based. They essentially systematized education by way of creating a social legislation; codifying the rigid system of rules, regulations and restrictions that were involved in imparting education to preserve the age-old vaidik parampara.

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, which underlay the system, e.g. intellectual freedom, individual attention to students, the monitorial system, 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.

There are quite a few samskaras prescribed in 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.

1. Vidyarambha (विद्यारम्भः)
2. Upanayana (उपनयनम्)
3. Upakarma (उपाकर्म)
4. Utsarjana (उत्सर्जनम्)
5. Samavartana (समावर्तनम्)
6. Ayurvedic Upanayana (आयुर्वेदीय उपनयनम्)
7. Dhanurvedic Upanayana (धनुर्वेदीय उपनयनम्)
8. Churrika-bandha (Military Convocation)

Significance of Educational Samskaras

Garbhadhana and other pre-natal samskaras focused on removing the problems associated with the veerya (seed or semen), the kshetra (womb), and the developing foetus. The Jatakarma and other childhood samskaras marked the developmental milestones of a child. It is evident that both the above mentioned sections of samskaras dealt with the biological and physiological aspects of a human being. We did see the minor rite of Medhajanana during Jatakarma was to arouse the intellectual consciousness of the new-born; however the goal of education samskaras was purely aimed at the intellectual and thereby the psychological development of a child, not just physical strength alone. It is clear that upto 5 or 6 years of age the child's physical needs were a priority and from about 6 years the priority shifted to psychological and social development of a child. Many qualities of a student such as character, personality, moral values, ethics, social duties, discipline, mental strength, intellect etc., are developed in this stage of life from seven years of age to early youth.

Upanayana or the ceremony of initiation was though recognised as the most important education rite, education instead began little earlier with other less known rite called Vidyāraṁbha Saṁskāra. Upanayana marked the beginning of the first significant phase of life or the entry into the Brahmacharyashrama, the Vidyāraṁbha marked the entry into the system of education, to make him familiar with the basic of learning or education or even the language.

Ultimate goal of education is moksha.