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=== Chores and Social Duties ===
=== Chores and Social Duties ===
While a student sharpened his mental skills, ancient educationalists also emphasized on instilling responsibility in a student by the inculcation of civic and social duties. At the gurukula, no one led a self-centered life. Students participated in community activities starting from cleaning yajna untensils, tending cows and animals coexisting with them to agricultural duties (see [[Dhaumya (धौम्यः)|Dhaumya]]'s students). Thus humility, compassion to all, team spirit, sharing with others, self-reliance, problem-solving were the naturally and unconsciously inculcated values in them.
While a student sharpened his mental skills, ancient educationalists also emphasized on instilling responsibility in a student by the inculcation of civic and social duties. At the gurukula, no one led a self-centered life. Students participated in community activities starting from cleaning yajna untensils, maintaining the ashrama, tending to cows and animals coexisting with them and performed agricultural duties (see [[Dhaumya (धौम्यः)|Dhaumya]]'s students). Thus humility, compassion to all, team spirit, sharing with others, self-reliance, problem-solving were the naturally and unconsciously inculcated values in them. The whole of Shikshavalli of Taittriyopanishad stresses the famous convocation address in 11th Anuvaka of Taittriya Upanishad, sums up the importance of these duties as follows starting with Speaking the truth and Practicing Dharma.<ref>Swami Gambhirananda (1989 Second Edition) ''Eight Upanishads with the Commentary of Sankaracharya, Volume 1 (Isa, Kena, Katha, Taittriya)''. Mayavati : Advaita Ashrama ([https://archive.org/details/EightUpanishadsVol.1BySwamiGambhirananda/page/n277 Page 266])</ref> <blockquote>सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर । स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः । (Tait. Upan. 1.11.1)<ref>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>A student is enjoined to perform his duties as a son, a husband, a father conscientiously and efficiently. His wealth is not to be utilized solely for his own or family's wants, he is taught to be hospitable and charitable with duties even to the other creatures and beings.
Professions were based on highest codes of honour, which laid stress on the civic responsibilities of their members. A physician was to serve selflessly, and a warrior was not to attack his opponent indiscriminately. Moral values were so greatly enmeshed in the social fabric that Governments were there only to monitor the larger enforcement of the system.<ref name=":0" />
=== Promotion of Social Efficiency ===
Education was not merely for sake of imparting cultural knowledge and its preservation nor for developing intellectual prowess without any usage. The Gurukulas were not just the centers for knowledge transfer but also trained individuals for knowledge translation (putting it to use) for development of social efficiency. [[Varna Dharma (वर्णधर्मः)|Varna]] System was interlinked to the educational system to efficiently manage the division of work for social efficiency. The theory of division of work was mainly governed in later times by the principle of heredity. Although the rising generation could train in any branch of knowledge, profession and industry, the system directed the individual's training in more or less predetermined spheres of social duties of that family.
We have many instances where exceptional talent crossed the limits of the Varna system and selected the profession it liked; Brahmanas and Vaishyas as kings and warriors, Kshatriyas (Pravahana Jaivali, a Maharaja, taught [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|Brahmavidya]] to [[Uddalaka and Shvetaketu (उद्दालकः श्वेतकेतुः च।)|Uddalaka and Shvetaketu]] who were brahmins) and Shudras (Shankaracharya gained Brahmajnana from a Chandala) were philosophers and preceptors, make their appearance throughout our ancient history.
However, it was deemed to be in the interest of the common man that he should follow his family's calling. Each trade, guild and family trained its children in its own profession. This system may have sacrificed the individual choices and educational interests of a few, but was undoubtedly in the best interest of the social fabric. An agriculturist having the practical knowledge of identifying rain bearing clouds is taught to his children and the art of warfare is best understood and experienced by the child born in a kshatriya family. Thus knowledge and profession were integrated as seen in the Varna system. Differentiation of functions and their specialization in hereditary families naturally heightened the efficiency of trades and professions thereby leading to social efficiency.<ref name=":0" /> A holistic education pattern was seen wherein the rising generation was exposed to different branches of knowledge with specialization in family profession.
=== Preservation and Spread of Culture ===
== References ==
== References ==