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Vidya (Samskrit : विद्या), a word, devoid of an English equivalent, and loosely translated as Education was regarded as the best agency for improving society at all times and hence focus was that it should be available to all those who are qualified to receive it. Upanayana was the samskara, that was usually performed, to mark the initiation of a child (of all varnas and both genders) into education. It was further declared in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad that<blockquote>... विद्यया देवलोको देवलोको वै लोकाना श्रेष्ठस् तस्माद्विद्यां प्रशसन्ति ॥ यद्वै किञ्चानूक्तम् तस्य सर्वस्य ब्रह्मेत्येकता .... तस्मात् पुत्रमनुशिष्टं लोक्यमाहुस् तस्मादेनमनुशासति । (Brha. Upan. 1.5.16 and 17)<ref>Brhdaranayaka Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D_1a Adhyaya 1 Brahmana 5])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>... vidyayā devaloko devaloko vai lokānā śreṣṭhas tasmādvidyāṁ praśasanti ॥ yadvai kiñcānūktam tasya sarvasya brahmetyekatā .... tasmāt putramanuśiṣṭaṁ lokyamāhus tasmādenamanuśāsati ।</blockquote>One can attain the devaloka through vidya alone; devaloka being the best of the (three) worlds. Hence vidya is to be praised. (Here vidya is taken to mean meditation or that knowledge of Self required for attaining the higher worlds). Whatever is studied is all unified in the word Brahman.... Therefore they speak of an educated son as being conducive to the world. Hence (a father) teaches his son (Page No 230 of Reference <ref>Swami Madhavananda. (1950 Third Edition) ''Brhadaranyaka Upanishad with the commentry of Shankaracharya. Mayavati'' : Advaita Ashrama</ref>).

Vidya (Samskrit : विद्या), a word, devoid of an English equivalent, and loosely translated as Education was regarded as the best agency for improving society at all times and hence focus was that it should be available to all those who are qualified to receive it. Upanayana was the samskara, that was usually performed, to mark the initiation of a child (of all varnas and both genders) into education. It was further declared in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad that<blockquote>... विद्यया देवलोको देवलोको वै लोकाना श्रेष्ठस् तस्माद्विद्यां प्रशसन्ति ॥ यद्वै किञ्चानूक्तम् तस्य सर्वस्य ब्रह्मेत्येकता .... तस्मात् पुत्रमनुशिष्टं लोक्यमाहुस् तस्मादेनमनुशासति । (Brha. Upan. 1.5.16 and 17)<ref>Brhdaranayaka Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D_1a Adhyaya 1 Brahmana 5])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>... vidyayā devaloko devaloko vai lokānā śreṣṭhas tasmādvidyāṁ praśasanti ॥ yadvai kiñcānūktam tasya sarvasya brahmetyekatā .... tasmāt putramanuśiṣṭaṁ lokyamāhus tasmādenamanuśāsati ।</blockquote>One can attain the devaloka through vidya alone; devaloka being the best of the (three) worlds. Hence vidya is to be praised. (Here vidya is taken to mean meditation or that knowledge of Self required for attaining the higher worlds). Whatever is studied is all unified in the word Brahman.... Therefore they speak of an educated son as being conducive to the world. Hence (a father) teaches his son (Page No 230 of Reference <ref>Swami Madhavananda. (1950 Third Edition) ''Brhadaranyaka Upanishad with the commentry of Shankaracharya. Mayavati'' : Advaita Ashrama</ref>).

Thus we see that while the goal of education is attainment of knowledge of the Self, students were primarily taught the Vedas and associated Vaidika Vangmaya as the stepping stones to learn and practice the Purusharthas, Trivarga - Dharma, Artha and Kama which was then used to attain the fourth one namely Moksha. Hence people of different varnas irrespective of their gender, social and financial status, received at least the rudiment of literary, philosophical, theological, social and civil education, until the first millennium of the Christian era when conducting upanayanas decreased among the varnas and girls were married at the age of 10 owing to several causes.<ref name=":0">Altekar, A. S. (1944) ''Education in Ancient India.'' Benares : Nand Kishore and Bros.,</ref>

Thus we see that while the goal of education is attainment of knowledge of the Self, students were primarily taught the Vedas and associated Vaidika Vangmaya as the stepping stones to learn and practice the Purusharthas, Trivarga - Dharma, Artha and Kama which was then used to attain the fourth one namely Moksha. Hence people of different varnas irrespective of their gender, social and financial status, received at least the rudiment of literary, philosophical, theological, social and professional education, until the first millennium of the Christian era when conducting upanayanas decreased among the varnas and girls were married at the age of 10 owing to several causes.<ref name=":0">Altekar, A. S. (1944) ''Education in Ancient India.'' Benares : Nand Kishore and Bros.,</ref>

==परिचयः ॥ Introduction==

==परिचयः ॥ Introduction==

The word Vidya (विद्या), which again devoid of an English equivalent and loosely translated as Education, deals with that procedural knowledge essential for understanding the social, philosophical and theological aspects of Sanatana Dharma. Ancient seers had holistic perspective as to why a student should be given the higher knowledge of Atmavidya in different forms such as [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|Brahmavidya]], [[Bhumavidya (भूमविद्या)|Bhumavidya]], [[Panchagnividya (पञ्चाग्निविद्या)|Panchagnividya]], each of which was one way to achieve the common goal of Moksha. It may appear that preceptors of the ancient ages have focused only on the ultimate spiritual goal of Atmavidya (attainment of the knowledge of the the Self) which is more a personal goal for the student.

The word Vidya (विद्या), which again devoid of an English equivalent and loosely translated as Education, deals with that procedural knowledge essential for understanding the social, philosophical and theological aspects of Sanatana Dharma. Ancient seers had holistic perspective as to why a student should be given the higher knowledge of Atmavidya in different forms such as [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|Brahmavidya]], [[Bhumavidya (भूमविद्या)|Bhumavidya]], [[Panchagnividya (पञ्चाग्निविद्या)|Panchagnividya]], each of which was one way to achieve the common goal of Moksha. It may appear that preceptors of the ancient ages have focused only on the ultimate spiritual goal of Atmavidya (attainment of the knowledge of the the Self) which is more a personal goal for the student.

It may be emphasized that education consisted of imparting Chaturdasha Vidyas (and Astadasha Vidyas) dealt in our [[Vaidika Vangmaya (वैदिकवाङ्मयम्)|Vaidika Vangmaya]] by Gurus to students before giving them the ultimate specialized knowledge, exemplified by many examples of Vedic preceptors even in the more recent millennium.

In this article we see that the syllabus of ancient shikshana vidhana (education system) consisted of imparting Chaturdasha Vidyas (and Astadasha Vidyas) dealt in our [[Vaidika Vangmaya (वैदिकवाङ्मयम्)|Vaidika Vangmaya]] by Gurus to students before giving them the ultimate specialized knowledge.  exemplified by many examples of Vedic preceptors even in the more recent millennium.

==विद्यास्थानानि ॥ Vidyasthanas==

==विद्यास्थानानि ॥ Vidyasthanas==

Chaturdasha vidyas (चतुर्दशविद्याः) are called the Vidyasthanas (विद्यास्थानानि)<ref>https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/843c92_f50e98e77cd64367905b97f1156025af.pdf</ref> as they give comprehensive knowledge of the four Purusharthas namely, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. These include the [[The Four Vedas (चतुर्वेदाः)|Chaturvedas]] (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvanaveda), Shad(ved)angas (Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas and Jyotish), and 4 Upangas (Puranas, Nyaya shastra (and Vaiseshika), Mimamsa and Dharmashastra) of Vedas.<ref name=":02222">Venkateswara Rao. Potturi (2010) ''Paaramaathika Padakosam'' Hyderabad: Msko Books</ref>

Chaturdasha vidyas (चतुर्दशविद्याः) are called the Vidyasthanas (विद्यास्थानानि)<ref>https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/843c92_f50e98e77cd64367905b97f1156025af.pdf</ref> as they give comprehensive knowledge of the four Purusharthas namely, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. These include the [[The Four Vedas (चतुर्वेदाः)|Chaturvedas]] (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvanaveda), Shad(ved)angas (Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas and Jyotish), and 4 Upangas (Puranas, Nyaya shastra (and Vaiseshika), Mimamsa and Dharmashastra) of Vedas.<ref name=":02222">Venkateswara Rao. Potturi (2010) ''Paaramaathika Padakosam'' Hyderabad: Msko Books</ref>