Education in Ancient India c14.s2.11

c14.s2.11

Its Antiquity: The antiquity of this ritual goes back to prehistoric times. It existed in the Indo-Iranian period and is clearly presupposed by the Rigveda [X. 109, 5; III. 8. 4 and 5]. The Atharvaveda describes it in detail and attributes the proper functioning of society and nature to its mysterious efficacy.³ Details about the student's life and paraphernalia, more or less similar to those given in Smritis, are to be seen in several passages of the Brāhmaṇa literature.⁴ In the early period, the ritual was a simple one; even a verbal acceptance by the teacher was sufficient.⁵ For a long time the father himself acted as the teacher (Br. Up., V. 2.¹; VI. 2.9).