Education in Ancient India c14.s2.22

c14.s2.22

The Age at the Upanayana : The Upanayana marks the beginning of the Vedic education, which in several respects resembled the secondary education of modern times. Naturally therefore some age between 8 and 12 was regarded as suitable for it. Usually our texts prescribe that the Upanayana should be performed in the 8th year in the case of a Brahmana, in the 11th year in the case of a Kshatriya and in the 12th year in the case of a Vaishya. No particular sanctity was attached to these ages¹; for, some writers like Baudhayana regard any age between 8 and 16 as suitable for the Upanayana². There was no idea of emphasising the intellectual superiority of the Brahmanas¹, when a lower age was prescribed for their Upanayana. Family traditions in Brahmanical circles facilitated Vedic educatiou at an early age; such was not the case with Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Brahmana boys could very often begin their Vedic education at home; Kshatriya and Vaishya boys had necessarily to leave their families and go to a Brahmana teacher for that purpose; the age of 11 or 12, when boys are to some extent able to look after themselves, was therefore found convenient for them. It is interesting to note that the Brahmana boy Svetaketu also performed his Upanayana at the age 12 and immediately went to stay with his preceptor for prosecuting his education (Ch. Up. VI. 1-2). It would therefore appear that even in Brahmanical families, the Upanayana was postponed to a later age when it was to be followed by the separation of the boy from his family. It is the similar necessity of sending the boys outside to a town or a city that compels villagers of our time to begin their wards' secondary education at about the age of 11 or 12. In cultured Brahmana families, which were very keen about the quick progress of their sons, the tradition was to perform the Upanayana and begin the Vedic studies even earlier than the 8th year². This practice is similar to that of many well-to-do and cultured city families, which begin the secondary or English education of their wards at about the age of 6 or 7. Smritis have therefore naturally given much latitude about the age at the Upanayana in order to suit the circumstances and convenience of the different types of families in society¹. They however felt that it ought to begin at about the age of 12, for the powers of mind that were required for the Vedic studies could be properly cultivated and developed only at an early age. The commencement of the Vedic studies after the age of 16 has been definitely discouraged by them,² for it was rightly apprehended that a boy who begins his studies at such an advanced age may find them too tedious, his mind having already become susceptible to sensuous attractions.