Education in Ancient India c14.s2.61

c14.s2.61

Investiture with Staff; Its Significance :—With the learning of the Gāyatrī Mantra, the student begins his journey on the road to knowledge; he was therefore invested with a staff, which was a traveller's symbol in olden days. While accepting it, the student prayed that with divine grace he may reach the goal of his arduous journey¹. The staff exhorted the student to become a careful watchman, charged with the duty of guarding the Vedas.² It served the purpose of making the student self-confident and self-reliant, when he was out in the forest to collect the sacred fuel, or travelling in darkness or entering an unknown river or tank.³ It was also useful in controlling the cattle of the teacher, if it was necessary for the student to look after them.