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Education in Ancient India c16: Appendix III. Convocation Addresses

Education in Ancient India c16

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English

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Appendix III. Convocation Addresses

Convocation address to Arts Graduates

c16.s1.1

A specimen of what may be described as a convocation address to Arts Graduates is to be found in the *Taittirīya Upanishad*, I, 11. As the passage is very interesting from several points of view, it is given below along with its translation.

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वेदमनूच्याचार्योऽन्तेवासिनमनुशास्ति । “सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर । स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः । आचार्याय प्रियं धनमाहृत्य प्रजातन्तुं मा व्यवच्छेत्सीः । सत्यान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । धर्म्मान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । कुशलान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । भूत्यै न प्रमदितव्यम् । स्वाध्यायप्रवचनाभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् । देवपितृकार्याभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् । मातृदेवो भव । पितृदेवो भव । आचार्यदेवो भव । अतिथिदेवो भव । यान्यनवद्यानि कर्माणि तानि सेवितव्यानि नो इतराणि । यान्यस्माकं सुचरितानि तानि त्वयोपास्यानि नो इतराणि । ये के चास्मच्छ्रेयांसो ब्राह्मणाः तेषां त्वयाऽऽसनेन प्रश्वसितव्यम् । श्रद्धया देयम् । संविदा देयम् । श्रिया देयम् । हिया देयम् । भिया देयम् । संविदा देयम् । अथ यदि ते कर्मविचिकित्सा वा वृत्तविचिकित्सा वा स्यात् ये तत्र ब्राह्मणाः संमर्शिनः युक्ता आयुक्ता अलूक्षा धर्मकामाः स्युः यथा ते तत्र वर्तेरन् तथा तत्र वर्तेथाः । अथाम्याख्यातेषु ये तत्र ब्राह्मणाः संमर्शिनः युक्ता आयुक्ता अलूक्षा धर्मकामाः स्युः यथा ते तेषु वर्तेरन् तथा तेषु वर्तेथाः । एष आदेशः । एष उपदेशः । एषा वेदोपनिषत् । एतदनुशासनम् । एवमुपासितव्यम् । एवमु चैतदुपास्यम् ।

Translation

c16.s1.t1.1

After the teaching of the Veda is over, the preceptor exhorts the student :

c16.s1.t1.2

“Speak the truth. Do your duty. Neglect not the daily study (of the Veda). After having brought to your teacher his proper reward, do not cut off the line of progeny. Do not swerve from the truth. Do not swerve from duty. Do not neglect what is useful. Do not miss opportunities to become great. Do not neglect the daily duties of learning and teaching (the Veda). Do not neglect the (sacrificial) rituals due to the Gods and Fathers.

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Let your mother be to you like unto a god. Let your father be to you like unto a god. Let your teacher be to you like unto a god. Let your guest be to you like unto a god.

c16.s1.t1.4

Whatever actions are blameless, those should be followed, not others. Whatever good works have been performed by us, those should be emulated by you, not others. And there are some Brahmanas better than we. They should be comforted by you by giving them a seat.

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Whatever is given should be given with faith, not without faith,—with joy, with modesty, with fear, with kindness.

c16.s1.t1.6

If there should be any doubt in your mind with regard to any duty or with regard to conduct,—in that case conduct yourself as Brahmanas, who possess good judgment, conduct themselves therein, whether they be appointed or not, as long as they are not too severe, but devoted to duty. And with regard to things that have been spoken against, conduct yourself as Brahmanas, who possess good judgment, conduct themselves therein, whether they be appointed or not, as long as they are not too severe, but devoted to duty.

c16.s1.t1.7

Thus conduct yourself. This is the rule. This is the teaching. This is the true purport (Upanishad) of the Veda. This is the command. Thus should you observe. Thus should this be observed.”

Convocation Address to Medical Graduates

c16.s2.1

We get a very good specimen of the convocation address to medical students in Charakasamhitā Vimānasthāna, 8, 6-8. Important passages from it are given below, along with an English rendering.

c16.s2.2

अनुज्ञातेन प्रविचरता [ त्वया ] पूर्वं गुर्वर्थोपान्वाहरणे यथाशक्ति प्रयत्नितव्यम्। कर्मसिद्धिमर्थसिद्धिं यशोलाभं प्रेत्य च स्वर्गमिच्छता त्वया गोब्राह्मणादौ कृत्वा सवेप्राणभृतां शर्माशासितव्यम्। अहरहरत्तिष्ठता चोपविशता च सर्वात्मना चातुरामारोग्ये प्रयत्नितव्यम्। जीवहेतोरपि चातुरेभ्यो नाभिद्रोग्धव्यम्। मनसापि च परस्त्रियो नाभिममनीयास्तथा च सर्वमेव परस्वम्। निभृतवेशपरिच्छदेन भवितव्यम्। अशौण्डेनापापेनापापसहायेन च श्लक्ष्णशुक्लधर्म्मशार्म्यधन्यसत्यहितमितवचसा देशकालविचारिणा स्मृतिमता ज्ञानोत्थापनकरणसंपत्सु नित्यं यत्नवता च न कदाचित्…………… अनपवादप्रतिकाराणां मुमूर्षूणां च तथैवासन्निकृतेश्वराणां स्त्रीणामनभ्यक्षाणां वौषधमनुविधातव्यम्। न च कदाचित्स्त्रीदत्तममिषमादातव्यमननुज्ञातं भर्त्राथवाध्यक्षेण। आतुरकुलं…………………चानुप्रविश्य वाङमनोबुद्धीन्द्रियाणि न क्वचित्प्रणिधातव्यानि अन्यत्रातुरादातुरोपकारार्थादातुरगेष्वन्येषु वा भावेषु। न चातुरकुलप्रवृत्तयो बहिनिश्शारयितव्याः। हसितं चायुःप्रमाणमातुरस्य न वर्णयितव्यं जानतापि तत्र यत्रोद्यमानमातुरस्याप्यपघाताय संपद्यते।

c16.s2.3

विज्ञानवतापि च नात्यर्थमात्मनो ज्ञाने विकत्थितव्यम्। आप्तदपि हि विकत्थ्यमानादत्यर्थमुद्विजन्त्येके। न चैव हस्ति सुतरामायुर्वेदस्य पारम्। तस्मादप्रमत्तः शश्वदभियोगमिच्छन् गच्छेत्।…… कृत्स्नो हि लोको बुद्धिमतामाचार्यः। शत्रुश्चाबुद्धिमतामेव। अतश्चाभिसमीक्ष्य बुद्धिमताऽमिश्रस्यापि यद्यस्थौ…पौष्टिकं…लौक्यमुपदेष्टा। वचः श्रोतव्यमनुविधातव्यं चेति।

English Rendering

c16.s2.t1.1

"When, on getting permission, you begin to practise, you ought to make an effort to offer an adèquate honorarium to your teacher. You should aim at the welfare of Brahmanas, cows and all other beings with a view to win practice, prosperity and fame here and heaven hereafter. Every day you should continuously and whole-heartedly try to promote the health of patients. Even if your own life is in danger, you should not neglect your patients. You should not entertain an evil thought about the wealth or wives of others. Your dress should be modest, not foppish. Avoid drinking, do not commit a sin, nor help one who is committing it. Your speech should be smooth, polished, truthful and to the point. Taking all facts into consideration, you should make a deliberate endeavour to increase the stock of your knowledge and instruments. Do not give medicine to those whose disease is definitely ascertained to be incurable, or to those who are about to die, or to women, if their husbands or guardians are not present. Do not accept any fees from ladies without the assent of their husbands or guardians. When you enter a patient's room, all your attention should be centred on the patient, his expression, movements and medicines, to the exclusion of everything else. You must treat as strictly confidential all information about the patient and his family. Where there is a danger of the patient or any of his relatives receiving a shock, you should not divulge the impending death of the patient even when you are aware of it.

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Though well grounded in your line, you should not praise your knowledge much; for some people get disgusted even with their friends and relatives if they are given to boasting. One can never get a mastery of the entire medical science; unelated, one should therefore pass one's time in making a constant effort to learn something more. A wise man will indeed gather something from every quarter; a fool only thinks otherwise, and shows jealousy. Taking all things into consideration, a wise physician should listen to and derive benefit from the discoveries or observations even of an enemy, if they are calculated to promote one's fame and prosperity in this world.

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