Education in Ancient India c4.38

c4.38

The general belief that Gurukulas were located in forests away from the din of city life is but partly correct.³ There is no doubt that the majority of the teachers of philosophy in ancient India lived, thought out and taught their spiritual theories in sylvan solitudes. The same was the case with celebrated teachers like Vālmīki, Kaṇva and Sāndīpani; who used to stay in forests, though they had made arrangements in their Āśramas (forest retreats) to teach hundreds of students in subjects like philology, grammar, astronomy and civics, in addition to Veda, religion and philosophy (*Mbh.*, I: 91). In the Jātakas (*e. g.* No. 438) we sometimes come across the stories of teachers leaving cities like Benares and retreating to Himalayan forests with a view to be free from the disturbances from the city life. They were confident that the villagers around would supply their few and simple wants. But in the majority of cases Gurukulas were located in villages or towns. It will be seen that such was the case with most of the educational centres that would be described in Chapter V. This was but natural, for teachers were usually householders. Care however was taken to locate Gurukula in a secluded place or garden¹, and in holy surroundings. The case of Buddhist Universities like Nālandā or Vikramaśilā and of Hindu *agrahāra*² settlements was peculiar; they were like modern University towns of Oxford, Cambridge or Benares Hindu University, independent educational settlements, where arrangements were made for the lodging and boarding of students who flocked in hundreds and thousands. They combined the advantages both of the town and forest life.