Education in Ancient India c6.75

c6.75

‘Forgetting fatigue’, says Yuan Chwang, ‘they expatiate in arts and sciences; seeking for wisdom..they count not 1000 *li* (roughly equal to 200 miles) as a long journey. Though their family may be in affluent circumstances, such men make up their minds to be like vagrants and get their food by begging, as they go about. With them there is honour in knowing the truth and there is no disgrace in being destitute’ (I. 160-1). Smritis require a Naishthika Brahmachari to serve his teacher throughout his life; in actual practice however they used to establish new centres of education after some time. Famous teachers like Kanva and Divākarasena (of the *Harshacharit*) were such Naishthika Brahmachāris. This ideal of Naishthika Brahmacharya, which is peculiar to India, enabled her to make striking progress in learning and philosophy.