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Education in Ancient India c8.s2: Later Vedic Age (c. 1500 to 1000 B. C.)

Education in Ancient India c8.s2

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English

Later Vedic Age (c. 1500 to 1000 B. C.)

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The Subjects of Study : The mass of the Vedic hymns was classified in this period and as a result, the *Rigveda*, the *Yajurveda*, the *Sāmaveda* and the *Atharvaveda* came into existence. This led to specialisation in Vedic studies and facilitated the growth of a new type of literature, known as Brāhmaṇa literature, which devoted itself to the exposition of a number of important dogmas, theories and practices connected with Vedic sacrifices. Sacrificial rituals became very complex and complicated in this period and the professional priests had to devote several years in mastering their details and intricacies. The study of astronomy, geometry and prosody contiuned to progress in this period. The development of the sciences of grammar and etymology started in this age and manuals on these subjects were included in the curriculum.

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The Method of Study : The Vedic hymns were being gradually differentiated from the Vedic language and it was felt that the sacred literature should be preserved in its pristine form and purity, and should not be allowed to change with the spoken idiom. Vedic scholars of this period began to insist that Vedic hymns should be carefully committed to memory in their precise traditional intonation and accents. Students were not at liberty to change a difficult archaic word for a simple current one. The differentiation of the spoken dialect from the Vedic language raised new problems of interpretation and the age sought to solve them by preparing a list of difficult Vedic words and expressions. which were carefully expounded to students. Vedic students were expected not only to memorise the Vedic hymns, but also to explain their meaning. Ridicule was poured on them if they failed to expound what they had learnt by heart.¹ Learned discussions were a normal and important feature of the student life and young scholars were very anxious to come out successful in them.²

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¹ स्थाणुरयं भारहारः किलाभूदधीत्य वेदं न विजानाति योऽर्थम् । Nir., I. 18 See also, ibid, 1. 19.

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² A. V., VII. 12, 13; II. 27.

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