Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c4.39

c4.39

From the *Upanishads* we get many more sidelights on the ancient Brāhmanic education. The meaning of the word ‘Upanishad’ has been the matter of discussion. Max Müller² says that ‘Upanishad,’ besides being the recognized title of certain philosophical treatises, occurs also in the sense of doctrine and of secret doctrine, and that it seems to have assumed this meaning from having been used originally in the sense of session or assembly, in which one or more pupils receive instruction from a teacher. These treatises profess to give a kind of esoteric doctrine, or higher enlightenment, and refer to pupils as having studied all the Vedas and sacrificial ritual, and yet without the knowledge of the answers to the deeper philosophical speculations which troubled earnest seekers after truth. Śvetaketu Aruṇeya was a Brāhman youth who was sent to school by his father. ‘Having¹ begun his apprenticeship (with a teacher) when he was twelve years of age, Śvetaketu returned to his father when he was twenty-four, having then studied all the Vedas—conceited, considering himself well-read, and stern.