Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c5.2

c5.2

THE early Vedic schools for the training of priests seem to have been confined to the youths of the priestly class, and the Brāhmans kept in their families the ancient literature which formed the basis of all higher education. Even in quite early times, however, it is evident that some of the non-Brāhmans attained to a high degree of notoriety as men of wisdom. There is, for example, a certain king Janaka, of Videha,¹ who is referred to in the *Brāhmaṇas* and the *Upanishads* as gaining distinction in debates with learned Brāhmans. Other royal sages also are mentioned, like Chitra Gāngyāyani ² and Ajātaśatru,³ who were able to give Brāhmans instruction on deep questions of philosophy. In early days such instruction as the young Kshatriyas and Vaiśyas received would presumably be given by their fathers and confined to teaching them the duties of their particular calling in life. It probably marks the growing power of the Brāhmans that at some time the training of the young Kshatriyas and Vaiśyas came into their hands, and it became the exclusive privilege of the Brāhman caste to give instruction. Even at the time when the hymns of the *Rigveda* were being composed it was the custom for the chieftains or nobles to have a Brāhman as a domestic priest or chaplain, called a *purohita*,¹ and it is easy to see how the instruction of the sons of his patron would come under his care, and that this system would gradually be extended to all the Aryan youth as the power of the Brāhman priesthood increased.