Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c5.36

c5.36

The hours of study were thus planned out. ‘He shall spend the forenoon in receiving lessons in military arts concerning elephants, horses, chariots, and weapons, and the afternoon in hearing the Itihāsa’. Itihāsa is said to include Purāṇa, Itivṛtta (history), Ākhyāyika (tales), Udāharaṇa (illustrative stories), Dharmaśāstra, and Arthaśāstra. The first four would include mythological and epic tales, and those moral fables and stories such as were collected (afterwards) in the Pañchatantra and the Hitopadeśa.¹ The last two include what would now be termed law and political science, and would cover the theoretical parts of Vārta and Daṇḍanīti.