Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c11.s4.41

c11.s4.41

**Admission to Studentship.** Studentship is normally inaugurated by the ceremony of *upanayana* or initiation, the significance of which is most beautifully set forth in the *Atharvaveda* in the passage already explained. The spiritual significance of the details of the Upanayana ceremony is also indicated in the *Śatapatha* [xi, 5, 4]. "The teacher lays his right hand on the head of the pupil whereby he becomes pregnant with him (*tena garbhī bhavati*) and then in the third night the embryo issues out of the teacher and, being taught the Sāvitrī, obtains true Brahminhood " [see Sāyaṇa's commentary]. " He is like a divine creature born from his teacher's mouth" [xi, 5, 4, 17]. The request to be received by the preceptor was to be duly made [cf. *vidhivat* in *Muṇḍa. Up.*, i, 1, 3], according to the *Bṛihadāraṇyaka* [vi, 2, 7], with the words—*upaimi ahaṁ bhavantam*. In the *Śatapatha* [xi, 5, 4, 1] the student has to say formally: "May I enter upon brahmacharya", and "Let me be a Brahmachārin". The student has also to take the fuel in his hand as a token that he is willing to serve the teacher, and especially to maintain the sacred fires [see previous passages cited: *Kaushī. Up.*, iv, 19; *Chhānd.*, iv, 4, 5; v, 13, 7; viii, 7, 2; 10, 3; 11, 2; *Muṇḍ.*, i, 2, 12; *Praśna.*, i, 1]. Before receiving him, the teacher makes inquiry into his birth and family. Satyakāma Jābāla going to Gautama Hāridrumata said to him: "I wish to become a Brahmachārin with you, Sir. May I come to you, Sir?" He said to him: "Of what family are you, my friend?'" The manner of the inquiry shows that it was made in a very indulgent fashion and the uncertainty regarding his parentage was not in actual practice admitted as a bar to the teacher's acceptance of the pupil [*Chhānd.*, iv, 4, 4]. In the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa* [xi, 5, 4, 1], similarly, the teacher merely asks the name of the intending pupil and then accepts him.