Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c12.s2.3

c12.s2.3

**Prayers.** Some of the prayers used in the performance of the ceremony indicate the objects of education. They are both religious and secular and such as are necessary for the harmonious development of a man's nature. The pupil prays to the gods for insight, offspring, splendour, strength, and vigour [*Āśval.*, i, 21, 4]. The gods invoked are named Bhaga, Yama, Aryamā, and Savitṛi. Savitṛi was invoked to ward off evils like disease and death [ib., *Gṛ. S.*, i, 20, 6 (*Deva Savitaresha Te Brahma-chārī sa mā mṛitaḥ*)], In the Śāṅkhāyana [ii, 3, 1] he prays for long life, offspring, and strength, increase of wealth, mastery of all the Vedas, fame, and bliss. Pāraskara [ii, 4, 3] makes him worship Agni with the following poetic prayer: "To Agni have I brought a piece of wood. As thou, Agni, art inflamed by wood, thus am I inflamed by life, insight, vigour, offspring, cattle, holy lustre." Hiraṇyakeśin [i, 2, 5, 13] has the prayer for offspring, valiant sons, splendour, wealth, wisdom, and pupils (for the student must develop into a teacher and help forward the spread of learning). There is also a special prayer for intelligence [i, 2, 6, 4]. He has also a similar prayer to Agni: "As thou art inflamed, Agni, through that piece of wood, thus inflame me through wisdom, insight, offspring, cattle, holy lustre, and through the enjoyment of food" [i, 2, 7, 2].