Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c12.s6.68

c12.s6.68

Thus two alternatives presented themselves before the members of the Vedic schools. They might either commit to memory all the Vedic texts of their Śākhās together with the Aṅgas without aiming at their complete understanding, or they might reduce the quantity of the matter to be memorized for the sake of a thorough mastery of what they learnt. Those who adhered to the former course became what we have already called "living libraries" but lacked the power of putting their learning to much practical use. Those who followed the latter course became specialists in the auxiliary Sciences of Sacrifice, Grammar, Law, or Astronomy, though, of course, they could not hold their own against the other class of students in respect of the verbal knowledge of the sacred books. Thus these special Schools of Science grew out of the original Vedic Schools which, by themselves, could no longer minister to the expanding educational needs and enjoy the monopoly in the spread of learning.