Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c12.s6.75

c12.s6.75

**Their modern Remnants.** A picture of these processes is afforded to some extent by the conditions of sacred learning even in modern times. The true modern representatives of the ancient *Charaṇas* are the so-called Vaidiks of whom an interesting account is given by Sir R. G. Bhandarkar [“The Veda in India”, in the *I.A.*, iii]. A Vaidik of the Āśvalāyana school knows by heart the Rigveda according to the Saṁhitā, Pada, Krama, Jaṭā, and Ghana pāṭhas, the *Aitareya Brāhmaṇa*, and *Āraṇyaka*, the ritualistic Sūtras of Āśvalāyana, Śaunaka’s *Prātiśākhya*, and the Śikshā, Yāska’s *Nirukta*, Pāṇini’s Grammar, Jyotisha, Chhandas, Yājñavalkya’s Dharma-śāstra, portions of the *Mahābhārata*, and the philosophical Sūtras of Kaṇāda, Jaimini, and Bādarāyaṇa. Similarly, the Vaidiks of the Yajus, Sāman, and Atharvan schools are expected to recite all the works of their respective Śākhās together with certain other non-Vedic works. Now those who carry in their head such a vast quantity of learning cannot be expected to be experts in its exposition or practical application. A professional Vaidik, as Bühler points out, is not the person who can be trusted with the proper performance of the sacrifices according to the Śrauta-Sūtras, or with the interpretation of the intricate system of Pāṇini’s grammar or even decision of knotty points of Law according to the Dharma-Sūtra or the secondary Smṛiti which he knows by heart. Each of these subjects can be dealt with only by specialists. The Śrotriya or Śrauti is the man for sacrifices: he knows by heart the sacred texts of his Śākhā, understands fully the meaning of the Śrauta-sūtras and has a practical knowledge of the actual *Kriyā* or manual work described in the *Prayogas*. His colleague, the Yājñika, is similarly a specialist in the Gṛihya Sūtras and domestic ceremonies. But these two will thus have their knowledge confined only to a few branches of the entire literature of the Aṅgas such as Kalpa or parts of it, and perhaps the Śikshā. Similarly, those who would specialize in the other Aṅga subjects such as Grammar, Law, or Astronomy, will have to reduce proportionately the quantity of learning related to the Veda and its auxiliary subjects. Their obligations in respect of Veda-study, for instance, would be fulfilled by their committing to memory a few important sections of the Vedas such as the Pāvamānī-hymns of the Rigveda or the Śatarudriya of the Yajurveda or the verses occurring in the Brahmayajña and the Sandhyāvandana.