Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c13.33

c13.33

*traditional literature*, sacred and profane, (*c*) *original works* embodying *new* knowledge, (*d*) *commentaries*, (*e*) *ordinary* compositions. Besides these classes of authors, Pāṇini refers also to thinkers and teachers who might not be the authors of actual works themselves. Three different types of philosophical thinkers are distinguished, viz. (1) the *Āstika*, who believes in the life after death, (2) the *Nāstika*, who has no such belief, and (3) the *Daishtika*, a rationalist (according to the *Kāśika*) or a fatalist, a predestinarian (according to Bhattojidīkshita [iv, 4, 60]). There are also, two other references to the prevalence of similar beliefs [v, 2, 92; vi, 1, 49]. Besides thinkers and philosophers, Pāṇini mentions teachers of the first rank who, though not themselves famous for any works of their own, were famous for the works of their pupils. Kalāpa and Vaiśampāyana were teachers of this type whose discourses were so fruitful that they gave rise to different schools of thought, all within the domain of the subject-matter of those discourses. Each of the several pupils of those great instructors became the founder of an independent system, so vital and varied were the seeds of thought implanted in their minds [iv, 3, 104]. In this connection we may also refer to the *Brahmavādins* who, according to Kātyāyana [Vārttika 2 on iii, 2, 78], discoursed on sacred texts, though they might not themselves be authors of independent works.