Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c13.39

c13.39

‘**Charaṇas**.’ These *Gotras* or close corporations of culture could not, however, remain as such for ever. The special body of knowledge, of traditions, doctrines, and customs which was vested in each as its exclusive property could not long continue in its necessary narrowness, but had to be thrown open to the community in the interests of its own growth and of public instruction. Thus the *Gotras* came to be federated together for their common good. Out of this federation arose that peculiar synthesis or institution known as the *Charaṇa*. Members of different *Gotras* with their particular culture-traditions now united in the *Charaṇas* to widen their culture. The *Gotra* became more and more indicative of the blood-relationship, while the *Charaṇa* indicated a spiritual relationship, an ideal fellowship. Every pupil had thus a double relationship, what Pāṇini calls *Vidyā-yoni-sambandha*, i.e. relationship in learning and blood. As every person was bound to seek an *Āchārya* for instruction, he was considered to be his descendant in a spiritual sense [i, 3, 36 (*āchāryakaraṇa*)].