Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c13.45

c13.45

‘**Parishads.**’ Lastly, we have also references to the *Parishads*. We have already examined in an earlier chapter their constitution, composition, and functions. They were of the nature of an executive council regulating the relations between different *Charaṇas* and giving authoritative and binding decisions on the doubtful points in the general social laws. Pāṇini refers to the Institution in two Sūtras [iv, 4, 44 and 101]. In the one, the formation *Pārishadya* is explained as one who attends a meeting, and therefore is a member of the *Parishad*, and in the other, the formation *Pārishada* is explained as one who is clever at debates in the meetings of the *Parishad* [*Parishadi sādhu*]. The term *Sabhya* was used to signify the specialist in oratory [iv, 4, 105].