Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c17.60

c17.60

**Sacrifice of Janaka.** The Upanishads also emphasize the other feature of these learned gatherings, viz. that they provided the arena where scholars seeking to establish their intellectual position entered the lists in tournaments of debate. This feature is also noticed by the Mahābhārata [iii, 132-4], where it is stated how learned Brahmins were flocking to the sacrifice of Janaka "for the purpose of listening to controversies" (and also to Brahmaghosha, recitation of the Vedas). Thither came Ashṭāvakra, eager to assert and establish his intellectual primacy, but the entrance to the Congress was barred by the gate-keeper who, under orders of the learned chief Vandī, was to admit "only old and learned Brahmins". Ashṭāvakra had thus first to convince the gate-keeper of his eligibility for membership of that learned Assembly, and addressed him as follows: "O Gate-keeper, you will to-day see me engaged in a controversial fight with all the learned men and get the better of Vandī himself in arguments." In the end Ashṭāvakra came out victorious with his supremacy acknowledged by the entire Assembly. Lastly, in this connection we may also note the different classes of learned men distinguished [xii, 236, 18-20]. "Those who are acquainted with the Vedas are of two sorts, viz. those who lecture on the Vedas (Pravaktṛi) and those who are otherwise (i.e. mere preceptors)... The preceptors of the Vedas are of two sorts, viz. those who are conversant with the Self and those that are otherwise."