Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c28.s1.32

c28.s1.32

The hermitages were generally established in the Himalayas [i, 406, 431; iii, 143; iv, 74]. Sometimes, however, the bands of ascetics would establish themselves near the centres of population and would have facilities for attracting recruits [iii, 115; iv, 293]. These imparted to their disciples a knowledge of their “arts, texts, and practices”. We read of Setaketu, originally the senior pupil of a school of 500 pupils at Benares, going to Takkasilā for education in the “arts”, on completion of which he wandered through the country learning all practical arts, when in a village he comes across a group of 500 ascetics who, after ordaining him, taught him all their “arts, texts, and practices” [iii, 235].