Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c30.11

c30.11

**Study of Vedas.** As regards Brahmanical education, the students had to “learn the four Veda treatises”, viz. the Āyurveda, the Yajūr-Veda, the Sāmaveda, and the Atharva-Veda. Hiuen Tsang’s account of the contents of these works shows that he had very little direct knowledge of them. His omission to mention the Rigveda is probably due to the fact that he “had in view those Vedic works which were then in writing and known to or owned by the Brethren in North India. Some of these Buddhists were converted Brahmins, and it was perhaps by some of them as has been suggested, that the Vedas were reduced to writing” (Watters’ note, p. 160).