Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c9.59

c9.59

**Yāska on Vedic Education.** Yāska in his *Nirukta* [ii, 3, 4] throws further light on the methods of this Vedic education. He states that the teacher "must avoid teaching (*na nirbrūyāt*) isolated syllables (*eka-padāni*) and should not also teach pupils ignorant of grammar (*avaiyākaraṇāya*) nor any one who is not a regular pupil living with his teacher (*na anupasannāya*). He should teach only such a regular pupil as well as one who is specially qualified by his intelligence (*medhāvī*) or asceticism (*tapasvī*) or thirst for knowledge". This passage shows that Grammar as a subject was evolved as early as the Veda itself, when a knowledge of Grammar was necessary for understanding the text (*padas*) of the Veda. It also shows that the essential of Vedic education was the system of pupils living with their teacher under formal studentship or *brahmacharya*.