Concept of Vedic Education

Development:- Man is the most intellectual being in the creation. He is endowed with the power to receive knowledge, to think, to imagine, reflect & speculate about his past as well as his future. Down through the ages knowledge has been handed down from the matter of this master to discipline & this master to discipline & thus from generation to the next. In this hierarchy of education, the Vedas are the first to revealed, the other being evolved from them.

Max Muller said, " one thing is certain namely, that there is nothing more primitive more ancient that the rymus of the Rig Veda, whether in India or in whole Aryan world. Being Aryan in language they thought, the rig Veda is the most ancient of our books.
Vedic education is the mirror of all the edul. System of culture of India lies in the Vedas. There are four Vedas in number:-

Rig Veda

Sam Veda

Yajur Veda

Athar Veda.

Silent feature of Vedic education:-

1). Source of light:- In Vedic period education Was considered as a source of light of illumination which enlightens an individual in all walks of life. It was only education that truth could be perceived & wisdom could be attained. Vedas where the source of all knowledge and man could understand Vedas. The person who does not have the light of education may be termed as blind.

2). Knowledge the third eye:- According to Vedas, education in knowledge. It is the man's third eye. It means that knowledge opens inner eye, flooding him with spiritual and divine life, which forms the provision for man's journey through life. Knowledge protects an individual like a mother, inspires him to follow the path of good conduct as a father does.
3). Agency of improvement:- The illumination as described will bring a complete change in the person & this change is for the better education makes us civilized, refined, polished & cultured. This transformation of a beast to cultured human being occurs because education teaches us to be neat & clean.

4). Not merely book learning:- Illumination is them contral concept of education. It does not mean that it has always to come from books. Thus education is not merely book learning.

Objectives of vedic education:-

In Vedic period, education has an idealistic form, in which the teachers laid stress upon worship of god, religiousness, spiritually, formation of character, development of personality, creation of an interest, for the development of culture, nation, and society. D.R Altekar writes, " the objectives of education in Vedic period where worship of god, a feeling for religion fulfillment of public & civic duties, an increase in social efficiency & protection & propagation of national culture." The prominent aim of Vedic education can be given as under:-

1). Physical and intellectual development:- people in vedic India believed that strong mind could only be in a strong body. So, a strong body was considered to be absolutely necessary in warldly as well as religious matter. Education was imported in the open & parnayan & Surya namskar were it's regular features. A student has to remain Bramhochari upto the age of twenty five. All through this period he had to lead to a very regular hard & disciplined life. This physical development was followed by intellectual development. A person who did not possess knowledge was considered to be blind intellectually knowledge of four Vedas. ( Rig Veda, Sam Veda, Yajur Veda, & Atharva Veda).

2). Religious & spiritually:-Besides physical & intellectual development, education, must develop moral & spiritual faculties. Religion has play a dominant role in the life of Indians. Education must make the students religious minded. They must also have a sense of piety. A spiritual atmosphere prevouled in the centre of education because of the presence of selfless, humble, religious minded, but talented teachers. During this period many hypothesis concerning spiritually took birth knowledge come to be seen as the instrument of salvation. Fire, sacrifices, fasting, taking of vocus became a part of life.

3). Emphasis upon knowledge & experiences:- The Gurkul's laid emphasis upon knowledge obtaining of experiences. During this period, the practice of distributing degrees did not exist. Students exhibited the knowledge obtained through discourses and discussions conducted in a concourse of scholars.

4). Sublimation of instinct:- Man is the virtual slave of the instincts embedded in his psyche, & when he is obsessed by his senses, he often adopts the wrong path. The objective of education was to sublimate these instinctive tendencies, to turn the mind away from material knowledge, & centre it upon the spiritual world, thus establishing control over materialistic & basic tendencies.

5). Preservation and spread of culture:- Vedic education also aimed at preserving & transmitting the best traditions of thought and actions, manners & vocations of the past.

6). Promotion of social efficiency happiness:- It also mind at promotion of social efficiency &happiness. Proper training was given to the rising generation in different branches of knowledge, professions & industries. Every individual was trained for the vocation, he was expected to follow so that he might became a socially efficient & useful person.

7). Development of character & personality:- Development of character & personality was another aim of Vedic Indian education. It was achieved through an appropriate environment, lessens on right conduct & teachings based on the life, character & ideals of great persons. Education aimed at developing the virtues of self  - control, self - confidence, self - discipline, obidence, love, sympathy, co - operation, logical Judgment, fulfillment of social responsibilities & earning a livelihood.

8). Immediate and ultimate answer:- The immediate aim of education was to prepare the different castes of people for their actual needs of life. The ultimate of education in Vedic India was not knowledge as preparation for life in this world or life beyond, but for complete realization of self for liberation of the soul from letters of life, both present & future. The ultimate aim of human society of that age was the achievement of the absolute (brahama) education naturally was bound to be geared to that end. Achieving salvation was the ultimate aim of human life & this is the consequences of the real education.

Curriculum:-

Vedas & Vedic literature:- During the Vedic - age, education became centered on religion which is essentially an effect to establish an harmony between man's total personality and the totality of the universe. The curriculum was dominated by the study of Vedas and Vedic literature, spiritual and moral lessens. Hymns of the Vedas were primarily composed by Rishis as an expression of the inner light for the benefit of man kind. There are four Vedas namely 1 Rig Veda 2 Yajur Veda 3 Sam Veda 4 Atharva Veda.

Vedangas:- It includes the study of i. siksha ii. Kalpa iii. Nirukta iv. Chandas v. Jyotisha v. Vyaleama (granner).

Logic:- It develops the resonsry facilities.

Scheme of Arts & Crafts (silpa - vidya):- It develops aesthetic sense & practical skill in construction regarding symmetry, proposition & beauty.

Physical Education:- Meditation & salvation are possible only when one is physically healthy. Hence intense physical education was also included in the curriculum. It built stamina students had to learn riding, wrestling, hunting, swimming, running, jumping, etc. for developing physical & mental strength, early marriage was not in practice in Vedic – age. They strictly observed celibacy upto a particular age to avoid premature old age & death. (Atharva Veda).

Professional &technical subjects:- Some professional and technical subjects like medicine and surgery, astronomy, Astrology, Mathematics, economics, were given the importance the curriculum.

Dharma:- It was also the part & parcel of curriculum.

Meditation:- It was also included. Hymns of Vedas were composed by Rishis as an expression of the inner light for the benefit of mankind. This was in fact the main object of Vedic education. The education of Vedic period was the education of the complete man.

Student centered:- A great quality of curriculum of Vedic education was that it was student centered i.e. according to the educational needs, interests & aptitudes of the student. the curriculum was planned in such a way that it met the requirements of every student.

stress on other worldliness:- Curriculum in Vedic age, laid more stress on other worldliness. Although provision was made for all the student, yet he was not prepared for this world, but for the eternal happiness in the other world. The highest wisdom was to seek release from worldly claim & the highest knowledge was to acquinted with the method by which self - realization could be attained.

Methods of teaching:- 

In this period Verbal education was imported in such a way that it could be preserved for thousands of years. The hymns were learnt by remembering & they were realized through meditation. The sounds words to verses were pronounced in their organized forms. The Acharya, corrected the mistakes of their disciples by repitation. The people of Vedic age believed that the pronunciation of the hymns caused sin and destroyed their effect.

The method of mediation was also practiced meditation helped preservation of the meanings of the mantsas & development of the sound of the disciplines. The discipline tried to understand the sense and echo of the sense by meditation of every world of the hymns.

Role of teacher during Vedic period:-

During the Vedic period, the Gurukul method prevailed in which the students lived in the house of the Guru. The process of education passed through three stages of comprehension, Meditation, & memory. The Gurukuls were the centres of education in which education was imparted only by individuals of characters & ability. The students remained with his Guru for 12 years. Teachers laid stress on the integral development of the individuals personality.

Every student was required while residing in the gurukul to serve his teachers compulsorily. Teacher was a very respectable person who had qualities of head, & hand. Any violation of Guru's instruction was regarded as a sin & subject to stern punishment.

The student has to bear the responsibility of feeding both himself & his teacher D.R Altekar had said that a relation between a student teacher was a direct one. It did not function through an institution. The duties of the teacher including teaching, making arrangements for the boarding & hodging of the students.

Man has started that the prime teachers prime task & moral duty was to discharge his obligations towards his students. He must not only treat the students as his own child, he must also impart of him true & complete knowledge without concealing any knowledge from him.

Conclusion:-

Education system in the Vedic era was of the height & comprehensive. It was fully capable of development of physical & intellectual & character development, development of civis, social, moral & spiritual values, social efficiency & happiness, preservation & spread of culture, infusion of piety, & religiousness & development of best type of personality

What are the Main Characteristics or Features of Vedic Education?

Such terms as knowledge, awakening, humility, modesty, etc. are often used to characterize education in the Vedic period. Ancient texts refer to the uneducated person as an ignorant beast. Education is regarded as the source of light. The main features of Vedic education can be briefly enumerated as follows:

1. Knowledge, the Third Eye

Education is knowledge. It is man's third eye. This aphorism means that knowledge opens man's inner eye, flooding him with spiritual and divine light, which forms the provision for man's journey through life.

Through education, the development of every aspect of human life becomes possible. Knowledge protects an individual like a mother, inspires him to follow the path of good conduct as a father does, and gives the pleasure that one's wife provides.

The word 'Veda' originates from the root which bears the meaning of knowledge. Sayana declares that the Veda is a means to the obtaining of the adored that which is worthy of worship, as well as a means to the banishment of the undesired, the evil.

Knowledge of the four Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda), along with the knowledge of Shruti, Smriti, etc., provided an individual, with new knowledge which broadened his intellectual horizon.

2. Alms of Education

In the Vedic period, education had an idealistic form, in which the teachers (acharyas) laid stress upon worship of God, religiousness, spirituality, formation of character, development of personality, creation of an aptitude for the development of culture, nation and society.

It is in this context that Dr. Altekar said that the objectives of education in ancient India were worship of God, a feeling for religion, formation of character, fulfilment of public and civic duties, an increase in social efficiency or skill, and the protection the propagation of national culture.

These objectives and ideals took an individual along the path of spiritual development in their fundamental form, these objectives and ideals were

(i) Emphasis upon Knowledge and Experience

The Gurukuls laid emphasis upon knowledge and obtaining of experience. During the Vedic period, the practice of distributing degrees did not exist. Students exhibited the knowledge obtained through discourses and discussions conducted in a concourse of scholars.

(ii) Spirituality

In the Vedic period, Nature was regarded as divine and worshipped. During this period, many hypotheses concerning spirituality took birth. Knowledge came to be seen as the instrument of salvation.

Fire sacrifices, fasting and taking of vows became a part of life. Education was given the objective of inculcating control over these aspects and learning right conduct based on them.

(iii) Sublimation of Instincts

Man is the virtual slave of the instinctive drives embedded in his psyche, and when he is obsessed by his senses, he often adopts the wrong path.

The objective of education was to sublimate these instinctive tendencies, to turn the mind away from material knowledge, and centre it upon the spiritual world, thus establishing control over materialistic and base tendencies.

(iv) Fulfillment of Duty

Great importance was attached to developing such qualities as discipline, obedience, performance of holy duties, rendering help to others, fulfillment of social responsibilities, etc. Through such education social skills were developed in the students.

In addition, education was also provided for earning a livelihood and for this, one or more skills were taught. Dr. Mukeijee says that this education was not exclusively theoretical or literary. It was related to one or the other manual skill

(v) Growth of Character and Personality

The objective of education was the formation of character and personality of children. It was achieved through an appropriate environment, lessons on right conduct, and teachings based on the life, character and ideals of great persons.

Education aimed at developing the virtues of self-control, self-respect, love, cooperation, sympathy, etc. in the students.

3. The Method of Education

During the Vedic period, the Gurukul method prevailed, in which the student lived in the house of the Guru, instead of living with his parents. Along with his colleagues, he led a celibate life and obtained education in the house of the Guru.

Initially, in the Vedic period, it was the teacher who occupied the primary place, but in the later period, it was the student who occupied the central place in education, the process of education passed through the three stages of comprehension, meditation, and memory and midi-dhyaasana.

The Gurukuls were the centres of education, in which education was imparted only by individuals of character and ability. The student remained with his Guru for 12 years. There were parishads or committees to satisfy the student's thirst for knowledge. Congresses of scholars were also organized from time to time. In these, awards were also given to prominent scholars.

4. The 'Upnayana' Ritual

The word 'Upnayana' means to take close to, or to bring in touch with. A ceremony called the Uphayana ceremony was performed before the child was taken to his teacher.

This ceremony was performed at the ages of 8-11 and 12 for the Brahmins, kshatriyas and vaishyas, respectively. The ceremony signaled the Childs's transition from infancy to childhood, and his initiation into educational life.

In this context, the term 'Upnayana means putting the student in touch with his teacher with the passage of time, the ceremony came to be confined to the brahmin class only.

5. Celibacy or Brahmacharya

Every student was required to observe celibacy in his specific path of life. Purity of conduct was regarded as of supreme importance. Only the unmarried could become students in a Gurukul.

On entering student life, the student was made to wear a special girdle called a 'makhla'. Its quality depended on the casteof the student. Brahmins wore a girdle of moonj grass, the kshatriyasof string gut-taanta-and the vaishyas a girdle made of wool.

The clothes worn by them were also accordingly silk, wool, etc. The students were not allowed to make use of fragrant, cosmetics or intoxicating things.

6. Alms System

The student had to bear the responsibility of feeding both himself and his teacher; this was done through begging for alms, which was not considered bad, since every domestic knew that his own son must be begging for alms in the same way at some other place.

The reason behind the introduction of such a practice was that accepting alms induces humility. The student realised that both education and subsequent earning of livelihood were made possible for him only through society's service and its sympathy.

For the poor students, begging for alms was compulsory and unavoidable, but even among the prosperous; it was a generally accepted practice.

7. Service of the Teacher

Every student was required, while residing in the Gurukul, to serve his teacher compulsorily. Any violation of the Guru's instructions was regarded as a sin, and subject to stern punishment.

The student's duties included obtaining such daily necessities as water, a twig for brushing the teeth, etc., for his guru the teachers also ensured that the students should not be distracted from their studies while performing such duties.

During the vacations in which the student returned home he was not required to perform any service for the teacher.

The work of teaching began early in the morning. After performing their ablutions, students participated in some religious rituals, such as havans.

Subsequently, they were put to the task of studying. In the afternoon, after partaking of lunch, the students returned to their studies. At sunset, some more religious rituals were performed. They denoted the end of the day's routine.

8. Practicality

The education of that period encompassed the necessary activities of life. Students were given education about animal-husbandry, agriculture and other professions. In addition education in medicine was also imparted.

According to Dr. Alteker, purpose of education was not to provide general knowledge. Out a variety of subjects, but to produce specialists of the best kind in various spheres

9. Education for the Individual

In the Vedic period, every teacher devoted himself to the integral development of each student. He aimed at the physical and intellectual development of his wards.

The maximum attention was devoted to the individual development of every student, but there was no provision for the education of the incapable and the handicapped, especially those who were lacking in mental and moral qualities or were known for moral turpitude.

10. Duration of Education

In the house of the teacher, the student was required to obtain education upto the age of 24, after which he was expected to enter domestic life. Students were divided into three categories:

(a) Those obtaining education upto the age of 24-Vasu.

(b) Those obtaining education upto the age of 36-Rudra.

(c) Those obtaining education upto the age of 48-Aaditya.

11. Curriculum

Although the education of this period was dominated by the study of Vedic literature, historical study, stories of heroic lives and discourses on the Puranas also formed a part of the syllabus.

Students had necessarily to obtain knowledge of metrics. Arithmetic was supplemented by knowledge of geometry. Students were given knowledge of the four Vedas-Rig-Veda, Yajurveda, Samaveaa and Atharvaveda.

The syllabus took within its compass such subjects as spiritual as well as materialistic knowledge, Vedas, Vedic grammar, arithmetic, knowledge of gods, knowledge of the absolute, knowledge of ghosts, astronomy, logic, philosophy, ethics, conduct, etc. The richness of the syllabus was responsible for the creation of Brahman literature in this period.

The foundation of the education imparted in this ancient period was inherent tendency or aptitude (abhivrati). It is written in the Atharvaveda "O Lord Indra! Fill us with that ability which a father imparts to his son.

"It is also stated in the Sabra Bhashya, "How a child learns is apparent from the fact that the child of a Brahmin learns the Vedic aphorisms while still at home.

The imprint of these aphorisms upon his mind is indelible." Along with education, the performance of certain rituals was also regarded as essential. It was after these rituals that the child embarked upon a study of the subjects of his choice, though he was also required to study some others subjects.

In this connection Sanat Kumar inquired of Naarad what he had studied. Naarad replied, "I have read the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, the fifth Ved, history, the Puranas. I also know the Vedic grammar, the Veda of the Vedas.

I am also read in rules pertaining to service of one's father, arithmetic, the science of time, knowledge of gods, the absolute, ghosts, metrics, etymology, astronomy, knowledge of snakes and 'devas', dance, music-recreation and creation of fragrance."