________________
1911]
Shrimad Yashovijayaji.
[333
many Brahmin Pandits and men of learning. He took permission of his Guru and travelled on foot to Benares in company of Vinayavijayaji his uncle-Guru.
Let us here dilate a little ou education in Ancient India. The peculiar feature of this education was the residence of the pupil with the preceptor during the period of pupilage. There can be no doubt that this residential system had had great effect on the character and study of the pupil. The ancient systems of education were all bound up with religion, as there was no difference between religious and secular, subjects. But in modern times religion is going more and more out of the scope of proper studies except as illustrating certain features in the development of mankind Religion as conceived in ancient times teaches both the principles of morality, and the way to spiritual progress, while as conceived by the majority in modern times it is merely a matter of opinion, ot guess work or dogma. The application of the Scientic method of thinking that has proved fruitful in other subjects, to the study of religion, lias reduced the latter to a feeling of vagueness and mystery. Some go to the length of saying that we have no need of the religious preceptor and the opinion is gaining more and more ground that young pupils should not be removed from their homes and the influence of their parents. That is why there is no boarding system in Germany. In the Ancient times when there was no printing the pupil had to depend upon his teacher who either knew books by heart or possessed manuscripts, but at the present day books are being multiplied without number. Though the majority hold that the Guru-Shishya system of the past cannot be of much use at the present day when the aim is to foster a spirit of independent research and not to allow the pupil to grow in an atmosphere of continuous surveillance instead of an atmosphere of freedom, the Gurukuj tas been started on the ancient educational system on the old,