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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN
good centre of learning medical science or spells (48.83-85). Vipra Ramana of Rajagrha is mentioned to have gone to some other place for his studies and he returned home after a long time (82. 44-46),
Other agencies :-No less part was played by the wandering mendicants who regularly gave sermons to the public on religion and indoctrinated the principles of morality and righteousness. They were the mobile teachers and roaming libraries. There were occasions when religious debates were held and on such occasions people got good opportunities to learn many things about religion, philosophy and ethics (11.25; 105.26).
Besides that the society was based on Jati or Varna i. e. the professional classes hence the respective families would have been good schools of training in different learnings, professions and crafts.
B. Subjects of study and Literature. The general references in connection with the education of children indicate that the education was manifold. Instructions were imparted in the Sastras, Vijñānas, Kalās and the Silpas. In support of the above the following general references can be quoted :
Satthāņi sikkhaveuń 11.65, savvasatthavisārao 25.3, nāņā vihai satthaim 97.22, bahusattha pandio 74.29; bahuvihavinnāņaladdhamhappa 25.25, vinnānasipparahiya 3.112; sikkhanti kalāgamam sayalam 12.11, savvakalāgama kusalā 97.25, kalāsu kusalā 25.26, savvam kalaga. magupaṁ sikkhai 77.84, savva kalasu sāhiyavijjo 18.56; sayaṁ ca sippāņa uvaittham 3.114. The reference to Šāstra is not necessarily to the sacred scriptures. It means also treatises on various secular subjects. Thus the PCV mentions 'nayasattha (8-5)=nyāyaśāstra. Further a Dūta= envoy is stated to have learned various Sastras (39.39). Here Sastras denote treatises on polity. Šāstras can be taken as works relating to arts and sciences also. The military science or archery is also called Isattha (25.24) or Isatthāgama (77.83)=Işuśāstra.
The following were the subjects which were studied in those days:-Script, Grammar, Prosody (livisattham, saddalakkhanań, chandar 24. 6), Jinaśāsanaśruti (Jiņavarasāsaņammisuipunnā 1. 19), Vedas (4. 80), Vedāngas, Upārgas (saigovalge vee 82. 45), Aranyakas (11. 10), Rāmāyaṇa (2. 116), Bhārata i. e. the great epic (105. 16), treatises on polity (nayasattha 8. 5) and Dhanurveda (12. 125; 25 18).
The Jinaśruti denotes the Jaina canonical literature which consists of 45 Agamas i. e. 12 Augas, 12 Upāägas etc. There is a specific reference to the Purvas and Augas which were studied by the monks
