Jaina System of Education

Author(s): Debendra Chandra Das Gupta
Publisher: Bharti Mahavidyalaya

Page 27

LECTURE II
Another authority, Visnu refers to the same fact "For a Sudra, all branches of art such as painting and the other fine arts
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The Vedic and the Art or secular schools were not properly artı culated and the courses of studies in these two types of schools were quite distinct Scholais however could shift from one type of schools to the other According to Manu it was an essential necessity for the Brahmins to attend the Vedic schools before joining the Art or secular schools For them Vedic education was a prerequisite for joining the later type of schools 'A twice-boin man who, not having studied the Veda, applies himself to other (and worldly study), soon falls even while living, to the condition of a śudia and his descendants after him "7 Initiation into the upanayana ceremony is essential for the twice-born to be admitted into the Vedic school and the age limit varies with the different castes According to Gihya-Sutias a Brahmana, a Ksatriya and a Vaisya boy should perform his upanayana ceremony at the respective age of eight, cleven and twelve The age limit for each of them may be extended to sixteen in the case of a Brahmin, twentytwo for a Ksatriya and twenty-four for a Vaisya-boy from conception The close connection of this ceremony with the admission into the Vedic school clearly shows that the Brahmin scholars are expected to begin then study with the Vedic courses, whereas the other two members of the twice-boin seck admission into the Vedic course after completing the art school, the initiation ceremony is not enjoined upon the scholais of the twice-boin while studying secular courses "The Veda is to be explained only to one who has been duly initiated", while there is no such restriction with regard to the teaching of ordinary 'language'. The Veda is taught to the three higher castes only while ordinary language is common to all the four castes According to Kumārila Bhatta then a Biahmin pupil can easily join the secular or Art school in case his upanazana ceremony is deferied upto the age of sixteen from conception and the above quotation clearly indicates this point
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We are told in the Lalitavistaia how Lord Buddha in his boyhood
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חיי
6 The Institutes of Visnu, ti by Julius Jolly, p 13, verse 14 7 Manu, u by G Buhler, p 61, verse 168
Gihya-Sutras, ti by Hermann Oldenberg, p 187, verses 1-7 9. Kumarıla Bhatta, Tantiavārtika, vol. 1, ti. by Di Ganganath Jha, p. 325.