Jaina System of Education

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

Page 68

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JAINA SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
The course of studies prescribed for females were eminently prac tical and physiologically sound having a special eye to the mental aptitude of the students and their prospects in the future as members of the State of the Church of the School or of the Family It may be added that music was also included in the scheme of studies and those who had special aptitude for it specialized in it. Gandharvadatta has been brought up in the city of Gandharvas She is skilled in all the Arts
but more especially in music
Let there be at Campa a musical competition every six months At it Candharvadatta will the sing narayanastuti
0
This
Specilization was in vogue very much as it is to-day Students pursued a thorough study in particular branch of knowledge which was quite in harmony with their practical bents of mind some specia lized in painting some in dancing others in singing and so forth is typically illustrated by the story of the princess Srimati whose sorrows were soothed by her learned and skilful nurse by means of depicting the story of her life-story on a piece of canvass Associated with the knowledge of painting was the knowledge of geography and of city transportation system and others The story referred to may be given in the following words One day Srimati had gone to a pleasure-garden and her nurse named Pandita seized a favourable opportunity and spoke to her privately When I know your grief I shall procee-l to the business of curing it She then told Pandita an exact account of her former life like a man making confession to a good guru Having represented Srimati s story on a canvas by pictures Pandita learned in strategy went quickly to display it outside same story 15 repeated in the Mahapurana by Puspadanta a tenth century writer He represented Srimati drawing herself the portrait of Lalitanga her lover on a piece of canvas and handed it over to her nurse to find out the whereabouts of her lover An inter
The
P 181
6
Professor Fillix Lacôte, Essay on the Gunadhya and the Brhat Katha Tra salākā purua-Caritri vol. II P
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8 Puspadanta Mahapurana vol I edited by Dr P L. Vaidya chap 22,
verse 21