Jaina System of Education

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

Page 90

76
JAINA SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
and he nominated the alucard young prince as his successor to the Ilironc of a runoj"!
State -Statc stipen ision over the cducation of the young prince was extended to Arts and higher cducation The State encouraged specialization and spacialists were sought for cagerly and they used to be appointce for the cducation of the princes The Buddhist source supplics us Taith iformiuion on the point Thus we learn from the legend of Sakya Buddha that Lord Buddha while a inerc boy recened hus education in the academic subjects and traditional sciences under Vasvamilna in ilc rcgular class room of tlic Art school and his military truining in han hu thc royal girilen under ksantadem The teacher scrc carefully selected in consultation with the rise, ministas of the State Tich thc sarious ininisters rcplicd to the king as follows Maharaja I knou Viśmilra is most perfectly acquainterl with all thic Sastris and in cicry respect the most studied to become (cacher of tlic prince in all and cicry kind of scholar like erudition Then Suddho lana despatched messengers to Visvamitra to speak to him thus Yıll you Oh Icarned sir I undertake to instruct the prince Royal in che various branclics of politc learning and the usual manual accom plishments I * We quotc again Then all the ministers respectfully answered the king and said Maharajal the son of Supra Buddha Kşantı deva by name is thoroughly competent to teach the prince all the material accomplishments of which you speak * We learn also from the Jaina source that the military tactics were practised by the princes in a field especially set apart for this purpose called khaturika in the suburb of a capital city The following extract will support our state mcant, He wandered about until he arrived at the city of Sundaram where he happened upon Gunasundara the son of tbe king of that aty practising military tactics on the field for military exercise (Kha turikā) outside the city # Provision was also made for separate gardens or hippodrome for practising horse riding as a part of military training for the princes or pupils of the art-school Such train
41 Ibid Loc. Cit. 4: The Romantic Legend of Sahya Buddha, p 67 48 Ibid, p 70
44 Maurice Bloomfield, The Life and Stories of The Jaina Savior Partva natha, p 89