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Education, Literature and Sciences
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comes to an end if the teacher transgresses the limits of Dharma. His commands were to be regarded as ultravires, if they were likely to jeopardise the student's life or were against the law of the land. PRIVATE TEACHERS AND OTHER AGENCIES
As education became more complex and exact during this period, specialists started appearing in the form of private teachers. They were to be found scattered all over the country, but they used to congregate in large numbers in certain places on account of the facilities they received. Such places were usually capitals of kingdoms and famous holy places. Taxila and Banaras became well known educational centres where a number of famous scholars imparted education in their individual capacity but did not as a rule combine to form any colleges. If the number of pupils under any teacher happened to be large, he would either engage an assistant teacher, or assign part of the work to brilliant advanced students.
Besides these private teachers, the followers of different Vedas had formed their own Academies of learning called the Charaņas. These Charaṇas were merely loose organisations based upon a fellowship of teachers and students working at different centres but promoting the study of particular Vedic Sākhā. At different centres of learning, there were Councils of learned men known as Parishads which also worked as agencies of education. After completing their education, students were to present themselves for a test of their knowledge.
EDUCATIONAL CENTRES
Taxila became a widely known scat of learning during this period. It had many famous teachers to whom hundreds of students flocked for higher education from distant places like Rājagriha, Vaiśālī, Banaras, Ujjayinr and Mithilā. These teachers were not members of any organized institution like college or University but every teacher, assisied by his advanced students, formed an institution by himself. Onc such institution under a world-renowned teacher had five 1. drabhirati Ja, II p. 185 and Mchädhammagala Ja, IV, p. 447.
