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EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND ART
gradually all the Sastras such as Vyakaraṇa (Grammar) preceded by the demonstration of specific scripts.' The sincerity of the teachers, the disciplinary temperament of his sire, the paucity of evil-associations, complete facility of all the branches of knowledge available at hand; and the precocity of his own intellect, made him conversant with them in a short time. With interest unflagging he mastered all the stock of fourteen branches of learning along with their auxiliary lores quite within the period of ten years. He learnt the entire stock of arts obtaining skill especially in the art of painting and lute playing. When all the scriptures obtained maturation in him and he went past the lores of weapons with blessings of the intelligentia showered upon him who had attained to the glamour of flushing youth with limbs attaining to radiation who was as permitted by the teachers of learning (Samavattana Samskara) the king brought Harivāhana back to the palace, after he had gone past the sixteenth year of his age.2 This proves the fact that in Ancient India as corroborated by Bāņa's evidence above, a child's education started at six and ended at sixteen whereafter specialisation to attain to ā-cāryadom continued in case of Brāhmaṇas etc. But in case of Ksatriyas it was an obligatory way to go through the period of ten years to understand and obtain training in fourteen branches of knowledge. In fact it was obligatory for every individual to undergo this must period of training in order to adjust himself in the educated and civilized society.
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Regarding the fourteen branches of knowledge, the commentator says
Four Vedas along with the Vedāngas (numbering six), Mīmāmsā, Anvikṣiki, Dharmasastra and the Purana are the fourteen branches of lores.'
मुत्तमांगघटितमालतीमुकुलगण्डमालमवदातवेषतया सविशेषदर्शितादरमभ्युत्थितायाः पुनः सरस्वत्याः सितांशुधवलया शरीरच्छाययेव च्छुरितमात्मजमवनिपतिः । Ibid Vol. II. p. 188.
1. पूजाविशेषवर्धितप्रीतयश्च ते लिपिविशेषदर्शनपुरःसरमशेषाण्यपि व्याकरणादीनि शास्त्राणि तस्मै क्रमेणोपादिक्षन् Ibid. Vol. II p. 188.
2. कुमारोऽपि सतताभियुक्ततया गुरूणां नियन्त्रणपरतया पितुरविद्यमानतया दुर्विनीतसंनिधेः स्वाधीनतया सर्वागमोपनिबन्धानां कुशीग्रीयतया च निजबुद्धेरल्पेनैव कालेव तेषामभ्यन्तरोऽभवत् । अमुक्ताभियोगश्च दशभिरण्डेश्चतुर्दशपि विद्यास्थानानि सह सर्वाभिरुपविद्याभिविदांचकार । कलाशास्त्रं च निरविशेषं विवेद, विशेषतश्चिकर्मणि वीणावाद्यैः च प्रवीणतामाप । एवं च परिणताशपशास्त्रमासादितसकलस्त्रविद्यापारमुपलब्धसर्वबुधजनसाधुवादमारूढनवतारुण्यलक्ष्मी जलधिपूर्णसवावयवशोभानुमोदितविद्यागुरुजनै न हरिवाहनमतिं क्रान्तेपोडशे वर्षे हर्षनिर्भरो राजा... स्वभवनमानिनाय Ibid Vol. 11 pp. 188-189.
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3. पडङ्गवेदाश्चत्वारो मीमांसान्वीक्षकी तथा । धर्मशास्त्रपुराणं च विद्या एताश्चतुर्दश । Commentary to TM Vol. II
p. 188.
