प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

94 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
for their children and permit the villagers also to send
their wards to study under him. Sometimes they used to
take the lion's share in meeting the expenses of the local
school. They used to offer substantial help to graduates
collecting subscription for paying honorarium to their
teachers. Very often they used to defray the expenses of
copying books with a view to present them to scholars or
schools. In an age in which there existed neither press
nor paper, gifts of books were very badly needed.¹ Very
rich persons sometimes used to found free feeding houses
for the poor in general and the students in particular ;²
sometimes they would construct college buildings either
as a matter of charity³ or in commemoration of some
departed relation.⁴ Others would often endow chairs⁵
1 These have been recommended by Purāṇas ; cf. शास्त्रे यस्माज्जगत्सर्वं
संश्रितं च शुभाशुभम् । तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रयत्नेन दातव्यं शुभकर्मणा ॥ Quoted by
Aparārka on Yāj I. 212. Both Nālandā and Valabhī used to get
grants for books ; see Chap. VI.
2 These, for instance, existed at Kolagalli, Managoli, Nilgund, Nes-
rage, Bagewadi, Belgamve, Dambal, Gadag and Behati in
Karnatak and at Kharepatan in Konkan during 1000-1400 A. D.
See, I. M. P., Bellary No. 82 ; E. I., V. p. 22 ; Ibid, III, p. 208 ;
J. B. B. R. A, S., X, p. 256 ; I. A , VII, p. 307 ; Ibid, V, p. 49; Ibid,
X, p. 188 ; Ibid, I, p. 30 ; Ibid, IV, p. 274 ; E. I, IV, p. 355
respectively.
3 Nārāyaṇa, a Rāshtrakūṭa minister, had done this in 945 A. D for
the college at Salotgi ; E. I. IV. p. 180.
4 For instance a Brahmana landlord at Kudarkot had erected a
building for a Vedic school in memory of his son killed in war ;
E I., l. p. 180.
5 These were known as Adhyayanavrittis and Vedavrittis and their
holders were also required to recite and expound Vedas and
Purāṇas for the benefit of the public. At a single village named
Kuttalam in Trichinopoly district sixteen endowments were made
for this purpose within the short interval of 150 years during the
Vijayanagara rule ; see S. I. E. R., for 1917, nos. 481 and 487
of 1917.