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

108 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
having seen them returning during their own life
time.¹ And yet we find students flocking to Taxila
from far off cities like Benares,² Rājagriha,³
Mithilā⁴ and Ujjayinī.⁵ Kuru and Kośala countries
sent their own quota of students. One of the
archery schools at Taxilā had on its muster roll,
as we have seen already, 103 princes from different
parts of India. Heir-apparents of Benares are
usually seen being educated at the same place in the
Jātakas. King Prasenajit of Kośala, a contemporary
of the Buddha, was educated in the Gandhara
capital.⁶ Prince Jīvaka, an illegitimate son of
Bimbisāra, spent seven years at Taxila in learning
medicine and surgery.⁷ As Pāṇini hailed from
Śālātura near Attok, he also must have been an
alumni of Taxila university. The same was the case
with Kauṭilya, the author of the Arthaśāstra.
Boarding and Lodging Arrangements :—Students
used to go to Taxila only for higher education. They
were usually 16 when they came to seek admission
there. As a general rule, they stayed in the
houses of their teachers. The well-to-do students
used to pay their lodging and boarding expenses along
with their fees, sometimes even at the beginning
of their course. Some of them, who were very rich
like prince Juṇha from Benares, used to engage special
houses for their residence (Jā. No. 456). Poor students,
who could not pay any fees, used to work in their

1. Jātaka No 456.
2. Tilamuṭṭhi Jātaka, No. 252.
3. Jātaka, No. 378.
4. Ibid, No. 489.
5. Ibid, No. 336.
6. M.V. chap. VIII.
7. Jātaka, No. 498.