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

124      EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA      [Ch.
near modern Wala in Kathiawar, was the capital of
an important kingdom and a port of international
trade with numerous warehouses full of rarest
merchandise. During the 7th century, however, it
was more famous as a seat of learning. I-tsing
informs us that its fame rivalled with that of
Nālandā in eastern India;¹ it is however a pity that
he should not have given us any details about its
literary and educational activity. There were about
a hundred Buddhist monasteries at the place in
c. 640 A.D.²; and they accommodated six thousand
monk-students. The famous Buddhist scholars,
Sthiramati and Guṇamati, were the leading scholars
of the University at the middle of the 7th
century A.D.³ Like Nālandā, Valabhi also was not
an exclusively Buddhist or monastic centre of learning.
Even Brahmanas from the distant Gangetic plain
used to send their sons to that place for higher
education⁴. Graduates at Valabhi used to be appointed
to posts in the executive line (I-tsing, p. 177); this
would have been impossible if secular subjects like
law, economics, accountancy and literature had not
been cultivated at the place. The University was
famous for its catholicity and intellectual freedom.

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1. P. 177.
2. Watters, II p. 246.
3. A copper plate grant given in 580 A.D. to a monastery
   founded by Sthiramati has been found ; I.A., VI, p. 11.
4. अन्तर्वेद्यामभूत्पूर्वं वसुदत्त इहि द्विजः ।
   विष्णुदत्ताभिधानश्च पुत्रस्तस्योपपद्यत ॥
   स विष्णुदत्तो वयसा पूर्णषोडशवत्सरः ।
   गंतुं प्रवृत्ते विद्याप्राप्तये वलभीपुरम् ॥   K. S. S. Chap.
                        XXXII, 42-43.