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

140 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
was a famous centre of learning. An inscription
discovered at this place gives us a graphic description
of its literary and pedagogic activities. "In some
of its streets the Brahmanas were reading the Vedas,
Śāstras and six systems of philosophy; every group
of Brahmanas was either reading the Vedas or
engaged in listening to the exposition of some higher
science, or carrying on ceaseless discussion on logic,
or joyously reciting the Purāṇas or settling the meaning
of the Smṛitis, drama or poetry. All the Brahmanas
of Sarvajñapura were devoted to study, teaching and
listening to the dictates of religion and morality."¹
Numerous centres of Higher Education: The
above two Agrahāra villages were but typical of their
class. As a rule in every Agrahāra village free
instructions were given in different branches of
Sanskrit learning by the Brahmana donees in return
for the provision made for their livelihood by the state
or sociey.² Sometimes non-Agrahāra villages also,
like Bāhur, 15 miles south of Pondichery, were
important centres of higher education receiving grants
of the revenues of several villages because they were
famous centres of well-known scholars, hailing from
all parts of the country.³ Agrahāra villages and
endowed temples and monasteries were fairly
numerous in ancient India; there used to be at least
two or three of them in an area equal to the modern
district. We may therefore well conclude that

1. E. C., V, p. 144.
2. Cf. एतेषु किलाग्रहारेषु केचिजपन्ति । अपरे पाठयन्ति ।
   केचित्पठन्ति । अन्ये तत्त्वविद्यामुपदिशन्ति । इतरे अध्यापयन्ति । पश्य
   पश्य । Keralābharaṇam.
3. E. I., XVIII, p. 14.