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

II] SOME EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND POSTULATES 27
murder of a friend or Brahmana (Yáj., III. 228). During
the rainy season, every graduate was expected to devote
extra time to his studies 'in order to remove their staleness'.
Some thinkers like Śvetaketu even recommended an annual
stay of two months at the college for this purpose
[A. D. S., X. 1. 2. 12].
Importance of Student's Cooperation : Ancient
Indians held that education was not a passive or one
sided process and that it will be productive of the
greatest results only when full and voluntary coopera-
tion is coming forth from students. They must feel the
urge to acquire more knowledge; then there would be
pleasure in teaching them. If there is no real desire for
learning and improvement, it would be useless to waste time
and labour over the education of insincere students (Manu,
II, 113-4, 191). But what was to be done if a student
entrusted to the charge and care of a teacher begins to
show a continuous indifference to duty ? How was he to
be induced to do his work? Was the teacher merely to
remonstrate, or was he to inflict physical punishment ?
Views about Physical Punishment : As may be
expected, there was no unanimity of views among ancient
Indian educationalists about the advisability of physical
punishment. Āpastamba recommends that a teacher
should try to improve refractory students by banishing
them from his presence or by imposing a fast (1.2.8.30).
He seems to be opposed to physical chastisement. Manu
grows eloquent over the virtues of gentle persuasion
(II. 159-61), but eventually permits the imposition of
mild physical punishment by a thin rod or rope. Gautama
agrees with him, but adds that a teacher giving a severer
punishment would be liable for legal prosecution.¹ A
१ शिष्यशिष्टिरवधेन । अशक्तौ रज्जुवेणुविदलाभ्याम् । अन्येन घ्नन् राज्ञा
शास्यः । I. 2.48.53